Does excluding primary school children with special needs work?

[lars]

After my ds has had several exclusion from school I was just wandering, do mumsnetter believe it works in their experience.

What alternatives punishment were far better?

Do Primary SEN children really understand exclusion?

Larsxx

I agree about the 'lumping' and 2nd class citizenship.

I really shouldn't get wrapped up in things like this as all it does is upset me! So must bow out now. I really hope people don't think I was stirring things up as it wasn't my intention.

I guess things are still pretty raw for me

But if you say different, we could get into a big argument about what you perceive as different and what is normal.

Some parents don't like their children being labelled as "special", but in my (limited?) experience it often helps the parents and children; For example the thread that was started recently about someone's niece being tested for DS, a lot of MN went on and told her how "special" her niece was, it cheered the MN up and no doubt her sister. My brother always has a look of pride in his eyes when we say that he is special.

I doubt SN children will be lumped together because of a label. Most children and adults are grouped together because it is easier for society to deal with them in that way. We are all different and individual but we are lumped together whenever anyone describes us as mothers. It is important to see the individual, but I would let an issue over labelling get in the way of the more major concerns.

I'm sorry if I caused anyone offense or upset because I admitted I don't feel adequately prepared or trained to teach a child with AS.

I wasn't suggesting that MS teachers have a negative view of SN children only that I personally felt that as things stand I couldn't offer the child the level of support he needs. When we (collectively) pretend that we can, we're just letting everyone down. Sorry

homemama, I thought your post was very good and honest and giving the pov of a teacher.
I don't have a problem with the word special used routinely as "shorthand".
The big issue is that the policy of closing special schools and forcing everyone to conform (SN kids, NT kids, staff, all the parents etc) in m/s is just lunacy. What we really need is genuine choice and combinations of settings - very expensive no doubt! SOmeone mentioned inclusion in secondary and how hard that is. I have LOTS of friends whose children with ASD have been to m/s primary but NOT ONE is attempting m/s secondary, they are all starting to go to special schools, just a bit later than a lot of the others with ASD. Clearly, from the numbers I know whose kids have gone to m/s, it can work but I know it can be a real struggle for all concerned.
One last thing that often comes up on these sort of threads, a lot of MNers seem to assume that those of us with children with SN live in some angry bubble.... actually many of us, if not most (and I now hesitantly include myself in this) also have NT children (and those of us who don't may even know some!) so many of us do have some perspective and understanding of both sides. I hate seeing comments (not on this thread actually) but "is it OK for NT mums to join in?" etc. What we REALLY need is for those of you who only have NT children to join us in any campaign etc against inclusuion for all (although can't suggest exactly how just now!). The Inclusion policy affects ALL of us. It isn't the case that it couldn't or shouldn't work, its just not for everyone and it has to be done properly.....

Homemama - I thought your post was very good too. There seems to be very little training for teachers wrt SN. Practically speaking I would've thought it would be even more difficult if a teacher has several children in the same class each with a different type of SN. How would a teacher possibly find the time to ain indepth knowledge about each kind of SN? Inclusion just hasn't been looked at thoroughly enough by the policy-makers IMHO.

Davros is right about secondary schools. My ds1 is doing very well at primary school but I absolutely dread the thought of him going to secondary school - particularly as it is highly likely that he will end up having to go to one of those huge academy schools and left to get on with it until he starts to really struggle.