Mentoring a child who has Asperger's syndrome

[katelyle]

I have just been asked if I would be happy for my year 6 dd to "mentor" a child with "high functioning" Asperger's syndrome in year 1. The suggestion is that she would give an hour or so a day until the end of the year to helping him with the academic side of his learning - he finds it dufficult to concentrate and responds well to one to one. I am, of course, happy for dd to do it if she wants to, and I'm sure she will want to. Has anybody any experience of this - is it something that happens in other schools? Is it helpful to the "mentee"? I can see how it would be incredibly helpful to the mentor!

No direct experience, but an hour a day sounds a huge commitment. I'd ask what support your daughter will be able to call on from teachers. DH opted out of the CCF at school and the conshie option was working in a special school - he was given no guidance and no support, and found the experience very difficult and upsetting.

I'm not totally sure how I'd feel about this one if I were the parent of the child with Asperger's, come to that - are they giving this responsibility to a Year 6 pupil because they can't get funding or a willing adult to do it?

An hour sounds too much. It would depend very much on the child with AS though. I would have thought that it would be of more benefit to have older children help with social skills (by setting up games etc which are then supervised). Does this child have support from an LSA. If not they should be getting funding for him if he needs an hour a day to help with academics.

DS2 (no SN) is in reception and year 6's come and read with his class every now and then, but I doubt they do an hour!

I think an hour a day is a lot, and would want to know how the time is to be spent - will she be with him in the Year 1 class, or in a library or corner of the room doing other activities with him.

I'm a secondary teacher, and have seen really positive results from mentoring, for both children, but I think it's important to clarify what is involved.

BTW when ds1 was in mainstream there was talk about a year 4 or 5 girl doing some work (in the form of structured play) with him (because she had a brother with autism, but I really disagreed with that as I thought she needed a break!). It never happened though.

Have to second percypig - am also a secondary teacher, and have seen the mentoring / buddy system work well for both parties.

However, an hour is far too much time - your dd will be out of her own lessons for that time, and that's not fair to her academically.

I'd say yes - but question the hour .... 15 - 20 minutes is more than enough for children of that age.

Thank you for all that. He is recently diagnosed and the school is in the process of putting the support network in place. He will be having LSA support - this wouldn't be instead of "proper" help - just something extra. I agree now I think about it that an hour would be too long - although once the year 6s have done their SATS there isn't much of an academic nature happening - I don't think it'd do her any harm to be out of class for an hour. However, I do think that a whole hour might be a bit intense for both of them. Any more comments gratefully received!

TBH I'd play it by ear. Some children with AS would be a dream to do academic work with (very rule bound), others would be a complete nightmare, and would be hard for anyone- especially a year 6 girl with no training! I'd play it a bit by ear, and see how it goes.