ASD in mainstream secondary

[Verbena37]

Hi,
DS yr 7 diagnosed HFASD last winter and has started at secondary two weeks ago.
On a positive note, I think he prefers having lots of new subjects to learn but from a pastoral side of things, I'm just not sure what to expect, and at what level, from staff.

I already met with the SENCo last term so they know his issues and needs yet since he started, and I realise it's only early days, I've been having to email school to point out issues that I would think staff would be more thoughtful about. Stuff like organising his time and not being able to remember noting down homework and not remembering to go to the loo before lessons start etc.

To the staff, I'm pretty sure they think me overprotective but for DS, who has had late night meltdowns for the past two weeks, it's not trivial but things that would enable him to feel less anxious.

Am I hoping for too much? I almost feel apologetic that I have to raise things with them.

Verbena that's the whole point. I feel you need to give the school and the SenCo the opportunity to get things right first - it's coming across that you're trying to do their jobs for them. Equally; other posters and myself have tried to explain to you in numerous posts the reality of secondary classrooms and the hectic nature of the first few weeks - you've not really acknowledged thisthat I've seen (I may have missed and apologies if so) but I'm not sensing that you have any real appreciation or understanding of the role we are trying to play. Sadly your expectation that every single one of your child's teachers are completely au fait with his very specific needs so early in the term is unrealistic.

Like mouldy says - perhaps this is an opportunity to help develop some life skills and independence.

You can't expect 11, 12, 13 year olds with Autism to develop independence by throwing them into a large environment that doesn't meet their (very real) needs and just insisting that they need to develop independence though mouldy.

The way to promote independence skills acquisition in DC with ASCs is by slow, incremental, graded progression in a workable environment with lots of support. Instead we have 1000s of teens struggling just to get appropriate access to toilet facilities etc.

I sometimes read posts on MN and get the impression that many people think the real issue with ASC DC is that they are being namby-pambied by the few people who are providing the actual support.

The support id needed because of the Autism. You do realise that?

A watch won't solve much if the whole educational setting is leaving a child to sink or swim.

As in; give them the opportunity to do things before sending copies yourself etc.

The watch was an example of the type of graded progression you refer to.
Nobody is saying nanny pambied 🙄

I hope op had success asking for the toilet card

manumission I couldn't have put it better myself. It's ridiculous how people believe that support hinders independence, good support fosters independence IME.It's also ridiculous how people believe that our children with ASD will just get over their difficulties if they ignore them, don't pander to them or refuse to believe they exist. No wonder there are thousands upon thousands of young people with ASD suffering with mental health issues particularly when the attitudes displayed here are probably rife in schools everywhere.

Margots is half way through the first half term they should have been distributed long before now. I wouldn't be relying on the SENCo having distributed them if there seems to be no indication of that in the child's school day. I'd be emailing SENCo for confirmation that they had been received and distributed copying in the email to each subject teacher if it were me. Because IME unless you push and shove very little gets done.

margot when I met with the SENCO, she was really keen for me to send/give the school /her as much info I had as possible.
Before summer, I was really excited about him moving up from primary because from what the SEND dept. had implied, they were really eager to make transition as simple as possible. Whilst it's true that he could have met up with the keyworker etc, there was nothing in place on day 1 and in the following couple of weeks that suggested staff had knowledge of his little (but often hidden) quirks.

The quirks and introvert behaviour was mostly what I was worried about.

Saying I have to give them a few weeks to let them sort it out/get to know him etc isn't helpful. For a child with ASD, change and the unknown is the most terrifying thing possible. It's mostly within the first three or four weeks that I knew were going to be the worst....hence why I met up with SENCO way in advance to make sure they had all info in place.

For my part though, I didn't realise that I would need to be so explicit in the type of information given to them.....I assumed from his report, that it would be evident that he may not understand about going to the loo at break time only....because I thought they might realise that having seen it said about not understanding concept of time etc. I thought staff would read between the lines for much of it.....but now, from the teachers posting here, I realise that's just not doable.

insan1ty as I've already said; some of these teachers will be meeting the child in question for the first or second time (OP clearly stated two weeks into term so not sure how that's halfway through ).

Based on the OPs example of what had been recommended there was NOTHING that would have suggested to me a requirement to be allowed to the bathroom straight after lunch. If the child had a toilet pass or it had clearly been indicated that this was an issue then yes, even two weeks in I'd expect that all staff should be aware. You cannot however assume that we will automatically assume that because a child is ASD that there will be a toilet pass which is what seems to be happening here.

Nothing the OP has said has made me think that the SenCo hasn't distributed the information, and there is nothing to make me think that the teachers in turn haven't read it.

That's what I was saying Margot.....I was admitting to being a bit naive in assuming teachers would deduce certain things about a child who has ASD. I now know they won't.

Cross post Verbena

Verbena

The support my dd has is second to none, I can't fault it.
You are right, much is down to pastoral care.
The SENCO is terrific and keeps all staff up to date about issues with any child. They don't need to be statemented to gain support.
However it's the house staff and pastoral care. Teachers are informed of any problems/ issues before the lesson, sometimes a week prior if something has happened during that time.
My dd has done some proper daft stuff and been helped rather than punished.
I'm not sure my dd would cope with a state secondary school in our area. Not sure about levels of support generally.
There is no money for staff in the state sector, everything has been cut.