ASD Teaching and Learning Assistants

[complexo]

There is a job ad for the job in the title, I am wondering if I have any chance, and try to understand what the post involves. They say training will be provided and it is not necessary for the candidates to have experience with ASD....
Can anyone help me?

'''Responsible for: Supporting ASD students within the ASD facility and integrating into the mainstream setting.
Purpose of job: To work in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure the well being of students placed on roll in the ASD facility. To support students in all areas of Academy life allowing them to have a positive experience and reach their full potential''''

So if I get the job what will I be supposed to be doing?

I know someone who would be ideally placed to apply for this job.

She has been on every ASD-focussed course the LA have to offer (and more), and is currently investigating a degree course in ASD. SHe has supported children with ASD for several years, and when she is not in school she works as a PA for 2 younger children with ASD.

I think in today's job market, you won't stand much of a chance if you know absolutely nothing about the very thing the job requires you to specialise in.

From a parent's point of voew, I would not want my child to be the one you cut your teeth on, to be honest.

Are you an experienced TA already, with a keen interest in ASDs?
What are your reasons for wanting the job?

Have to agree with amstillsexy tbh. My ds attended an asd unit and the support he received from experienced and qualified TA's was second to none. I dread to think of the harm that could have been caused by placing him with staff who were neither qualified nor experienced tbh.
If you wish to work in schools as a support assistant but don't have any experience you could always approach local schools and volunteer to help out in class to get an idea as to whether it's something you wish to pursue.

Although the post is within an ASD facility, which presumably means being surrounded by experienced staff who could mentor and monitor your interactions with your student, check that you were completing assessments and observations and give guidance as to what you should be doing?
It depends how the unit manages induction of new staff, but I can understand why most parents would want and expect staff working in an ASD facility to already have training and experience in ASDs.

I just don't understand why they say in the post that experience and qualifications doesn't matter since it is such an important position.

Easy..... cost, qualified and experienced TA's will cost significantly more than someone who doesn't have either. Parents won't be happy though but there's little they can do unless like me they have in their child's statement that support is to be given by a qualified and experienced TA/group of TAs.So you wouldn't be supporting my child but others may not have that clause in the statement so you could theirs.

Yes but the support your child received from a qualified and experienced TA was close to none anyway, so maybe an unqualified one could have another qualities and traits tat could've helped more. At least she would be using every opportunity to learn and do her job properly as opposed to someone who had the right 'title' but was to comfortable to care. ....

Which is why I asked you:

'Are you an experienced TA already, with a keen interest in ASDs?
What are your reasons for wanting the job?'

Can you work with parents, listening to their concerns and filling them with confidence that you really have the best interests of their child at heart and are prepared to do whatever training it takes to learn more, including research in your own time?
How much do you already know?

"Second to none" means outstanding ds's support was brilliant probably because they had the qualifications and experience. I don't doubt that inexperienced and unqualified people could care but tbh some mistakes made by TA's without knowledge and experience could have pretty devastating consequences for ds and for me I don't want people getting their experience and knowledge at the expense of ds's well being. That's why I had the clause in that I did tbh.
Do you know much about ASD? Have you worked in schools previously? I need a TA I can trust, I need a TA who can work with me, I need a TA who can pre empt situations and avert a disaster, I need a TA that can remain calm when faced with ds 17 in a rage but can empathise and be upbeat when ds is desperately depressed (these two instances can happen within the space of minutes) I want someone who would know why a teacher being off sick or an extra assembly would be stressful for ds, I'd want someone who'd know why ds needed to change elsewhere for PE and didn't do metalwork I think if you go to the interview not able to fulfil at least those requirements then you aren't right for supporting ASD children as they are the bare essentials really.

insanityscratching. I had a search of some of your posts, they really make a lot of sense. Particularly the moment when you swapped over the chair and the pencil pot and suddenly all was well for your son. That's one of the points OP, having staff and parents and child working together as a team. Awareness, experience and multiple strategies are all essential.
So OP, are you going to elaborate any further?
Are you just looking for a job, any job? What qualifications do you have?
Was the fact that this job required none the thing that appealed most to you?

Sorry as English is not my 1st language I didn't understand the 'second to none' thing. And this is one of the reasons I'm not a TA. I used to work in a nursery and was good at it but I spotted an opportunity to look after children from my own country as a child minder and decided to become one. All the children I work with are learning English as well as my language so I feel they are gaining something whereas at the nursery I wasn't very comfortable having English as a second language even though it wasn't a problem to anyone. My clients always praise me for being so flexible and supportive and deal with their children's challenges very well and giving them advice and insights. But my flat is small and my family is always second so I need to close and find a job. This one is local and term time. They don't ask for experience but I'm sure there are better candidates out there.

Sorry as English is not my 1st language I didn't understand the 'second to none' thing. And this is one of the reasons I'm not a TA. I used to work in a nursery and was good at it but I spotted an opportunity to look after children from my own country as a child minder and decided to become one. All the children I work with are learning English as well as my language so I feel they are gaining something whereas at the nursery I wasn't very comfortable having English as a second language even though it wasn't a problem to anyone. My clients always praise me for being so flexible and supportive and deal with their children's challenges very well and giving them advice and insights. But my flat is small and my family is always second so I need to close and find a job. This one is local and term time. They don't ask for experience but I'm sure there are better candidates out there.

That's it Fallen I am more than happy to work in partnership with the schools and sometimes just having an outside view of the situation can work wonders. But life at home is difficult enough I don't want staff working with ds who I am having to carry as well as putting in damage limitation when they inevitably get things wrong.
Have to explain to dd's literacy teacher later why the teacher spelling blonde wrong is a big deal to dd this afternoon, at the same time getting her see that dd must have huge trust in her to have challenged her and why being forced to spell it wrong in her mistake free book is a "big deal" .....joy oh joy

OK, that helps build a picture. Working with children with an ASD can be bewildering, emotionally exhausting and you will be dealing 1:1 with parents who are often at the end of their tethers and stamina who may see you as either a support or a problem. When my son was younger, up to being 14, he could be very aggressive and physically violent in a meltdown.
His friend used to be a runner when stressed and his TA worked very hard to keep him safe and in sight without triggering a further withdrawal.
Children with ASDs often have other conditions, hyperlexia, hyperflexia, ADHD...
There are other jobs that are far less demanding of you, I wouldn't go into it unless you truly are interested in helping children on the spectrum.

Thank you so much for the useful answers, I will not feel confident to apply however I will research more on the subject and course. At the nursery there was a boy with particular behaviour but no statement of SEN and I was put as his key worker as I was the one who could communicate and deal with him better and have more patience than anybody else. Plus I fought for him to have some concession against the rules like him having yellow cup and plates always whilst others couldn't choose the colours. The manager always told me I should get into SEN but I overlooked.

It sounds like a future plan!
Good luck.

If you're childminding already, the council should have some special needs / inclusion courses available for you to try. Something like this