SENCO at new school wants to tell the rest of the class about ds

[mimsum]

DS (10) has just started in Y6 at a private secondary school - he's got a combination of TS, Asperger's, ADHD and generalised anxiety and has a statement and LSA in the class full-time. They've only been in a week and already some of the other boys are obviously 'noticing' things and getting annoyed about things ds says or does. The SENCO wants to tell the class about ds' difficulties - ds is fine about this but doesn't want to be in the room at the time. Has anybody else had this - and if so, what was helpful for the rest of the class to know - also are there any downsides?

thanks

Hello,
Don't have any experience, just bumping for you.
Good luck to your DS.

ds1 is in a class with a couple of children with sn (I also have ds2 with sn) & ds1's school with the permission of the parents do explain to the rest of the class.
This seems to work very well although they are told in yr1 & they grow through school together & really don't seem to see the children as disabled in any way but just as their friends.

I can imagine at 10 the class may ask more questions but it will stop playground whispers & pointing etc.
I hope your ds gets on well.

If it's managed well, explaining to the class can really help. In Wigan there was a particular project called 'circle of friends' and with guidance from their ed psych they would explain to the class about the child'd special needs and ask for volunteers to act as special friends, it's not too over the top, just partners in PE etc. If the children in the class are noticing already it is probably better that the situation is managed by the teacher. I am a 2ndry teacher but have done a lot of other support with primary. I hope it all goes well. You can't hide difference from kids but you can give them a positive model for responding to it.

My dh has had to go down this route before and it works well - the kids know very quickly that somebody is a little different and it helps that they know what to expect and why it will/may happen. Good luck.

Not the same thing at all, but a child with cerebral palsy joined my dd's class in year 4, and her mother came in and told the class about her before she arrived. It worked really well - she could talk about what life was like for her outside school and what sort of person she was as well as the practicalities of the challenges she faced. The children asked her lots of questions and asked how they could help. Having her in the class has been very positive all round, and I think her mother's attitude went a long way towards that. Could you do something similar? Forgive me if this is a rubbish suggestion!

Mimsmum is right the "Circle of friends" approach is really good. We did it in conjuction with the parent coming in to speak to the whole class.

Our primary school does this, as well as providing understanding, it seems to make the children more considerate and some get quite protective, particularly over those with more physical disabilities.

I hope it works out well for your DS.

Thanks everyone - had a chat to ds about it today and although he told the SENCO he was fine about the class being told, he's now said he really doesn't want them to say anything yet - he said could he have a chance to 'get his act together'. I feel really for him cos I know how desperately he doesn't want to stick out and yet how inevitable it is that he will ...

Poor DS

It must be very hard for him - he obviously wants to do well and be treated just like everyone else. I don't blame him. But, I do think, if other children are already noticing things, it would be a good idea for the SENCO/ teacher to say something. If handled delicately, I think it would help. Children are notoriously judgmental and critical - if they think your DS is behaving a certain way just because he wants to, they are likely to not tolerate it well. If they have some understanding of his difficulties, ime, children tend to be very compassionate and understanding.

It might be a good idea for the person telling the class to discuss what will be said with you & DS so that he has an idea of what his peers will know. I also think a debriefing session afterwards may be a good idea so he knows what was said, if the children asked anything etc.

Your DS does need to be comfortable with it though and if he's not (yet) then there is no point pushing it.

Best of luck.