ASD Child with anxiety and scary English Literature texts

[StrongLegs]

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask for a spot of advice?

My 11 year old (year 7) son is diagnosed level 1 ASD and struggles with anxiety and sometimes with being quite depressed in winter. He is very smart and is doing really well in school. He works hard, behaves well, and participates really well in all his classes.

The school are getting them to read "A Monster Calls" this half term and I really don't think it's a good idea for my son to read the book. He asked me to read ahead for him. and I couldn't cope with it at all, even in privacy at home. It boggles my mind how children can plough through it in the classroom. I don't think my son would benefit from the experience at all, and I worry how we would get him cheered up in order to have half a chance of enjoying the winter and Christmas. (The Mum dies at the end and it is all about bereavement and loss.)

I wrote to the school and asked if there was some way that he could read an alternative text, but they have said that there is not. The teacher said the real problem is staffing levels, and that she doesn't think they would have anyone to supervise him.

I did offer to pay for an extra person but she wouldn't hear of it, and now they say they want him to get on with it and read the book. They said they will only rethink if he gets distressed and asks to leave the class twice, but that seems a very public thing to put a young pre-teen through, in a school he only joined about 8 weeks ago.

I just wondered if anyone knows if there is a right way to approach this to help my son side-step this one book?

I phoned the NSPCC and they said the thing to do was to calmly just go back to the school and say that their answer is not acceptable and to ask what other options there are.

I'd be so glad to know what sort of option it might be worth asking for, as I don't know much about secondary schools. I know that one other school near here offers another book as an alternative, and they are studying the book in groups, so I can't see why different groups couldn't do different books.

We are in England and it is an academy school.

Thanks!

This is such a difficult one. My DS also has ASD and has just started secondary school. He has come home upset about certain things they are covering in lessons such as climate change, bullying, skin bleaching. (These are in PSHE lessons to raise awareness.)

The school is in a difficult position as it has to ensure all pupils cover certain topics as directed by the national curriculum and Ofsted.

The same is true for certain texts. I do hear what you are saying as my Ds's school has some books on the set list which I know he is going to struggle with for many reasons. I'm afraid I don't really know what the answer is.

I know you are raising concerns about this one book but do you think he is going to be able to cope with things like WW1 poetry? Or Macbeth? Lots of literature covers quite dark, complex themes.
How is he going to process learning about the Holocaust in history?

It's true that different schools do study different texts/topics but at some point there are bound to be things that he is going to struggle with.

I know that you say your DS is academically able but does he get any support in school? Do you have ASD outreach in your area? They can sometimes come in and make suggestions for various adjustments to be put in place.

My Ds's school does make adjustments in terms of what work my Ds has to produce in the lessons he struggles with. He still has to study the topic/text but they can adjust/change learning objectives for him. Eg he can't cope with writing a 'diary entry' so they allow him to write a newspaper report instead (that seems to help him as it's less 'personal' and more 'fact based). So he seems to get a bit less upset.

The school has a duty to make reasonable adjustments as your son has ASD.

Hi Toomanyminifigs,

Thanks so much for your kind reply. I am so relieved to hear that it's not just us. I'm sorry to hear that your ds struggles though. That must be hard.

My son did worry about history but his history teacher is smashing and he loves his history lessons. She just seems to know how to pitch it so the stories are not scary but are just really fascinating.

It's really good to know that they have a duty to make adjustments. I will ask about that.

Thanks!

I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. I don’t think A Monster Calls is suitable for 11 year olds and it’s a poor excuse from the school. There’s nothing in the National curriculum that necessitates studying that particular book. You can certainly hit the boxes without studying that text. I’d recommend raising with governors if the head won’t help.