Homework

[duzzlightyearsmum]

Just need to vent about homework from secondary school!
DS (ASD/ADHD) has recently started at secondary school and has had minimal homework but everything he’s had so far has been a bloody poster!!!! Posters are the worst possible homework DS could be given they are so triggering for him. So many possibilities for him to ‘make mistakes’ as he sees it. He gets so angry so quickly over mistakes in ‘creative’ work, he gets a mind blank over what he’s supposed to include.
I know that the teachers probably think they’re being kind by giving ‘easy’ poster homework but honestly we’d prefer a sheet, written task, research, anything except a poster!!!
The tears, the meltdowns, the shouting we’ve had trying to get these completed has been horrendous

Have you spoken to the SENCO? A reasonable adjustment could be agreed whereby DS only completes essential homework (or if that isn’t enough even essential homework in core subjects). Does the school have a homework club? If DS has an EHCP some pupils drop a subject or 2 in order to complete homework during school hours.

A possible work around.
Type all the info.
Find 3 pictures.
When done you cut them out and stick them on some paper for him.

Posters in secondary caused much angst to my dyspraxic DD. I tried to identify the 'learning aim' and made sure that was met, even if I then did other bits.

See also: making a model of a Hindu shrine & drawing a castle and labelling it in French.

Thanks for your replies. They’re both very helpful.
We have a meeting this week regarding the school meeting (or not) his needs so will certainly bring it up.
I think in future printing the images and getting him (me) to stick them down is a good work around. He could certainly tell me what to search for and print!

My dd's teachers were aware that these would be difficult for her so always gave her a different task with the same learning objective eg instead of a poster, she would do a fact sheet or a summary of information. Perhaps discuss what particular things are tricky and see if they can suggest an alternative that still meets the point?