Lunchtime quiet area provision withdrawn for SEN children - what can I do?

[Aero]

School, have suddenly withdrawn their lunchtime quiet area club for vulnerable/SEN children one day a week. It is available the rest of the week.

Ds (AS) is very upset and angry about this. They are saying it will give the children a chance to integrate in the playground. My feeling (based on reliable information) is that the true reason is understaffing issues as many of the staff go out at lunchtime. The children already integrate at short break playtimes and ds feels lonely at these times anyway. The need for this quiet area provision at lunchtime when the break is extended is vital for ds everyday so he can get through the day and to get him into school to begin with. He is no less vulnerable one day a week than he is the other four!

Is there anything I can do about this apart from voice my concerns (which I have already done), or anything I can refer to to back up my complaint?

"They are saying it will give the children a chance to integrate in the playground."

Oh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Splutters.
Wipes eyes.
Gosh. Yes. That's all that's needed, isn't it. They are only not integrating in the playground because they have their quiet area.
Thinks back to own school days with no special provision, especially not a quiet area. Remembers last year of primary school and secondary school having breaks filled with total isolation, solitary thoughts and virtually no integrating whatsoever.

Circular logic (we provide X for kids who cannot integrate nut now state that X caused the lack of integration....) annoys me.

Consider a review and request to get space wqritten in statement if you have one, it is in ds1's

Pure disability discrimination. It's like saying to a child who's Deaf that they have have a hearing loop 4 days out of every 5 and on the 5th day they can practise being able to hear, as that's better for them. Absolute rubbish.
We need the quiet space. We can't ruddy well cope without it. Grr.

Could you offer to supervise it one day a week? Temporarily while you and school argue discuss the problem?

Could he come home for lunch one day a week?

If you threatened to not send him into school one day a week because he can't cope would that make them listen to you more reasonable?

Amberlight, that is an excellent analogy - do you mind if I us it? I'm just about to go into battle about a safe/quiet space for ds - again, but keep having the 'he needs to integrate' line thrown back at me. Ds actually does mix at playtimes, but only when he has his best (and only) friend there with him. Two days a week, while his friend attends a club and has his instrument lesson, ds is on his own and finds it scary and distressing.

Aero, last year we had a lovely teacher onside who agreed to have her lunch in a classroom so he could sit with her and read, unfortunately she was a long-term supply teacher and is no longer available. Is there anyone you would feel comfortable asking and then they could perhaps raise it with the school?

Obviously they need this space-it does just sound like a lot of flannel ! - If integration is hard for children they need to approach it from a sense of safety-they do not need to get thrown out into the playground to 'integrate'

I have already volunteered to supervise the group on some of the days. Another parent used to do it, but I'm not sure if she can anymore. If it were a shared responsibility, she might. Trouble is, teachers don't get paid for their lunch hour, so there's no real motivation for them to agree to do it.

Perhaps it should be suggested that someone is paid to do the job - they pay lunchtime supervisors for the rest of the children in the school. These children need this respite from the general busyness that they have to deal with for the rest of the day.

I have also considered collecting him at lunchtimes and delivering him back after, but it's not ideal - he wouldn't be integrating at all then!! At least in the group, he has his friends who are like him and that's important in the lives of SEN children.

Taking him at home at lunchtimes tells them there is no need for them to make provision as they can rely on you; should you get ill, lose the use of a car, etc you would be severely stuffed: do not get into that if you can at all help it.

Moosemama, yup, go for it.

Generalising, those on the autism spectrum have the exact opposite of being deaf/blind - we can see and hear so much detail at such a 'volume' that it is often blinding and deafening and exhausting. Telling us to 'learn to socialise' in that avalanche of stuff will lead to certain disaster, danger, meltdowns, escapes, violence or otherwise as a child desperately tries to cope with the pain of the experience. It is utterly wrong to force children to participate in something that hurts. And it does.
By all means schools should teach social skills and how to make friends, but in ways that respect the needs of the child.

Thank you.

Suggest they do integrate the children into the playground... with 2:1 support of course. Should focus their minds on staffing quiet club

Amberlight, that's a great insight and makes perfect sense. I think your last sentence hits the nail on the head, by being respectful of the needs of the child. I will say that in my letter.

Today went ok for ds because he had made his feelings known and he was able to stay insode and was given some jobs to do, so that was good at least. School do try, but this was something they haven't thought through properly imo and there will be certain backlash!

Atleast my son's school is upfront

He needs to withdraw at breaktimes and the head has been completely honest that she is struggling with supervision for this at the moment due to staffing.

That said they are giving him as much opportunity as they can to come inside doing jobs for people!