Sounds about right. I hate this attitude - you don't MANAGE any child, you teach, nurture, raise, even discipline, whether asd or not. They are kids not lil aliens despite their obsessions and eccentricities ;)
DS's provision seems more about containing him and managing him (he's a bolter when summat makes him anxious) than integrating him into his new school.
I got a bit fed up when instead of focusing on his hearing sensitivity, which is a real impairment my school OT's time was taken up with fiddle toys and wobble cusions cos he fidgets. I was like - hey over here he spends part of every day in PAIN from his ears but you people aren't bothered unless he fidgets in collective worship cos of it?
Also depressing is how little effort is put into EDUCATING HIM ( 3 R's, social skills). A shame as one of the easiest ways to "manage" him at home is to teach him something, whether it be a new recipe, a social story or how to count change. I'm very lucky in that I have an asd kid who wants to learn, even if it's not always by the conventional methods.
He's one of those whose mind has to be occupied at all times by something constructive or he'll use the time to start fretting. I've met many a bright little boy without asd with the same need to be metally occupied or the risk of mischief making is there. He has free time to fret, he gets anxious -he bolts and the school are right back at square one with him again.
The school have been shocked recently at how once they instituted a visual approach he's been soaking up maths and science like it's the last drop of water in the desert. He loves it and the teacher and ta love how they are no longer "managing" but actually teaching him summat - win, win all round : ) He's there to learn, they are there to teach. He has a different learning style to the norm, but the basic principle is the same. No "managing" required.