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Should school make DS play out?

3 replies

amistillsexy · 28/02/2013 20:55

Ds has a full statement of 32.5 Hrs per weeek, which should allow for constant supervision. This is due to his high needs in social situations, and the need for him to be closely supervised around other children.
99% of the time, he is lovely, engaging, and happy. He enjoys the idea of having friends, and some other boys at his school have shown an interest in befriending him in the past. He is, however, quick to anger, and will blow up if he thinks anyone is being nasty to him. This has led to some of the children at the school teasing him and goading him in order to see the reaction (which has led to him being restrained and remopved to the 'calming down room' in the past).
Until about October, he had a young man as his 1-1 at school, who encouraged him to play out and created lots of opportunities for others to play with him in a natural, but structured and supervised way.
This young man left in October, and was replaced by another 1-1, a woman this time (Not that it makes any difference, just to differenciate between the two).
Since the woman took over, we have noticed a sharp deterioration in DS's behaviour at home. He is very quick to react if he doesn't get his own way anyway, but recently this has been extreme. He is lethargic, and we have noticed he has rapidly put on weight over the last few months. He comes home from school and immediately starts to goad his younger brothers into an argument, making peaceful home life impossible!
He has recently let on that he is no longer playing out at all at school. He says Mrs A asks him if he wants to go out, and if he says no, he's allowed to play on the computer or read. He already plays online lego games for ten minutes every half an hour as part of his programme to get him to engage in class, which I challenged at his last review, but I was told it was the only way they could get any work out of him at all.
So, for the last 4 months, he's only been outside when he's been taken out by us at the weekends. He travels to school and back in a taxi (Local Authority transport), so no exercise there, and until the evenings have begun to get lighter, he has left and returned in the dark/dusk, so no opportunities to play out after school. It is difficult for me to get them out after school as we don't have a garden and live on the main road, so I have to get them all out and down to the park, which means that tea is later, homework doesn't get done, etc.
I asked in his home/school diary if he goes out to play or gets exercise, and Mrs A wrote that he chooses not to, so DS's take on it is right, she is giving him the choice and not persuading him.
Am I right in thinking that this is not on, and insisting that they sort it out?
I know he can be difficult if he goes out and other children 'wind him up', and I suspect Mrs A is more than happy not to 'play out' daily (she doesn't look the playing out type Grin), but it's not good for DS is it?
Can anyone help me in wording a letter to the school, outlining the reasons why he should be out to play, the benefits to him and the problems that he will have if he doesn't do it?
I'm finding it hard to be objective and not go all emotional on their ass! Grin

OP posts:
inappropriatelyemployed · 28/02/2013 21:02

Hiya

My son has a 32.5 hours statement too and also doesn't want to play out sometimes. I know how you feel. I worry about exercise too!

I wouldn't write a letter. I would go and speak to the senco or head and ask to chat about it. It is much better to do this face to face as a concerned parent if you can.

Discuss what you both think should happen and ways of achieving this. If school are at a loss as to how to encourage him, make some suggestions. You could also reward him yourself at home if he does it.

Playtimes might be very stressful for him and it sounds like the school need to access support in managing this and other areas such as engagement in class.

amistillsexy · 28/02/2013 23:18

Thanks, I was wondering if I was over reacting. I probably am, I just hate going in to school and complaining. I think if I tell them I know he isn't keen, but would like him to be encouraged in these ways..., then it will seem less like a complaint.
He'll respond well to me keeping a check at home, maybe make a graph of time spent outside each day, so he can work ondoing better each week.

Thanks for the suggestions and the support.

OP posts:
mymatemax · 28/02/2013 23:23

I bet she wants to take him out when the suns shining.
I would discuss with the school and stress that you want him to be outside with the others.
As you say he is missing out on all sorts of social opportunities as well as the physical and emotional benefits of fresh air & exercise

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