Published on 12, July, 2020
Dear Group,
I would be interested to hear anyones experience of having Aspergers syndrome and being in mainstream school. If a child has hyperacusis (hyper sensitivity to sound) along with their Aspergers diagnosis should they be in mainstream?...or would they thrive better in a special school where the acoustics are better (carpets etc.) and classes smaller?
My daughter has Aspergers and hyperacusis. I don't want to limit her academic or learning options as she is clearly very creative and hugely imaginative....but equally I am concerned about her health and wellbeing because on a daily basis she is overloaded and her stress levels are high due to noise and overwhelm.
If anyone has any experiences or advice I would be really grateful. Thanks you : )
Phew...what to say, some of us went through our whole school life with no one knowing we were Aspies at all.
My mother cried when I got my diagnosis at aged 56. "You could have had help" she said. Errrr, I doubt she'd have liked what "help" looked like in the 1970s,. But that said in hindsight, yeah. I wish my teachers would have been aware, but would I have wanted to be in anything other than mainstream education?....Noooo!!!
I would have had limited academic opportunity, a restricted curriculum, would never have gone to university, had the same job opportunities, would never have had friends on my intellectual level.
It's only my perspective, I know nothing of your kid, but instinctually, I'd say if she is of average to high or even very high IQ, fight for support within mainstream, so she is supported without clipping her wings.
By the way, 'creative and imaginative' was how my school reports described me; along with the fact I didn't mix much of course, lol. But ultimately my wellbeing was better met by stretching my mind than carpet to spare me sensory pain.
You might want to talk to your daughter about this. How old is she? Old enough to judge for herself, or still an infant?
Wow, this is really interesting. I have arranged to see a special school...but the second I made the appointment I started to feel a bit sad. I had the feeling that I was clipping her wings as she is super smart and I have no idea what her cohort would be like in that school. We are looking at other schools too, including two private schools because they offer much smaller class sizes which I think would reduce the noise issue. I feel also that the private schools might be more willing to give her quiet breaks...and they have more rooms to offer that quiet space. In the mainstream schools we have seen so far there is nowhere for her to go other than a separate hub...which just looks likes exclusion to me. Its really hard!
Awful dilemma for you. Do involve your daughter though and give her the final say.
When I moved from middle to secondary my mother was just going to tick the box for the one for our catchment. But I knew it had an awful reputation for behaviour and a worse one for academic performance. I also knew that every kid who made my life a nightmare was going there.
I told my mother that she'd have to drag me to that school kicking and screaming. She took me seriously and investigated the alternatives. She soon found some of the other mothers were trying to get their kids into another school a couple miles away because it had a much better reputation. I went there and my teachers were great. They spotted my dyslexia in a time where little was known, although nothing was known about autism, they played to my strengths. That school saved me and I flourished.
In the end it will be all about the understanding of the school staff and how comfortable your daughter feels when she sees it.
It sounds like you're a good mum. Doing your best. I have a feeling she will appreciate you deeply for your desire to understand and help.