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School don't see my daughter's difficulties

jamaicanbluetaz

Hi there, I've just joined the community.  My 10 year old daughter was diagnosed with Aspergers in July 2013.

She has always hated going to school and it got to the point that I changed her school to a smaller school in the hope things would change.  As it is things are the same.

Once I got the diagnosis I believed the school would be willing to help - ah yes, they say all the things I want to hear - then my daughter informs me they are not quite telling the truth.

Recently I had my third meeting with the headteacher - one of my daughter's year teachers and the SENCO.  My daughter does not have a statement.  She does not present symptoms or difficulties at school, however the stress of the whole school - information processing, social etc - builds up and then she has a huge meltdown at home over something trivial.

I put this in an e-mail - what the stressors at school were.

In the meeting I was told that children with asd cannot behave one way at school and differently at home - it was impossible for them.  If she is going to have a meltdown she would have it at school just as easily as at home!!  This is contrary to all the asperger literature I have read and discussed with others. 

Further they told me that they do not see her having any difficulties at school - she is no different to all the other children at school.  She does understand what she is doing, she needs a motivator to get her to work faster (she is slow at processing tasks etc!!) and as for difficulty in the dinner hall they will watch out for this but they cannot staff anywhere else for her to go.  As far as distractions go - she doesn't get affected by sensory distractions otherwise she would have made a fuss many times when there is painting or cooking etc happening in the school.  When I suggested ear plugs for her so she didn't find noises distracting they told me this was only used for severe autism and there was no need for my daughter to go down this route.

They are not seeing that all of this quietly builds up and up until she blows up and that to alleviate her pressure they only have to change a couple of things.

Basically there answer to all of my points was that is severe autism, not aspergers, she does not present this at school but they will watch out for it in future.

Has anybody else had problems like this - silly question I know people have had problems like this because I have heard it but now it is happening to me I don't know what to do.

I know this is a bit of a rant and may not make sense - but basically all the "typical" symptoms of Asperger Syndrome and some not so "typical" are apparent in my daughter at home and with what she says about not liking school and other social occasions but the because the school don't see any of it they are treating it as if it is not happening.

Hoping somebody out there will reply to me.

Thanks for reading.

Jamaicanbluetaz - xxxx

Parents

  • I would still insist that you have more chance of success (and I agree its not much the way things are going) tackling the Local Education Authority.

    The schools are under tight budgets, tight performance objectives that seem to take priority over the experiences of pupils, reorganisations and revisions of procedure.

    But more importantly being able to provide good SEN and support to disabled pupils depends on them getting the right information.  Many teachers nowadays have little time to go and find resources for themselves. They may get to go to education conferences and see what the education publishers are offering (unlike autism conferences I wonder if JKP books are on display). But unless they use their own money, or persuade their LEA to change suppliers, they get the teaching resources they are given.

    I don't know what teachers are supposed to do when the amount of help in SEN books is so inadequate (bar all the stuff on TEACCH). I've described Hanbury above, and I cannot believe that his expeditions around Fear and Flight really help teachers. And I've explained why NAS guidelines to teachers may not be being taken up.

    Teachers are mobbed by criticism, much of it parents who don't think the school is doing enough for their child, disabled or otherwise. It is a difficult environment in which to address an individual disabled child's needs.

    Badly run schools do exist, and not necessarily defined by the Government's performance criteria. Bad teachers exist - there do seem to be some awful teachers being let loose. But whose fault is it? There are meant to be watch dogs, and legal criteria in place, but who is pursuing that? - teachers, head-teachers, Governors.....or the Local Education Authority?

    Whether you do it politely or aggressively, slapping the teachers around isn't the answer. And clearly the breakdown between parents and schools is a major and recurring issue on this forum........

Reply

  • I would still insist that you have more chance of success (and I agree its not much the way things are going) tackling the Local Education Authority.

    The schools are under tight budgets, tight performance objectives that seem to take priority over the experiences of pupils, reorganisations and revisions of procedure.

    But more importantly being able to provide good SEN and support to disabled pupils depends on them getting the right information.  Many teachers nowadays have little time to go and find resources for themselves. They may get to go to education conferences and see what the education publishers are offering (unlike autism conferences I wonder if JKP books are on display). But unless they use their own money, or persuade their LEA to change suppliers, they get the teaching resources they are given.

    I don't know what teachers are supposed to do when the amount of help in SEN books is so inadequate (bar all the stuff on TEACCH). I've described Hanbury above, and I cannot believe that his expeditions around Fear and Flight really help teachers. And I've explained why NAS guidelines to teachers may not be being taken up.

    Teachers are mobbed by criticism, much of it parents who don't think the school is doing enough for their child, disabled or otherwise. It is a difficult environment in which to address an individual disabled child's needs.

    Badly run schools do exist, and not necessarily defined by the Government's performance criteria. Bad teachers exist - there do seem to be some awful teachers being let loose. But whose fault is it? There are meant to be watch dogs, and legal criteria in place, but who is pursuing that? - teachers, head-teachers, Governors.....or the Local Education Authority?

    Whether you do it politely or aggressively, slapping the teachers around isn't the answer. And clearly the breakdown between parents and schools is a major and recurring issue on this forum........

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