Help!

Hi, my name is Shonagh and i am a newbie on this site.

My 10 yr old son was diagnosed with Autism in 2009, currently we haven't major problems at home but the last 6 months of school have been an utter nightmare for him.

Between too many changes and lack of consistency with how teachers handle situations and lack of experience have resulted in my son being apprehensive of going to school each morning but so far he still goes.  There are odd days when i literaly have to drag him to school which leaves me emotionally drained and usually in tears once i have headed for home. I am finding that it is me that is giving the school ideas on how to deal with the situation when i feel they are the ones that should have the expertise.

I would like to give you an example and any advice would be most grateful.

The other week for some reason my son decided he didn't want to take part in rugby, which was outside.  No amount of persuading made him change his mind so he was kept inside with a support teacher to watch over him.  The options that they have started using weren't offered to him as far as i am aware.  He proceeded to head to the window to watch them which he was then told he wasn't allowed and to sit down and think about the choice he had made.  This resulted in a cushion throwing episode. They then brought in another support teacher to help, one that he currently doesn't like and he then chose to play with some of the stuff in the area as he hadn't been given anything else to do.  These things were taken away from him and she proceeded to speak to him which ended in him throwing more cushions and hiding under tables.  They removed practically everything in the room, tables, chairs, cushions etc and he sat out doing nothing for around 2 hours, being observed.  By the time i came in which was the end of school i could see he was upset.

The problem seems to be now that he is choosing not to engage in any work he finds boring or doesn't like etc I am at a totaly loss of how to deal with this problem at school and because i now am standing up for him and putting in complaints if things aren't followed through they seem to have become offhand with me.

Anyone got any ideas on how to help solve this?

Thanks in advance, Shonagh