• Replies 10 replies
  • Subscribers 66 subscribers
  • Views 3558 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

My son is struggling with year 10 /g.c.s.e's

Tim'smom

Hi, my son has been diagnosed with being on the autistic spectrum. He has learning difficulties but not severe enough to have 'one to one' and he attends mainstream Comprehensive school. He has often shown outbursts of anger and frustration at home as school does'nt understand his difficulties. I have often been to the school and explained how upsetting certain issues are for him, such as speaking out loude in class or sportsdays. But i feel like im talking to myself, they just don't listen.

My son has become so upset, he is begining his 'tests' in class now, he is in year 10 and is presently studying for his G.C.S.E's. It's just the start of a year and half of exams and he's not coping at all. He finds revision frustrating and his attention span is very short. He gets angry and upset and says 'it does'nt register' he ends up throwing the books and swears and punches out. He's never violent towards me, he tends to punch the wall.

Can anyone give me some advice please, we are pretty desperate as he's refusing to go to school and i really want to help him..Are G.C.S.E's compulsory in Wales? Does he have to sit them?

Thankyou so much for listening..

Parents

  • Tim'smom said:

    .. she has stated that she feels Tim's outbursts are down to behaviour not autism..

    Does she know anything about autism? It doesn't sound like it.

    His Autism makes it difficult to cope and this is expressed by behaviour they don't like but how else is he to express it as they are not listening, either to him or to you.

    Ten subjects is far too much.  One of the things that people with autism find difficult is a lot of change. We are like huge oil tanger turning when it comes to switching from one task to another.  With an IQ of 76 he is going to need a lot more than 2 and a half hours per subject per week.  The autism also often makes it difficult to organise one's self and having homework on ten subjects a week will leave him feeling swamped.  He needs more time on fewer subjects.

    The public perception of autism is the social problems but there is much more to it than that, which this SE teacher seems to be completey unaware of.  Schools are very difficult places also because of the sensory overload. They are noisey and crowded with lots of movement - all things that are difficult for an autisic person.  Schools that are better at dealing with pupils on the spectrum have quiet areas where the pupils can go at any time.  They need to read something about Autism. I would recommend Olga Bogdashina's book on Sensory Issues - she is both a teacher and a parent. They might learn something from the The "newsround special" TV programme made by children on the spectrum. 

    No, your son does not have to do ten GCSEs. I am not surprised that he is unhappy about going to school and you are right to keep him off until they agree to recognise his problems and are willing to put something in place, even if it is just reducing the number of subjects.

    On the issue of revising, reading notes repeatedly doesn't help. Revision needs to be active even if it is just doing a quiz. See what you can find for him on the internet.

Reply

  • Tim'smom said:

    .. she has stated that she feels Tim's outbursts are down to behaviour not autism..

    Does she know anything about autism? It doesn't sound like it.

    His Autism makes it difficult to cope and this is expressed by behaviour they don't like but how else is he to express it as they are not listening, either to him or to you.

    Ten subjects is far too much.  One of the things that people with autism find difficult is a lot of change. We are like huge oil tanger turning when it comes to switching from one task to another.  With an IQ of 76 he is going to need a lot more than 2 and a half hours per subject per week.  The autism also often makes it difficult to organise one's self and having homework on ten subjects a week will leave him feeling swamped.  He needs more time on fewer subjects.

    The public perception of autism is the social problems but there is much more to it than that, which this SE teacher seems to be completey unaware of.  Schools are very difficult places also because of the sensory overload. They are noisey and crowded with lots of movement - all things that are difficult for an autisic person.  Schools that are better at dealing with pupils on the spectrum have quiet areas where the pupils can go at any time.  They need to read something about Autism. I would recommend Olga Bogdashina's book on Sensory Issues - she is both a teacher and a parent. They might learn something from the The "newsround special" TV programme made by children on the spectrum. 

    No, your son does not have to do ten GCSEs. I am not surprised that he is unhappy about going to school and you are right to keep him off until they agree to recognise his problems and are willing to put something in place, even if it is just reducing the number of subjects.

    On the issue of revising, reading notes repeatedly doesn't help. Revision needs to be active even if it is just doing a quiz. See what you can find for him on the internet.

Children
No Data