Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm looking for advice for my 8yo daughter.
She is currently on the ASD pathway, and really struggles with singing and 'calming' music. She has been allowed to stay out of singing assemblies for over a year, but school have now implemented singing into every assembly. School are insisting that she needs to go into these assemblies as "In life things will happen that she needs to get used to"....
She becomes instantly distressed with these songs, and will sit with her in-ear plugs in, and her hands on her ears and cry throughout the whole singing part. As she has no formal diagnosis yet, I'm struggling to get the SENCO on board to keep her out of these assemblies, or to allow her to leave when songs start.
Any advice on my next steps?
Thanks in advance!
When my daughter was in high school, and before we’d been referred for an assessment, the SEND department had a profile made up for her, detailing what she likes, and what she struggles with while in school. A lot of small adjustments were made because they wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, in order to be able to keep learning. Speak to the department again, and make it clear that she should be allowed to sit out of assembly, especially while singing is in progress. Explain that it disrupts her learning for the remainder of the day and leaves her in a high state of anxiety (whether it does or not!). Meanwhile, speak to your GP and/or school nurse, who might be able to sway the decision.