Search the Community

Please can anyone help, I want to complain to the govenors. Last week at school my son (undiagnosed but has a 'sprinkling of many traits from the autistic spectrum' was sent to reflection time for swearing. (reflection being the most severe punishment) They told me he swore at another pupil by sticking up his middle finger. knowing my son I knew that he would have known what it meant and that he often uses that finger for pointing and I do tell him some people would consider it not polite. I asked it they had asked him in detail about the incident and they said that 'at the end of the day he confessed to doing it'. I am continually asking them to always consider the 'next step' when asking him or telling him off as he is black and white and not always the answer is what it may appear. Anyway... it turn out that he showed another pupil his finger as it was cold and smooth, the pupil told my son that it was swearing and went to tell the teacher. I have discussed with teachers, TA and the head and they do not get it that when questioned 'Did you swear at the other pupil' my son obviously replied yes because as the boy had told him so after the event. My son being black and white and also a very literal thinker so of course he would have said yes but if they had asked him did he know it was swearing he would have said no. Anyway, I consider it that as he did not have the knowledge, understanding or the intention to swear he should not have been put into severe punishment but it educated him into what the action meant. My son knows that reflection is severe an is very upset by it all, the teachers said it was only for 10 - 15 mins but it makes no difference if had been 1 to my son (aged 7). On top of this he is in Yr 3 but struggling to achieve Yr 1 assessment and has speech and language reports clearly saying about his use of language and understanding language is below his age range. This is just a long line of incident when they have been telling him off... for example he didn't want to sit at the tables for lunch with others and sat on a bench. 3 times he was told to sit at the table and he refused so sent to eat in a separate classroom for punishment - if they had asked him why he would have said that he didn't like the germs from people eating with their mouths full and it going on his food and also the tables were littered with food debris. The fear of germs is not something abnormal to him and so should have been punished? Anyone thoughts please? THank you x PS just found this site and what a useful site this be!