julieann

Hi julie1, As Kazzen161 pointed out you don't need any qualifications to be a teaching assistant. It all depends what the school is asking for. Ideally you need to have a recognised qualification in literacy and numeracy Once the school employs you it is up to them to see that you recieve the appropriate training for the job you will be doing. You could be doing whole class support or 1to1 with a pupil or small class support. EG: 1 to 1 support for a pupil with ASD. If you have qualifications, experience or knowledge of a family member with an ASD this would help you get the job. You could also get the job if you don't have knowledge or experience of ASD but are willing to have training which the school will pay for. Hope this helps. Julieann

Joybed, Speaking as LSA to student in yr10 and parent of son A/S 19 when the school say the pupil is coping they mean not causing to many problems for them. The effort of a pupil on the spectrum trying to keep it all together at school is exhausting and has to give somewhere. Usually at the end of a very long tiring day. Which just happens to be at home, the place they feel safest in. Slightly off subject but my yr 10 girl with A/S, dyspraxia and other learning difficulties was given her new year 10 locker today. It is a combination locker. The instuctions are : 1. To open turn right 3 times 2. Stop at the 1st number (33) 3. Turn left one full turn passing the 1st number (33) to stop at the 2nd number (13) 4. Turn right to the 3rd number (35), continue turning until the dial stops 5. Locker door will open and close freely. Julieann

Hi Gothschild, You were right not to accept the contract. My understanding is that it is in line with SA+ school action plus and is not legally binding. I don't know if you read my reply at the bottom of your Parent Contracts posting but I find it rather worrying that these contracts are not only being used to persuade parents their child will get a better deal without a statement they are also being used to persuade parents that their child no longer needs to be statemented because the school can offer a better deal. Julieann

Hi Karen A, "and suspect it is a new scheme for the LA to avoid issuing statements" You are correct and there's more. I have been a teaching assistant at all girls secondary school supporting two pupils with ASD's for the last three years. Youv'e probably read some of my postings/rantings. Were a "no SEN here" school. The head in her wisdom and because non of the teaching staff wanted the position has employed a senco with: no teaching experience (minimum of 3 yrs required) no SEN knowledge ( thinks she's discovered naughty children syndrome) no qualifications ( she sat her GCE English this week because she doesn't have required grade C or above) The head has just realised that statemented pupils no longer bring funding to the school and no longer wants the pupils at the school. She has got together with the senco and decided that my pupil no longer needs her 7.5hrs weekly support because she is doing so well academically. They don't seem to realise that her needs are more than academic. She is very mature and if there is any kind of a problem she comes to find me and we can usually sort it out. They don't seem to realise that if they take that support away she will not cope so well academically. Her mum is very upset at being told her daughter no longer needs a statement and the senco is telling anyone who will listen that after 10 yrs on a statement she has finally got xxxxx off it as though it's some kind of an achievement. My point being that this contract is also being used to persuade parents of statemented pupils that their child will get a better deal in school without a statement. My pupil was off school ill last week and they took the contract papers round to her house for the parent to sign. Just spotted your comment "does the contract have the same legal status as a Statement ?" My understanding is that it is equivalent to SA+ (school action plus). Julieann

Hi Flora, If a pupil is below level 3 they can be disapplied from SATS. The year 9 pupil I support at secondary school has just had to take her KS3 SATS because she is above level 3. The distress it put her through was heartbreaking. At one point she said to me " You wouldn't ask someone to write a rap song if they didn't understand rap music, why are you doing this to me?" Julieann

Hi VS, I support a pupil year 9 who has A/S and other learning difficulties. After a meeting with teachers, senco etc it was agreed that XXXX would be disapplied from Art. The reason was not because she can not draw anything recognisable. It was because she became so distressed that the other pupils could draw and she couldn't. If the distress caused by taking part in the subject is greater than any benefits achieved, as long as the subject is not a core subject (English, Maths, Science), at the schools discretion the pupil can be disapplied. Also year 9 is options year and the pupils get to drop a lot of their subjects at the end of this year. R.E. and History are two of the most difficult subjects for children on the spectrum because they cover the past, present, peoples feelings and imagination. Hope this helps Julieann

Hi Madme, Just read your posting. Dyspraxia can stand alone as a diagnosis. ASD's rarely stand alone. I remember reading that NAS were looking into whether a child with a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome should have a seperate diagnosis of Dyspraxia or whether the dyspraxia is present with the Asperger's in varying degrees. I support two year 9 pupils with A/S, one of which has severe dyspraxia which affects her fine and gross motor skills. Her dx is Asperger's syndrome and other learning difficulties.The other pupil is in the top half of the class for Art and Design and is very skilled at computer aided design. My son (18) dx A/S doesn't have any problems with the physical side of Dyspraxia but is affected with the organisation and memory side.

Hi Karen, With the girl that I support in Secondary year 9 on a piece of paper I draw 2 rows of 4 squares and she puts the ideas down in pictures then she makes the story from the pictures and writes it up in her exercise book. Julieann.

Hi di 30, There is a piece in one of the Luke Jackson books where he was allowed to go to the computer room instead of doing P.E. as he became so anxious. It really does seem to depend on the school. I support a child who isn't able to draw recognisable objects and she no longer has Art because she got so upset that the other girls could draw things and she couldn't. Instead I have her 1:1 for learning support. The guideline is meant to be that if the stress of taking part in the lesson is more negative than anything positive or productive that the lesson might produce alternatives need to be found.

Hi di30, I am LSA to two girls with AS who are in year 9 and my son 18 also has AS. There is a very good book by Matt Winter it is called Asperger's Syndrome What teachers need to know. It was written for cloud 9 childrens foundation. It is a paperback, 7x5 with 96 pages. It is priced at �10.40-�10.95. The contents are very easy to understand. I regularly loan it to members of staff. I have found it to be one of my most useful books. Staff tend not to get around to reading larger books as they don't have the time to read them. THIS ONE DOES GET READ. Chapter 1 What is Asperger's Syndrome? Chapter 2 What signs might a child display? Chapter 3 What are some strategies for the classroom? Chapter 4 Can I help the child with his or her social skills? Chapter 5 How can I help the child in the playground? Chapter 6 What should the Teacher Aide be focusing on? Chapter 7 Who else in the school needs to know? Chapter 8 Should I make the child do homework? Chapter 9 How can the child be assisted with study? Chapter 10 What should happen before the child changes class or school? Chapter 11 Am I qualified to teach this child? (This chapter is very positive and encouraging for the teacher) Chapter 12 I want to know more - where should I start? (This is followed by several pages of resources, websites and further reading available). The school should be able to order one through their SEN department. ISBN- 1-84310-143-2 Hope this is helpful.

Hi Confused mum, I was told that if the school apply for the statement there is no time limit it can take forever. If the parents apply the strict time guidelines for each stage of the statementing process fall into place. Hope this helps Julieann

Hi Jools, I support a pupil in year 9 mainstream secondary school who is statemented 10 hours weekly. If the support teacher is only supporting 10 hours a week she isn't entitled to a break and even if she is doing additional hours with another child her breaks aren't paid for with your childs support funding. I support two pupils a total of 18 hours a week and my breaks are unpaid as are the other LSA's in the school.

Hi all again. Just to update you on latest installment. Had a meeting today and it transpires that my pupils additional 10 hours support are not being taken away from her. She will still get 10 hours support but the school are going to use sixth formers for PE lessons and our two other LSA's so that she doesn't get used to just having one person supporting her!!!! When I pointed out that the other two LSA's time will be shared amongst the whole class not just my pupil. The reply was well she will just have to get used to that as she isn't the only one who needs support. She needs to be more independent in year 9. Her lunchtime support has been taken away as of Monday. I have been sitting with her as she throws her lunch away if not supported in order to get more time on the lunchtime computers. she has been told today that if she throws her lunch away she will lose her computer time. I asked why my pupil doesn't get the other 8 hours the primary school provided as my hours are meant to be additional and was told that the school couldn't afford that many hours on one child. I pointed out the statement was a legal and binding document only to be told that the school had sort advise and couldn't be made to adhere to the statement if they (the school )couldn't afford it!!!!!

Thank-you pumpkinpie for your reply. I went into school today and got the name and phone number of the schools SEN governor representive . The problem is that I work and also live at the school and the last person that spoke to this lady got into so much trouble when the head found out. She is very vindictive and although she can't sack you for speaking the truth she makes life so difficult that you end up looking for other employment. I'm going to phone this lady this week and see if I can talk to her in confidence. I'll keep you posted with any further developments.

Hi Kathryn, These decisions were made without the parents knowledge at an inset day meeting. The pupils aren't back until tomorrow. Senco's are ideally meant to be heads or senior management. When this isn't possible they are meant to have a minimum of three years teaching experience in the classroom. Our Learning support Co-ordinator was ignored at a three day training course last term when she revealed she had no teaching or special needs experience.

Hi all, I am LSA at girls secondary school where I support two statemented girls with ASD's. Have just had our back to school SEN meeting with LSA's and teaching staff. I posted a while back about our school losing the SENCO and Educational Psychologist in the same week. None of the teaching staff wanted the position of SENCO so the head in her wisdom offered the job to a cover supervisor who has been at the school for just over a year and has no knowledge of special needs or teaching experience. Said Learning Support Co-ordinator has been on several two and three day courses and is know fully equipped with the knowledge of how to deal with pupils with ASD's and all the other learning difficulties she may encounter. Treat the pupils the same as everyone else. Don't let them call out or leave their seats as they are only doing this because they are bored. Punish them the same as the other pupils because as the old saying goes " You have to be cruel to be kind". The main reason I'm posting is that pupil A and pupil B are both statemented and when I asked why pupil B wasn't on the SEN awareness sheet the Learning Support Co-ordinator said that she had been told at a meeting that statements and IEP's are being phased out and as pupil B did so well academically last year she no longer needs to be on the list and thanked me for my help with her. Yes pupil B did really well academically but as you all know her learning difficulties haven't just gone away because she got high marks in her exams.

Hi cmuir, I know how you feel. It really doesn't help when they don't tell it as it is. I support a girl 13 in mainstream secondary school and her primary school certainly did her no favours. Because her spelling was praised so much she thought that meant her English was very good. Her writing is barely readable, there are very few spaces between words and her understanding of what she has read is very limited. Mum tells me the primary school made her special reports which emphasised her strengths rather than her weaknesses. K was absolutely distraught when she received her year 7 report that told it as it was. She is refusing any help in English and keeps saying " I don't need your help I can do it myself I can spell". Julieann

Thanks madme and Lya of the nox, I didn't know about this book. I work with two year 8 girls with A/S at an all girls secondary school so this will be very useful. Julieann

Hi Kate 26, I'm also from Hertfordshire I have a small paperback book (6x4 inches), 46 pages. It is called Finding Out about Asperger's syndrome, High functioning Autism and PDD - author Gunilla Gerland was diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome several years ago. It is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. I quote from back page: " Gunilla's book should be read by all young people who recieve a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome,PDD or High Functioning Autism. It can also be read by their peers in school, siblings and other children with whom they have contact.Adults may read it too, the better to understand the person with autism or Asperger's syndrome". Its a very basic book with not too much print on each page. Hope this is helpful. Julieann

Hi Smiley, If you type in Quickpad and Alphasmart you get a comparison table. I tried unsuccessfully to attach the page. The Quickpad costs �112 with quite a few extras that you have to pay for as extras with alphasmart. The Alphasmart costs �169. Hope this is helpful Julieann

Hi Smiley, I use Smart pad. It is a cheaper but no way inferior version of alphasmart. To save your work you only need to press one button (Esc) and it is automatically saved. Then you plug it into your computer and to quote Krystaltps The best part, the reward for doing all that typing, is sending the text to a desk-top or laptop via infra-red... it just "magically appears" on the open-ready-waiting word document, ready for print out. Cue sighs of amazement from P1s using it for the first time. Julieann

Hi Bat, My son had a feeling in his stomach and didn't know if he was hungry and needed to eat, needed to go to the toilet or was going to be sick. It has got better as he's got older (17). Julieann

[ Good for you J's mum <'> , We also went down the ADHD route, only because the school insisted that was what my son had. I told them he couldn't have because he wasn't like it during school holidays. They didn't believe me . We were seen at CAMHS who admitted they weren't expert enough to diagnose Asperger's syndrome and refered us on to A/S specialists. Incidently we were told that S had been displaying ADHD behaviour in school which was a result of the way the staff were treating him and had nothing to do with his autism Julieann.

Hi all, I get so annoyed when I see children diagnosed with traits of ASD and ASD tendencies. This is not a proper diagnosis. Parents shouldn't accept it. Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Implications for Education. In some reports, the terms autistic tendencies, autistic traits and autistic features are used. Howlin and Moore(1997) found that of nearly 1,300 parents, 28% said their children were described in these terms and not given a definite diagnosis of autism or Asperger's syndrome. Describing a child as having autistic tendencies, traits or features is not helpful, nor is it appropriate, as there is no behaviour which is unique to autism. All behaviours seen in autism are also found in the general population(Jordan and Powell, 1995). The term autistic should therefore only be applied to an individual who fulfils all the criteria necessary for a diagnosis of an ASD. Giving a parent the term autistic tendencies or autistic traits can leave them in limbo; uncertain as to whether the child has or has not got an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Similarly, the child might be described as having a social or communication disorder, with no mention of an ASD.Whilst such descriptions are accurate, they do not inform parents or professionals about the underlying reasons for the difficulty. There are many reasons why a child might have problems in communicating, ranging from early deprivation, trauma,sensory impairment, language disorder or an ASD and each one of these would lead to different recommendations for intervention. In addition, stating that a child has a social or communication problem alone is only describing a part of the childs functioning, to the exclusion of other aspects of the ASD, which impact on the strategies used. Jones G,2002 Educational Provision for children with autism and Asperger's syndrome, Meeting their needs. Fulton publishers. Glenys Jones is a lecturer in autism at the University of Birmingham and a chartered educational psychologist. Julieann