Inclusion working

[LizK]

I know you often hear lots about how inclusion just does not work for many children but I wanted to share our experience so far.

 

Adam is in his second term in Reception in Mainstream. He has a statement for 25 hours but needs and gets fulltime 1-2-1. We've had a few blips but generally the school and his class teacher have been very supportive. They are very good at recognising his need to socialise (he wants to but doesn't know how to) as well as his need to have time on his own and to be allowed to be autistic.

 

Lunchtimes had been difficult behaviour wise, he really needed some chill-out time so was often taken into the classroom to listen to his music. For one reason or another a very able little girl he knew well ended up in the classroom too last week and they started playing together. His LSA said it brought a tear to her eye seeing how well they played, how caring she was and how much Adam interacted with the girl and joined in . He has a speech delay but they spent a lot of time chatting but equally when he wanted to be quiet she just let him. He has a tendency to throw things but he did it once and she sort of scolded him so he stopped doing it for that moment! It worked so well that now at each lunchtime he sits with a specific child for lunch and then they go off for a run round the playground and then into the classroom to play on their own with his lunchtime support supervising. His teacher is often in there preparing the afternoons activities and she told me this week that is it absolutely delightful watching him and the other child play. It's often imaginative play too that he's previously struggled with. She says Adam seems so happy and the other children just seem to know he's different but don't mind and just accept his funny ways so both really are benefiting. She thought it was a good example of how inclusion can work.

 

I see it working in many other little ways too when he seems to learn more from the other children than from adults. We've been trying to drum some road safety into him but it's been hopeless. However he was playing a stop/go game with a couple of other children in the playground last week pretending to be cars and pedestrians. Somehow from that he has developed a bit of a zebra crossing obsession but suddenly it's clicked that he actually has to stop and look when he crosses the road. So it did get embarrassing yesterday when he shouted very loudly 'that lady didn't wait and look both ways' when someone quickly crossed over but thank goodness he's starting to get the idea.

 

I don't mean to sound nauseatingly sappy We still have issues re class sizes, noise and sensory overload and I'm well aware that he's still very young and that inclusion may not always work so well but I hope it's ok to share a positive experience

 

Liz x

[baileyj]

Hi Liz, thats really great to read. It must give you alot of peace of mind to know he is in a kind accepting atmosphere.

 

Thought I'd also give our experiences. Max has just started Year 1 in a mainstream school. He's been there since nursery, he has a statement with 27.5 hours, again the school make up the difference. He has full time 1:2:1. All the things that you say about your school is the same for Max's school, and has continued, we are a year ahead and the differences over the last 12 months in Max have been remarkable, so Liz, it will possibly get even better.

 

Max has headphones (I got them off a link off this site actually), called Peltor Kids, when the classroom noise or assembly noise gets too much, he wears them, he can still hear the teacher but they filter out all the background noise that distresses him. They are in his school bag and he just fetches them or asks his LSA whenever he likes. They have been a godsend with the sensory problems, I'd recommend them cost about �10.

 

Jo

[CarerQuie]

It is good to hear that inclusion in mainstream is working so well for some.I think the key is often finding the right school-but that isn't always easy.xx

[Karen A]

Thanks so much for that.It is so encouraging finding out about a good experience.It occasionaly feels like we all just struggle here. It just shows inclusion can work.Karen

[smallworld]

I just want to add that we too have had a good experience of inclusion in mainstream.

Of course we have a few problems along the way, but really we couldn't have wished for a more positive setting (a few of the dinner ladies still try to overrule his lunchtime support, but the latest lady seems to be able to hold her own )

Safety in the playground with unlocked gates is still a bugbear, but I'm not alone with this concern.

However, my son is now in yr2 and we now have to look at his junior school placement for sept. 2007 and I get the impression that the on-site junior school might not be so accommodating

If it does end up that he goes to a special school at this stage, I won't for one moment regret sending him to a mainstream school initially, he has gained so much from it and I'd like to think that the other children have to ( not so sure about some of the parents though )

for my son's infant school, and especially one particular LSA who has been instrumental in his 'inclusion'

Is this starting to sound like an 'oscar' speech ? feels like it

better get me coat sleeve, no, hankie

 

wac

[lil_me]

<'> Sounds like everything is going well, I hope Adam continues to be happy