Teacher training in Autism

[openyoureyes]

got my political head on again

go to

 

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Autismtraining/sign

 

and sign up for every teacher to be trained in autism, you never know it may happen one day!!!

[Clare63]

Put my name to the petition with pleasure and great hope !

[Kathryn]

Thanks for reminding us, I've added my name.

 

We have to keep chipping away, but I wonder if these petitions make any kind of impact at all on anyone who matters? Have you read the government's pathetic and wishy washy response to the recent Sendist petition?

 

K x

[David Matthew Baker]

I decided to sign it. It certainly would make a lot of difference. Unfortunatally not something I can see happening before I train to be a teacher next year. If I want autism training (at a decent level) I'll have to fund it myself. Which is what I have been planning/trying to do. Still hope I might get a place on a teacch course. A bit unlikely though as I was 5th on the waiting list. Still fingers crossed I might be lucky.

[Bambi]

I have signed it.

 

Bambi x

[BusyLizzie100]

Signed!

[rach04]

signed with pleasure

[MichelleW]

Just thought I'd remind everyone that the deadline for this petition is the 17th July.

[summertime]

Ive signed it

[wishingwell]

SIGNED UP!

[Cynical]

It is a worthy cause - but I have to ask, can it be achieved?

 

A course does not exist to give "teacher training in Autism." Yes, teachers can take post-grad diplomas and certificates specialising in it (I teach modules in them) and there are also courses for teachers and classroom assistants in using AAC or other things to help - but they all assume a minimum level of experience and knowledge as a pre-requisite. They also require dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of study.

 

I'm not knocking the suggestion: I would love it if all teachers knew something about the ASD children in their classrooms. But if this forum was asked to specify what would be delivered in the very short time available in an Initial Teacher Training course (no more than a handful of hours at most,) I've got a large bar of Green & Black's that says 100 different answers would be given.

 

And I have seen first hand what happens when a teacher is given the usual INSET day session: they think that it makes them expert, and the attempt results in more harm than good. The most cruel but most reliable thing I can say about my profession is that when we teachers think we are right about something, it would take nothing less than an axe to remove the certainty from our minds.

 

I believe, quite strongly, that rather than trying to give all teachers an inadequate, insufficient taste of the knowledge and skills that they need, every school should have one proper expert.

[Kazzer]

Done and Signed - Live in hope and wish full thinking , but hey you have to

[Wicce]

Signed. You never know.

[bikergal]

All signed

[Canopus]

I have been discussing the issue recently with a senior figure in AS who works in a university. The plan is to create an internet based training course in AS for people such as teachers, police officers, medics, interviewers, managers, and psychologists. The course will even include video clips of situations.

[clintess]

I personally feel there should be a qualification in sen like your general teachers qualification that you have to have to become a teacher.I feel only if you have this qualification that you can then deal sen children.Maybe it would also be a good idea for those studying to become teachers to make this qualification compulsary whilst they are gaining other teachering qualifications.Then further qualifications made available to the profession with more in depth knowledge if they wanted to become sencos etc.I also feel lsa should also do a qualification in sen whilst learning on that course.Not just for asd but other sen.

[brooke]

signed it

[wilson]

It is a worthy cause - but I have to ask, can it be achieved?

 

A course does not exist to give "teacher training in Autism." Yes, teachers can take post-grad diplomas and certificates specialising in it (I teach modules in them) and there are also courses for teachers and classroom assistants in using AAC or other things to help - but they all assume a minimum level of experience and knowledge as a pre-requisite. They also require dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of study.

 

I'm not knocking the suggestion: I would love it if all teachers knew something about the ASD children in their classrooms. But if this forum was asked to specify what would be delivered in the very short time available in an Initial Teacher Training course (no more than a handful of hours at most,) I've got a large bar of Green & Black's that says 100 different answers would be given.

 

And I have seen first hand what happens when a teacher is given the usual INSET day session: they think that it makes them expert, and the attempt results in more harm than good. The most cruel but most reliable thing I can say about my profession is that when we teachers think we are right about something, it would take nothing less than an axe to remove the certainty from our minds.

 

I believe, quite strongly, that rather than trying to give all teachers an inadequate, insufficient taste of the knowledge and skills that they need, every school should have one proper expert.

 

 

I quite agree and with current policies of inclusion and the rising number of children diagnosed with ASDs, tthe presence of an ASD professional on site may have already become a necessity in most (larger) schools.

[Stella63]

Hi

 

Totally agree with previous comments. Have signed the petition. I work as an LSA in a secondary school and see first hand the ability and inability of teachers dealing with the various SEN issues. My SENCO is very proactive and as a department we have a really good rapport with the teachers, but it is down to the individual as to whether they understand or want to understand how to engage their SEN pupils. I find this really hard as my eldest is at the same school as me and there are a fair few teachers who have written him off because it is easier than trying to understand how to work with him.

 

I also agree with training someone in ASD. We have now got an outreach team on board at our school who will hopefully pass on some valid information. I am planning to do a PGCE in Aspergers at Reading university in the autumn, both for a personal and professional purpose. i don't know how much it will help me with the pupils I work with and my own children but I'm sure it will add to my learning.

 

Stella

[David Matthew Baker]

Courses like TEACCH are quite good at covering the basics and stratergies that can be used with autistic children. If they were focused better to particular levels they could probably be shortened a bit and used as a basis for such training. You could manage a decent level of understanding in a couple of days. That would get them to a level where they at least have some idea about approaches that work with autistic students. Then if they are coming in contact with a lot of students they could do a more in depth course. I certainly learnt a lot from my 5 day TEACCH course. Some of it I had picked up working at the special school but other bits were new or enforced just why things at the special school were done in a certain way. There should be something at least for a trainees though in my opinion. The teacher training course I am doing in that respect is quite good (assuming they do what they did the last couple of years) as they get in some of the staff from the local autistic special school and have them do a days workshop. (This happens to be the same special school I worked at.) Might not be much use to me as I have now done TEACCH but for most people at least it gives them an awareness and some ideas.

 

EDIT: Just thought I'd add personally I plan on doing more training (once I have the finances to manage to afford it) as I want to work in the field of autism in the long term and know there is a lot more I can learn. Would be interested to know how different SPELL is from TEACCH as that is one of the other courses I wondered about. Will also see if there are any autistic related PGCE modules available to me.

Edited July 11, 2007 by David Matthew Baker

[Stella63]

David

 

Have you looked at the courses available through the NAS website? thats where I found the one at Reading but they are running several throughout the country.

 

Stella