Refusing to do school work

[mum22boys]

Hi,

 

M is in year 3 now (7 years old, diagnosed ASD about 6 months ago).

 

To be honest his behaviour in school has been going down hill since reception. His teacher last year was useless, didn't want to know about his problems and brushed the whole lot under the carpet. She did start a home/school diary which she only wrote in occassionally and I always felt I didn't get the whole picture. He has an autism advisry teacher come in , but last years teacher obviously told her he was fine in class, until her last visit. The AA teacher saw the 'real M' and said she was concerned. She agreed to visit the school at the start of October to see how he has settled into his new class. I asked her about applying for statutory assessment and she said she will see how M is in class in Oct.

 

He's now in his new class with a really lovely teacher who is interested in helping him. he also has in the class in the mornings a lovely Teaching assistant who generally helps out with all the kids in the class. His teacher had started up a home/school book and to be honest I am shocked by what I read. Every day he is refusing to do the work. He may crawl up and down the carpet, roll around on the carpet or walk around but he will not do the work. It's not every lesson but maybe 2 lessons a day. Thursday because he was told his class teacher was going to be out he went mad when i got him to school and by the time I was at nursery with R , M had escaped out the class and ran to find me. The school did hold him until the caretaker had shut the gates. It took ages for us to calm him down and then he again refused to work. He can't afford to not be doing the lessons, he can barely read (he's only just grasped reception words and a few year 1 words) he can barely write (it all needs to be translated!) and I don't know what to do. We pay for him to have a private tutor after school twice a week.

 

I am going to leave it till parents eve which is the week after next and ask his teacher what happens when he refuses. Does it sound like I could have a chance applying for statutory assessment as I believe he needs someone with him in class? Has anyone else experienced this?

 

I would appreciate any thoughts on this, Thanks.

 

Mum22boys

[Kazzen161]

I am an LSA in a Yr 3 class, and all of the children have found it hard to adjust to the different expectations. There is no afternoon playtime and they don't get opportunites to play in class time as they used to. A change of teacher is bound to upset him - did the school talk to him about it and reassure him beforehand? Do they use visual timetables, and star charts to reward him for doing his work? Do they make sure he understands what he has to do? (Sometimes I have to ask the Teacher to clarify exactly what she wants).

 

If your son is struggling with reading and writing, he will find it even harder.

 

I would certainly talk to the teacher and ask her how they are going to help your son, and discuss strategies for getting him to do his work. He doesn't HAVE to have a Statement before the school can give him some 1:1, though some schools will just say they don't have enough funds to do so.

 

Karen

[mum22boys]

Hi Karen,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Even though my relationship with the school has been VERY rocky in the past they are trying now. They prepared him very well for his move to year 3. He visited the classroom with me, his new teacher and the head before the other kids were told who their new teacher was. He then went with his class the following week to have the afternoon in his new classroom with the new teacher. He has a visual timetable and any changes are explained to him beforehand.

 

One of the big problems the teacher faces with him is his inability to cope with other children misbehaving. He has always had a reputation for being the 'class policeman' but this has got worse. If another child misbehaves and he feel the right punishment (usually the child being given a warning) was not given out he will refuse to work. Thats when he starts crawling round the classroom etc. I feel he needs more support than he is currently getting.

 

Obviously at parents eve when she has had a chance to really get to know him then I will be asking what support they intend to put into place.

 

I appreciate your comments, thanks.

 

mum22boys

Edited September 15, 2007 by mum22boys

[pumpkinpie]

The meeting you have is it just with the class teacher? I think it is clear that yur son needs specialist help to manage his behaviour and capaity to learn. At the moment it doesnt sounds as if he is really accessing the curriculum, the longer that is allowed to continue the harder it will be to engage him.

I would seriously think about asking for the meeting to include the asd support teacher and the senco, if you arent careful this will just drift along.

It maybe a specialist resourse is what your son really needs and to do that he will need a statement?

[mum22boys]

Hi Pumpkinpie,

 

Thanks for your reply. I know you are right - something needs to be done before it is too late. The meeting I mentioned is just a teacher/ parent meeting which is the week before the Autism Advisory teacher comes back in. So I think we need to discuss the issues surrounding m before she comes in. Usually i get a time to come to the school when the AA teacher is making her visit so I can express any concerns I have. The Head is the SENCO so she will see the AA teacher at some point. M's class teacher is also the Key Stage 2 INCO (Inclusion co-ordinator).

 

I am sure that M's teacher will honestly tell the AA teacher what problems she is having with M. yet I feel without a statement things will not improve. I know I can apply without the school but it would be so much easier if i have the school and AA teachers backing.

 

mum22boys

[Kazzen161]

Is this a standard parent/teacher meeting? If so, I think you make a separate appointment with the teacher. They only allow about 10 minutes per appointment, and you will not have time to talk properly.

[jlp]

My son has also just started Y3 and we've always had a problem with him refusing to work, even in nursery he refused to do 'special jobs' with the teacher when all the other children loved to. He's very bright but always underachieving.

 

He used to run out of class everytime he was upset (which was usually every time he had to write something!)

 

I agree that you need a longer chat, preferably involving the Autism teacher as well as she will know exactly what he needs.

 

We've just gotten a statement for my son, he wasn't behind as such but he wasn't working to the standard he could and he had quite big behavioural issues, running out of school etc. People (professionals!) seem very reluctant to advise you to apply too, so go with your gut feeling.

[mum22boys]

Yes it's just the standard meeting, but generally every other teacher has allocated us more than the 10 min as they know we have more to discuss. I will definatley get a meeting with the AA teacher sorted as something needs to be done.

 

jlp,

 

It was comforting reading that you obtained a statement for your son mainly because he wasn't accessing the full curriculum. This is why I believe M needs statutory assessment.

 

Thanks for your comments,

 

mum22boys

Edited September 15, 2007 by mum22boys

[rmt]

He used to run out of class everytime he was upset (which was usually every time he had to write something!)

 

We've just gotten a statement for my son, he wasn't behind as such but he wasn't working to the standard he could and he had quite big behavioural issues, running out of school etc. People (professionals!) seem very reluctant to advise you to apply too, so go with your gut feeling.

 

 

Hi, your son sounds exactly like my son.

He has just started yr 5 and has completely excluded himself from all the lessons. It was in year 3 when he first started to refuse to complete some of his work. We managed to get a statement for him in the end but only because he would take out his frustrations on other people and objects. He always complains lessons are boring, "why do we have to keep repeating the same lessons?"

is your son getting the support he needs now since you got the statement? and has this helped with the writing tasks?

 

My son became so set in his ways that he wouldn't let anyone help. By the time he got his statement it was too late, he became very controlling and non compliant. The school couldn't even reason with him.

He attends a new school for AS children now, still early days but he managed to write a paragraph. The first in 3 years.

[sesley]

my son wouldn,t do home work last year,this year he does with some bribery

[jlp]

Hi, your son sounds exactly like my son.

He has just started yr 5 and has completely excluded himself from all the lessons. It was in year 3 when he first started to refuse to complete some of his work. We managed to get a statement for him in the end but only because he would take out his frustrations on other people and objects. He always complains lessons are boring, "why do we have to keep repeating the same lessons?"

is your son getting the support he needs now since you got the statement? and has this helped with the writing tasks?

 

My son became so set in his ways that he wouldn't let anyone help. By the time he got his statement it was too late, he became very controlling and non compliant. The school couldn't even reason with him.

He attends a new school for AS children now, still early days but he managed to write a paragraph. The first in 3 years.

 

To be honest our statement has only been in effect since September and as far as I can see there's nothing that is supposed to be happening actually happening! We haven't even got the visual timetable according to ds (he didn't volunteer this I have to try and ask subtly) so I doubt there's much in place for writing. I've waited a few weeks to let them get sorted but am thinking that something will need to be said soon. Of course there could be many wonderful plans in store but I'm unaware of them and in need of reassurance. He does have full time 1 to 1 now and apparently told her to stop nagging him so it would appear he's being kept focussed that way, he did a lovely bit of work last week.

 

Great to hear your son is starting to write at his new school - I really am beginning to think that speciallist schools for children with AS are the ideal option. We're in Y3 now and I feel that we start from scratch explaining basic things every September and sounding like I'm nitpicking constantly and to be honest I'm beginning to give up.