I need to sort out pe lessons

[Stella63]

Hi

 

OJ started at mainstream secondary school this september and mostly things have gone really well. He suffers huge anxiety and I made it quite clear at the outset that he hadn't done pe for 2 years and it was going to very hard to reintegrate him back into it.

 

He has support in his pe lessons but the support is coming from someone who is a 'team player' and appears to have very little understanding of his anxieties. He copes with gym and fitness but cannot cope with rugby although he is keen to learn the skills he physically cannot deal with the contact and bundling that goes on and also he hates being dirty and in the current climate it is very muddy. He is finding every excuse not to do rugby and when he does do it he is told 'you're a boy, boys like to get dirty, you have to get used to it'. Well, actually he can't and I feel that forcing him to adapt is not part of providing an inclusive education, it is tantamount to child abuse.

 

However, I work at the school and need to very careful how I deal with things and am at a loss as to how to voice these opinions. I know that with the right support he would be inclusive with the team sports but the way things are at the moment, he is likely to go into complete meltdown and refuse to take part. I need to put forward a positive suggestion not just for rugby but for all team sports as they will be doing football after christmas and the problems are just the same.

 

Any ideas anyone please as to how to move forwards with this one!!!!

 

Stella x x

[Clare63]

Stella,

I am sorry to hear you are continuing to have problems in this area, as you know its a topic close to my heart. I am afraid I don't have any advice for you but am sure someone will come along who does. Just wanted you to know I empathise and truly hope you find a resolve.

Clare x x x <'>

[Cat]

Hi Stella

 

This is almost a re-run of what Rugby did to my son. It got to the stage where he was sent home twice in a taxi having had panic attacks on the field

 

OFSTED did a report called 'Challenging Behaviour' in 2004/2005. I know that the reasons behind challenging behaviour in ASD if different and was pleased to see that OFSTED appeared to realise this to. There is a part in this report about differentiating the curriculum for pupils who find certain lessons difficult. Their findings were that it proved no point in forcing to make a child to take part in a lesson which they found especially difficult.

 

Seeing as you work in the school this may be a good avenue for you to go. If you want a copy of the report just pm me and I will mail it to you.

 

Cat

[di30]

Hi Stella.

 

Sorry to hear of this.

 

My son Daniel is now in year 8 and in yr 7 was having problems with him big time with extreme anxieties especially when it comes to games/pe etc, he would skip these lessons and hide in the school toilets, where at one time it became unbearable on those lesson days the school could not find him and it was reported to the police as they knew he was at school, they did finally find him in the school but something had to be sorted out immediately.

 

I know it can be tricky for you as you work at the school, but with Daniel CAMHS had wrote a letter to state about his fears etc and suggested the staff to encourage Daniel to take part and not to pressurise him and give him that choice to take part or sit it out.

It was then arranged on short term only that Daniel has a mentor while these lessons were ongoing for others, so his 'head of yr' was Daniel's mentor where Daniel used to sit by his office with a reading book.

 

Now in yr 8 after many meetings with SENCO, the ED P Daniel has admitted its the close contact sport like rugby, football etc he struggles with but okay with cross country and gym, so he now take part in these but not the close contact sport but help the games staff with nets and rugby/footballs etc for setting up.

Daniel is happy enough with this but if forced to do it, this will only push him back to square one again, the school now know this and have left things as they are for Daniel now.

 

I know this is a common fact with kids with ASD, do the school know this ? and perhaps it worth mentioning this to the school as you know if they are forcing your child it can only make his anxieties worse.

 

Can your child's specialist help out with this one or maybe your GP ?

Hopefully another arrangement can be made while this sport is ongoing.

 

Fingers crossed, I hope this is resolved very soon, keep me informed and the very best of luck.

Di. xxx

[iwillholdon]

I have found this document from the NAS -- hope its some help

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/6703/Phy...20Education.pdf

I don't think its at all surprising that our kids find school PE difficult to cope with. Hope you find some understanding within the school.

[iwillholdon]

Sorry it seems that link wont work for me now -- but go to www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/asds and follow the link "strategies for accesssing the curriculum" and it will then take you to a page where there are reccomendations for all the different subjects including PE.

 

I thought it was useful info

[Karen A]

Hi Stella.

I found out last week that in our LEA there is a designated adviser who helps schools to provide PE for children with disabilities by advising on how activities can be adapted according to a child's individual needs.It may be worth phoning the LEA to see if they have a simial post in your area.Karen.

[Stella63]

Hi guys,

 

Thanks so much for all your input <'> you are all amazing people!!!

 

Di, we have an appointment with OJ's new psychiatrist at CAMHS but not until after the end of term so I am not going to steam in to school this side of christmas, but will see what advice he can give us and the school.

 

Karen, thanks for that, I hadn't even thought of contacting the LEA - will see what they say.

 

iwillholdon, brilliant link!!! Have saved it and will sort out from what I can use for the school (by the way, got a bit side tracked, there is a brilliant spoof website listed at the end,written by an AS person and studying NT's in the same way that NT's study AS http://isnt.autistics.org/

 

Cat, have pm'd you for the info and Clare, thanks for being there!!

 

Stella x x