Appropriate 1:1 Support Staff

[muppet]

Hi Peeps,

 

I would like some opinions from parents and LSA'a/TA's/Teachers on the following please.

 

My son's statement states that his designated 1:1 should be suitably experienced/qualified to support a child with an ASD. I queried this with the LEA and thier unofficial response was that this means that the person should have worked with and supported an ASD child before. The school have appointed a 1:1 who is an existing helper at the school and who I understand has no qualifications or experience supporting an ASD child. Also the daughter of the 1:1 is in the same class as my son and is a good friend of his.

 

My concern is that the appointment is inappropriate on the grounds of lack of experience/qulifications and that her daughter being in the same class is potentially compromising for my son, the 1:1 and her daughter and would also cause a conflict of interests for the 1:1.

 

I'd appreciate any opinions you'd care to make so that I can adopt a balanced attitude.

 

Ta very muchly

[Kazzen161]

She may have experience that you do not know about - you can only find out by asking the SENCO.

 

Most schools avoid putting LSAs in the class with their own children, so perhaps she is the only LSA that is suitably experienced?

[pearl]

Hmmm, as far as experience/qualifications go ... to us, it was far more important that the person concerned had the right personality/attitude. Of course this was years ago, & not many people had qualifications/experience, they were learning on kids who are now grown up like my son! He had only two TA's from the age of 6 through to 16, we were very lucky in that they were both brilliant. But neither had had any previous experience & learned on the job as courses came up, & had outreach support to from an autism specialist.

 

The whole personality thing was so important to me that, when the first TA resigned and they appointed someone else who I felt wasnt the right personality (very passive, not at all proactive or even very interested) I held out for someone else to be appointed instead. They had appointed her without consulting me, or all this could have been avoided. All very irregular & I was very unpopular for a while, but as soon as I met the proposed replacement (they didnt take any chances second time round) I knew she was right for the job.

[something_different]

I think the issue wld be more of her DD being in the class rather than qualifications. Many good TAs have no qualifications but have the right personality for the job and build up a great relationship with the child. Many TAs who do have qualifications are not the right person for the job. Qualifications and experience are not the most important thing, everyone has to start somewhere, and someone with no qualifications or experience could just be that perfect someone. The right person could be someone with lots of qualifications and experience, or someone who is willing to learn on the job. Everyone is different.

[chris54]

Hi Steve

 

As far as experience/ qualifications are concerned I would agree with the others.

 

The other point, that is a hard one, one would hope that the Head and SENCO have thought long and hard about this. I would not think it was a good idea to have a TA and their daughter in the same class. And definitely not the situation you describe.

This may work with an older child (TA's daughter) who would understand the situation but I cant see it working that well with this age group.

The TA is supposed to be giving 100% of their time and focus to the supported child and no other.

If mum and daughter are in the same classroom, well we all know what will happen.

 

Good luck with this one.

 

Chris.

[muppet]

Thanks Peeps

[julieann]

 

"Suitably experienced and qualified" in ASD's is a bit like how long is a piece of string.

 

A teaching assistant does not need any qualifications to support a pupil with special needs other than a basic knowledge of literacy and numeracy.

 

Once employed by the school however it is then the schools responsibility to tailor the training so that the TA can successfully support the pupils needs.

 

Unfortunately as we all know its all about funding.

 

There is a three hour whole staff training on understanding ASD's available.

There is a two day course available.

There is a six week (1 day a week for six weeks) course available.

There is also a one year university of Birmingham certificate of ASD's course available.

 

All of these courses produce certificates that state a TA has had training in ASD's. A certificate is seen as a qualification.

 

This is only my opinion but I personally think that unless you have a close relative with ASD you can't really understand ASD. Without the proper understanding I don't think the supporting is successful no matter how enthusiastic a TA might be. I agree that enthusiasm and attitude go a long way but when the going gets tough you need understanding.

 

I am a TA at secondary school and was chosen to support two pupils with ASD because my son (19 next month) has Asperger's Syndrome.

 

I have noticed over the past three years that although pupils with ASD's have difficulties understanding facial expressions and meanings they quickly pick up on adults that see them as having "naughty children syndrome" and react very negatively towards these adults.

[something_different]

so are you saying that a TA who has not had a close relative on the spectrum will be unable to understand? Thus support will not be successful in such cases?

[julieann]

so are you saying that a TA who has not had a close relative on the spectrum will be unable to understand? Thus support will not be successful in such cases?

I personally don't feel that the support will be as successful. This doesn't mean that my opinion is the the right opinion though. I have seen excellent TA's with the right caring attitude who become annoyed with a child that is rude for instance. The child is then told off for being rude and doesn't know what they have done to make the adult cross as they were only stating true facts as they see them.

 

Rudeness implies knowledge of what is socially acceptable, and a conscious decision to disregard it. This ability is lacking in pupils with ASD.

 

This doesn't mean that a pupil with ASD can be rude and do what they want. They still need guidelines but the adult needs to understand that the pupil was only saying what they thought and doesn't have the ability to think but not say.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Julieann

[something_different]

understanding is important, but people do not need to have a relative with ASD to have the ability to understand it.

 

I agree that many people do not understand it, but their are also people who can and do understand.

[pearl]

This is only my opinion but I personally think that unless you have a close relative with ASD you can't really understand ASD. Without the proper understanding I don't think the supporting is successful no matter how enthusiastic a TA might be. I agree that enthusiasm and attitude go a long way but when the going gets tough you need understanding.

 

Sorry, I have to disagree. JP had only 3 TA's throughout his school/college career, none of whom to my knowledge had a close relative with ASD. And the support, and understanding, were second to none.

 

Edited for 11pm style spelling!

Edited October 15, 2008 by pearl

[Karen A]

A teaching assistant does not need any qualifications to support a pupil with special needs other than a basic knowledge of literacy and numeracy.

A teaching assistant may not neeed specific qualifications.However there is nothing to stop a school advertising a post with a specific requirements detailed in the jodb description.In our area TA posts are frequently advertised in this way.Some secondary schools specify that advanced maths or english qualifications are needed for posts in Secondary Schools.Some also specify a requirement to be fluent in a specific language where a child does not have English as a first language.Karen.

[julieann]

A teaching assistant may not neeed specific qualifications.However there is nothing to stop a school advertising a post with a specific requirements detailed in the jodb description.

 

 

I was quoting from teacher net.gov when I stated TA doesn't need qualifications.

 

Do teaching assistants need a qualification?

There are currently no mandatory qualifications for teaching assistants. However,

ensuring teaching assistants have access to relevant training and qualifications will

help LEAs and schools to maintain high quality support for teaching and learning in

the classroom.

 

"However there is nothing to stop a school advertising a post with a specific requirements detailed in the job description".

I totally agree with you here. However our school did just that for September 2008.

 

" High performing all ability school, looking to appoint for September. a well qualified part-time teaching assistant to undertake work across KS3 and KS4. Applicants should have a strong primary background and or a Higher level teaching assistant qualification.Personal qualities should include flexibility,good comunication, the ability to use own initiative and the willingness to work as part of a team. It is essential that candidates are comfortable with whole class support".

 

There were over 60 candidates for the position.

 

The SEN team are very puzzled at the heads final choice of teaching assistant.

Our new team member is a young girl who has come straight from university and has never worked in a classroom. Doesn't have "strong primary background and or higher level teaching assistant qualifications". Who is a very nice girl but is very shy and doesn't seem to know what to say to the pupils. So "good communication and ability to use own initiative" isn't really working. "Willingness to work as part of a team" isn't working either as she doesn't seem to want to talk to the rest of the team. "essential that candidates are comfortable with whole class support" Hasn't worked in a school before so doesn't know what to do. She has said that she only applied for the position to see if she would like to be a teacher as she has a degree in Pschycology.

[julieann]

Sorry, I have to disagree. JP had only 3 TA's throughout his school/college career, none of whom to my knowledge had a close relative with ASD. And the support, and understanding, were second to none.

 

Edited for 11pm style spelling!

Pearl,

Thats brilliant that JP's support and understanding was second to none. I think I've spent to long in a very negative work environment which has left me seeing only pupils being failed and let down by the education system. When I did the University of Birmingham certificate of ASD's last year my tutor did tell me I needed to get away from the school I was working at before I got sucked in to their way of thinking.

 

This is what I enjoy about this forum at least I can get to read other peoples opinions and experiences.

Edited October 16, 2008 by julieann

[mossgrove]

It's a tough one this.

 

In an ideal world you would want all 1:1s to have experience of working wioth children with ASD's and top have appropriate training.

 

Against that I would choose a TA who is motivated and willing to listen and learn but has no specific ASD knowledge/experience over a TA that has dealt with maybe one ASD child before and been on a course and now thinks they know it all.

 

As a mother you should listen to your instincts about whether the proposed TA is right for your child when you meet them as well as what is on paper.

 

Simon

[bid]

The only direct experinece I have is with the two home tutors my DS had when he was out of mainstream before going to a special school.

 

I would say an open mind is as important (more so??) than specific qualifications...an ability to listen to you as the parent and your child.

 

One of his tutors had no experience beyond having read 'The Curious Incident...', but she was absolutely brilliant because she was very quiet, calm and non-intrusive.

 

The other tutor did have some direct experience of working with other ASD kids rather than formal qualifications, and she was more bouncey and jolly, but still very non-intrusive.

 

I would say they need an instinctive awareness of each child they deal with, and I don't think that comes from specific qualifications...I guess it's that indefinable thing that makes a 'good' teacher/support worker/care staff.

 

Bid

[darky]

I have to agree with Bid on this. Last year my girl had a TA that supposedly was "qualified" however, this woman having done courses felt she knew everything when she knew nothing about my daughter. We had loads of problems with this TA and whats more, we were told that we shouldn't complain because it might hurt her feelings and she might leave This TA having been there and done that made sweeping generalisations, and applied a little bit too much of what she learnt in the classroom, but at the same time, made silly mistakes with my girl and then scratched her head when she couldn't get through to her. When ever I tried talking to her, she knew it all as she had been there and done it. Having qualifications and doing courses does not make a person an expert, it made her a know-it-all jobsworth, who ticked the boxes, but had no clue about reality.

 

This year I have no clue whether or not the TA has qualifications or is trained, but one thing I do know, is she is sincere, she listens and my girl is very happy. I would say the most important thing is having a TA that connects well with your child and LISTENS. I have learnt a very harsh lesson, in that, the most qualified TA "supposedly" was not the best thing for my child!