PUPILS RECEIVING HELP DO WORSE - News article

[cmuir]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8236705.stm

 

Interesting article. Seems to be saying that LA should be more qualificed (but then the budgets simply aren't there to pay salaries commensurate with those higher qualifications or experience) I've got mixed feelings on this. For one thing, if kids that needed extra help didn't have classroom assistants, then how could a teacher devote attention to the class as whole and how would that affect those that needed more help? This could be very widely debated.

 

Caroline

Edited September 4, 2009 by cmuir

[Kathryn]

Interesting. I can see the point that LSA support might mean that the teacher spends less time with a particular child. But if the teacher spends 1 -1 time with that child, the rest of the class has to be effectively managed, and that requires planning. If the teacher doesn't know what to do with the LSA or TA, it doesn't matter how qualified the support is.

 

A lot is expected of teachers, but are teachers trained in effective ways of working with and using support staff in the classroom? It certainly wasn't part of my training years ago but in my teaching practice and teaching I never had to deal with another adult in the classroom.

 

K x

[JsMum]

MMM well to be given a ta in the first place the child has to be making less progress than their peers in the first place, and then they place them when its far too late, considering when J recieved 16hrs of ta he was already 3yrs behind his peers, when they increased his ta to full time, though he was getting support he still wasnt making progress in his targets because other things where not in place, the school wasnt meeting his needs because he was in a mainstream setting, so it may be that though they have a TA it still isnt meeting the childs needs and therefor no real progress, J is in a specialist school now but he still requires one to one because he needS the information breaking down, he requires supervision and support, so his TA is there because he needs it, its isnt about progress, its what the child needs.

 

They must look at the childs overall needs, since Js been at school his progress is more social, emotional, and mental, not leauge tables, maybe the progress is about the acedemic, not the progress they make in their special needs.

 

JsMumxxx

 

[Daisydot]

My son had 25 hours 1-1 TA in mainstream. She had no experience of ASDs or speech & language (his main need) and didnt even know when she took the job that he had a speech & language difficulty. The teacher had no idea what my son's needs were, let alone how to meet them. We discovered that the TA was being used by the teacher for higher ability groups rather than to help him access the lessons. I am not surprised at all by this report. My son made no progress in this situation. Now he is in specialist school (with one TA for the whole class) plus a teacher and a therapist, he is making fantastic progress. My friend who works as a TA in a school says the teacher gives her no guidance and she plans her own lessons for the child she looks after.

[Kazzen161]

It depends on the school - it is tempting for the teacher to always have the TA working with the child with SEN or low ability groups, but the teacher should work with each ability group equally. A consequence of the teacher not working with the child with SEN is that they will not know them so well - their strengths and weaknesses, etc. The teacher should also be planning for ALL the children in the class.

 

The school where I work are lucky to have some well educated TAs (mainly because the hours/holidays suit us while our children are at school). I enjoy being a TA, but I don't think I will be able to stay as one once I no longer get tax credits to top up my wages.

 

 

[Kathryn]

This is what put me off teaching - I found it hard enough to plan one whole class lesson effectlively; I don't know what I would have done if expeced to take into account differing needs and levels.

 

I'd like to know if teachers are taught to differentiate and to use support staff in their training? Or are they just supposed to pick it up as they go along?

 

K x

 

 

[KezT]

IMO, the problem is a misunderstanding of what a TA is and what they are supposed to be used for.....

 

A TA is supposed to be a TEACHING ASSISTANT - ie they should be assisting the teacher with the class as a whole. If they are being used to support individual pupils they are not doing the job they are employed or trained to do.

 

Individual support is supposed to be given by LSA's. A LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT is there to support individuals (or sometimes, small groups) to learn in a school setting. They should be in addition to any TA's the class has. LSA's are employed and (sometimes) trained to support specific issues with specific children.

 

As I understand it, the gov't funds TA's for pretty much every class. LSA's funding has to be applied for & justified a year in advance! A "lazy" school who uses TA's as LSA's will be ensuring that both the class as a whole and the supported child will not do as well as if the TA did the job they are trained to do.

 

We are very lucky - DS's school funded the LSA out of their own budget until funding came through. She attended the early bird sessions with us, and has had speciic ASD training both before and since. Her role is to work with DS to help him integrate into the class & school life as a whole as much as possible, and to remove him where integration is not possible. Her being there does not affect anyone else in the class - that will continue exactly the same whether she is there or not. If she is not, DS usually can not be either but nothing else changes. The teacher & TA continue to plan and present tthe lessons exactly the same.

 

[cmuir]

Hi

 

For 2 years I was told by son was receiving 25 hours 1-2-1 support from a learning assistant. Something made me look into this further and I discovered that this support was actually shared between another 4 kids. I've argued that I was misled, since how can they say R has had 25 hours 1-2-1 if the support has bee shared between another 4 - this means R has only ever had 5 hours support. It seems this is common practice. In my son's case, the school are very evasive about answering questions about support. I therefore always send in a letter requesting a written record of the support that's being provided. In addition, last year and this year the support was cut by 5 hours, yet I was told the support was to remain the 'same'. I've managed to get the support increased, but this isn't acceptable at all.

 

As I've already said, this appears to be common practice.

 

C.

 

[Sa Skimrande]

But what is the answer, teaching is in reality aimed at the majority, the majority being those that understand what the teacher is teaching, so a lot depends on the ability of the teacher to reach out and capture the majority. In the past, prior to teaching assistants, those that failed to understand the teacher fell away from the majority and kept sliding. Now often this was put down as a lazy child, a thick child or a child who for whatever reasons was not trying. The teaching efforts were applied to the majority, but not the minority, skills seemed not to be there, or even the awareness that someone who is failing might not necessarily by thick, lazy or whatever, perhaps the care or funding was not there and the intention was to at least push through the majority, so that they may go far. The others, well, there is always a need for unskilled manual labour and breeders to increase the population, but from low expectations, poverty and self esteem problems, breeds more of the same, the cycle continues.

 

School, the primary education, it is so important, it is the future of our world, fine everyone can't be a brain surgeon, but everyone needs the chance to succeed and bring their individual talents to the world and as everyone is different in their appearance, then it stands to reason that everyone is different in their thinking, hence differing results in examinations, it is all down to the understanding of the instruction, and not only the pupils in this, but the teachers also, do they understand how to teach.

 

Now maybe it all bears down to money, the money is not available to provide teaching that appeals to all, but if that is the case, this country is reaping what it is sowing and will continue to do so until it realises, education is the sole most important thing that will propel our country, and our world to a better future. It all starts with the classroom and there the teacher, Teachers are the most important commodity we have, and so, teachers must be the best, only the best should be teachers as the responsibility is immense.

 

Teaching assistants, fine, the more the better, I certainly don't think one teacher per 30 odd pupils is a good teaching method, and neither do I think a fresh out of university teacher is the ideal candidate, as teaching is a lot to do with experience and there the ability to teach, teaching qualifications do not make a teacher, perhaps teachers are born, not made.

Edited September 5, 2009 by Sa Skimrande

[Kathryn]

I'm a bit puzzled as to how the resaerch was conducted - for the findings to be accurate they should have had a control group of children with the same level of need who were not receiving TA help. Where on earth would they find this?

 

My cynical mind is thinking that LA's may use these results to justify cutting back on classroom support.

 

K x

[MelowMeldrew]

I am opposed to classroom assistants personally. Prior to me getting my son into a proper school with professional help (!), my son was deliberately isolated from the rest of the class to get 'one-on-one' support, I went to the school to observe what that meant, I actually sat in on a class to watch. I found he was half the time in a corridor on his own with a well-meaning woman who had no teaching skills, and no idea how to help an autistic child, she gave him a pencil some paper and left him to try doodling..... I pulled him out of the school, and I never returned him there, that is how I got special school. At one point my son was put at the front of the class, and when the teacher asked questions she wouldn't ask my son anything, and ignored him when he put his hand up to try, asking his 'helper' to 'attend to him', she said "He holds the others back...". More teachers (NOT like that one !), less 'helpers' please ! We KNOW they are only there because the LEA's do not want to pay professionals. Baby sitters that is all they are...

[chris54]

I am opposed to classroom assistants personally. Prior to me getting my son into a proper school with professional help (!), my son was deliberately isolated from the rest of the class to get 'one-on-one' support, I went to the school to observe what that meant, I actually sat in on a class to watch. I found he was half the time in a corridor on his own with a well-meaning woman who had no teaching skills, and no idea how to help an autistic child, she gave him a pencil some paper and left him to try doodling..... I pulled him out of the school, and I never returned him there, that is how I got special school. At one point my son was put at the front of the class, and when the teacher asked questions she wouldn't ask my son anything, and ignored him when he put his hand up to try, asking his 'helper' to 'attend to him', she said "He holds the others back...". More teachers (NOT like that one !), less 'helpers' please ! We KNOW they are only there because the LEA's do not want to pay professionals. Baby sitters that is all they are...

It is obvious that you had a bad experience, and were I agree that the more ,higher trains people the better, that is really a political thing as to how much we as a society want to spend on education.

 

My son has one to one and group help but is fully included in what is going on in the class, the class room assistants do a very good job.

My sons school uses every resource available, Including unpaid trainees and volunteers, all of which work under the supervision of very dedicated and skilled teaching staff.

 

Over all the school does a very good job withing the bounds set by the politicians, both local and national.

 

 

[Sa Skimrande]

So, teaching assistants, how are they briefed on a lesson to come, does the teacher gather the assistants into a meeting prior to the lesson, inform them what is to be taught, and how it is to be taught, and what their individual roles are in that lesson ? Do the teaching assistants have any formal teaching qualifications, if not, are they trained in the basics of teaching ? Or are they just as another poster described, '' baby sitters'', or ''minders'' that do not much more than hand out paper and pens. If the teacher is employed elsewhere with another pupil, are the assistants able to answer the need of others, who perhaps are having difficulty with the instruction , in lieu of the teacher ?

 

I am, for more teachers with the ability to teach, not half measures made up of what is basically helpers, well meaning helpers no doubt, but if they are not a teacher or have the basic ability to teach, then they reflect the attitude those we elect into power have for eduction.

 

Just to wonder, those that seek power as a politician, from where did they receive their education, and what of their family, where are they receiving that all important education. If the answer to either question is not where the majority are educated, then they are not fit to be in control of the situation, because they don't know it, and perhaps beyond their own families needs, don't care.

[darky]

I have mixed views on this. I can't see how it can be an acurate report because there are so many different needs, statements and non statements and like someone else said, a lot of the time pupils usually only get the support "they need" when they have fallen behind significantly. So it would be interesting to read more about the study.

 

My girl has full time one to one, and it's been good for her, but only better since having a fantastic TA. The problem is, that although it has helped my girl to stay focused and on task, she relies heavily on adults for even the basic things. So in that respect, the support has held her back in her development, but acedemic has definately improved.

 

I don't like studies like this, because in our pedantic country the authorities will try to reduce support because they have the "evidence" There are already enough children without the support they need. It is concerning in my opinion.

[MelowMeldrew]

So, teaching assistants, how are they briefed on a lesson to come, does the teacher gather the assistants into a meeting prior to the lesson, inform them what is to be taught, and how it is to be taught, and what their individual roles are in that lesson ? Do the teaching assistants have any formal teaching qualifications, if not, are they trained in the basics of teaching ? Or are they just as another poster described, '' baby sitters'', or ''minders'' that do not much more than hand out paper and pens. If the teacher is employed elsewhere with another pupil, are the assistants able to answer the need of others, who perhaps are having difficulty with the instruction , in lieu of the teacher ?

 

I am, for more teachers with the ability to teach, not half measures made up of what is basically helpers, well meaning helpers no doubt, but if they are not a teacher or have the basic ability to teach, then they reflect the attitude those we elect into power have for eduction.

 

Just to wonder, those that seek power as a politician, from where did they receive their education, and what of their family, where are they receiving that all important education. If the answer to either question is not where the majority are educated, then they are not fit to be in control of the situation, because they don't know it, and perhaps beyond their own families needs, don't care.

 

 

The assistants I saw had no qualifications at all, they were nothing more than people hired to keep disabled children out of the way. Their over-use in 'annex's' set aside for disabled were ridiculous, they outnumbered professional teachers 3 to 1. Even a 'special needs' class had more baby sitters than teachers....My son was NOT given any inclusion in the class, or given some of the work load the other children had. I rowed with the teacher who explained, she hadn't ANY qualifications to assist or teach a disabled child, so if an assistant hadn't been there she still could not have done anything. This did NOT prevent the LEA quoting in the reviews "We supply one on one help, where its needed.." in their reports, which I had to shred and expose at every review for what it really was, a downright lie.. I had to to oppose an speech therapist and child psychologist who endorsed it. I could have and did, better at home... there was no point sending him to a mainstream school at all...

Edited September 6, 2009 by MelowMeldrew

[cmuir]

I am opposed to classroom assistants personally. Prior to me getting my son into a proper school with professional help (!), my son was deliberately isolated from the rest of the class to get 'one-on-one' support, I went to the school to observe what that meant, I actually sat in on a class to watch. I found he was half the time in a corridor on his own with a well-meaning woman who had no teaching skills, and no idea how to help an autistic child, she gave him a pencil some paper and left him to try doodling..... I pulled him out of the school, and I never returned him there, that is how I got special school. At one point my son was put at the front of the class, and when the teacher asked questions she wouldn't ask my son anything, and ignored him when he put his hand up to try, asking his 'helper' to 'attend to him', she said "He holds the others back...". More teachers (NOT like that one !), less 'helpers' please ! We KNOW they are only there because the LEA's do not want to pay professionals. Baby sitters that is all they are...

 

 

That's not how it should be. Govt and LEA/schools etc bang on about inclusion, yet having a child sat in a corridor on their own with an adult without the appropriate qualifications isn't acceptable. Sadly, we won't get LAs that are appropriately qualified because they're not paid enough.

 

Caroline.

[puffin]

We had a bad experience of this when M was in mainstream - M (AS/ADHD) was around 2 years ahead of the class in Maths and English - there were also 2 children with learning difficulties.

 

The class (not in UK) got absolutely fantastic funding - there were 2 teachers - to plan and support the ability range in the class - one of the teachers was a maths specialist - and a TA with an A-level education. There were 15 in the class.

 

However the way that the teachers chose to run it was to focus their efforts solely on the average ability of the group. The 2 with learning difficulties were forced to leave within one year.

 

When I looked back at her last IUP it was clear that none of the extra teaching resources allocated to the group were actually benefiting M. All of her Maths and English lessons were supervised by the TA - she actually received no actual teaching for maths at all for 2½ years. The final term in the class was spent practicing SAT test papers in a separate room with the TA - which he was unable to mark so he handed them in to the teachers - however none of the results were evergiven to M - nor extra help. When she transferred to an SEN unit the teachers went to ask for copies of the SATs papers and marking sheets etc so they could identify what level she was at in maths - the teachers replied that they had thrown away her work unmarked.....

 

Therefore for M the use of the TA seriously disadvatanged her education

Edited September 7, 2009 by puffin

[lisac]

That's not how it should be. Govt and LEA/schools etc bang on about inclusion, yet having a child sat in a corridor on their own with an adult without the appropriate qualifications isn't acceptable. Sadly, we won't get LAs that are appropriately qualified because they're not paid enough.

 

Caroline.

 

Crikey, that is so true ! In my experience, even the support assistants in special schools aren't that great. My son was given one that was dyslexic! ( he said to me when my son left , that my son had taught him to spell corectly) and this was in a well known asd school.. They feel under paid, under pressure, and your lucky if youv'e got one who has experience and who is there for the love of the job .

 

[puffin]

Many schools don't seem to focus at all on the child's support needs - even if they sometimes pretend to

 

Ms Mainstream school called us to a meeting to discuss the recruitment of a new LSA to support M and asked us to identify the 3 most important things. We identified:

1) ASD/Aspergers experience - especially with older primary school pupils as M was an intelligent 9 year old

2) Good ability in maths becuase M was ahead and the way that the teachers had set up the lessons meant that the LSA was responsble for most of the maths teaching

3) a keen interest in animals - especially cats - which was Ms big interest at the time

 

So who did they appoint?

A woman -

- who had no ASD experience and whose entire experience was as a child-minder to under 5s - apart from 6 weeks with a 7 year old where the arrangement broke down after 6 weeks for unspecified reasons

- zero ability in maths - could not manage year 6 level and refused to help M when they were wroking together - could not speak English either

- was actually allergic to all animals.....

 

It was a complete shambles

[MelowMeldrew]

Many schools don't seem to focus at all on the child's support needs - even if they sometimes pretend to

 

Ms Mainstream school called us to a meeting to discuss the recruitment of a new LSA to support M and asked us to identify the 3 most important things. We identified:

1) ASD/Aspergers experience - especially with older primary school pupils as M was an intelligent 9 year old

2) Good ability in maths becuase M was ahead and the way that the teachers had set up the lessons meant that the LSA was responsble for most of the maths teaching

3) a keen interest in animals - especially cats - which was Ms big interest at the time

 

So who did they appoint?

A woman -

- who had no ASD experience and whose entire experience was as a child-minder to under 5s - apart from 6 weeks with a 7 year old where the arrangement broke down after 6 weeks for unspecified reasons

- zero ability in maths - could not manage year 6 level and refused to help M when they were wroking together - could not speak English either

- was actually allergic to all animals.....

 

It was a complete shambles

 

 

No-one should accept unskilled support, our children go to school (By law), to get an education and/or help to achieve what they are able, it is obvious an untrained person (helper/mentor/class assistant whatever !), is NOT a trained person, nor a teacher. We should be refusing to accept them in the schools with our children. I am sympathetic for the workloads teachers get, and the mountains of pointless forms they seem to spend 40% of their time OUT of the classrooms to fill in, but this is not good enough for my child, and it should not be good enough for anyone else's. In retrospect these 'assistants' are used to keep our children OUT of more specialized (And thus more expensive), options, by the LEA's, this unskilled labour was often quoted as per 'professional help' on review forms. I found an educational psychologist was unfit for purpose too, had no experience of autistics or Autism, I asked for a background check on his experience, after he wrote total and incomprehemnsible rubbish on assessment forms. The speech therapist was plain offensive and we refused to work with her. She left her post then retired, after 7 other parents also complained, then we had a gap of 16 MONTHS support because there was no-one else hired. It all helped to get my son in the right place, but we battled 24/7 for 6 years to get it.... 6 years lost.

[chris54]

I must be seeing the world through rose tinted specs. The picture of class room assistant being painted here is not no that I recognize.

All that I have had contact with have all had the best interest of the children at heart and been prepared to go the extra mile.

[Kazzen161]

 

I am a TA - I have not had training in ASD (if I did it would be maybe one day, and could only scratch the surface). I do have 19 years experience of living with a challenging son who has AS. There are other non-trained TAs at school who are very good with children with ASD/ADHD, but they are very keen to learn about the children.

I am good at Maths, but there is no reason why the teacher should not be teaching a high ability child - differentiation works both ways. There is no minimum qualification needed to become a TA - it is up to the school to set their own criteria. As it happens, in the school I work in, most TAs have a degree level qualification and several also have HTLA.

I am not interested in rugby or Star Wars, but I have managed to have conversations about them with two of the children I work with.

 

The trouble is that although well-educated, trained and motivated TAs are wanted, the schools cannot afford to pay accordingly.

[NickyB]

I must be seeing the world through rose tinted specs. The picture of class room assistant being painted here is not no that I recognize.

All that I have had contact with have all had the best interest of the children at heart and been prepared to go the extra mile.

 

Me too Chris. I am beginning to think I am extremely lucky to live where I do. Last term, DS came very close to being excluded due to his behaviour. He would spend most of his day runnning around the school and generally being disruptive. The head teacher then put in place 1-2-1 teaching which was to be from a TA (he doesn't have a statement). He would be with her just at the back of the classroom, and they would try to include him as much as he could cope with in the classroom activities.

From the very first day that DS had this support he was like a different child. His behaviour improved hugely and he got more work done in those few weeks than he had done in the previous two terms. He also started to take part in 'circle time' and story time. I was extremely impressed with her creative thinking - she obviously went to great lenghts to help him to learn.

She is trained in relation to special needs, and had plenty of experience teaching kids with ASD.

Sadly she has had to leave, so he now has support from another TA, and I am hoping that his improvement will continue. He only went back today, but he's already done lots of work with his new TA, as well as joining in with the reat of the class from time to time.

 

I just wish it was the same for everyone - it seems it's the exception rather than the rule.

[KezT]

of course, I have been told that I am overqualified to be a TA, and that they won't hire me cos I will "just leave after a couple of years and train to be a proper teacher"

 

But on the whole the TA's & LSA's I have met have been dedicated, trained & qualified. They are also willing to attend additional training or just to read up on specific issues if training doesn't exist/isn't available until next year/is out of budget..... Gov't guidelines have minimum training/qualification levels I believe.

 

As said previously, DS's LSA has had ASD training & experience, and was released to attend the early bird course with us. She also trains other LSA's in the school, so they will be able to work with ASD children in the future. There is no doubt in my mind that it is only because she is there, doing a good job, that DS is still in school. Before we moved schools, I was sure he would be uneducatable by 8 years old

 

There will always be bad TA's, and bad teachers, and bad schools. Unfortunately, there is no solution to that - all we can do is make "bad" better than it is now by raising the level of "good" "acceptable" and "bad"! I do believe that we are doing that decade on decade, if not totally year on year.

 

 

[cmuir]

I am a TA - I have not had training in ASD (if I did it would be maybe one day, and could only scratch the surface). I do have 19 years experience of living with a challenging son who has AS. There are other non-trained TAs at school who are very good with children with ASD/ADHD, but they are very keen to learn about the children.

I am good at Maths, but there is no reason why the teacher should not be teaching a high ability child - differentiation works both ways. There is no minimum qualification needed to become a TA - it is up to the school to set their own criteria. As it happens, in the school I work in, most TAs have a degree level qualification and several also have HTLA.

I am not interested in rugby or Star Wars, but I have managed to have conversations about them with two of the children I work with.

 

The trouble is that although well-educated, trained and motivated TAs are wanted, the schools cannot afford to pay accordingly.

 

 

Yup. You've hit the nail on the head. My son's LA has a son with severe autism. Apparently, although that was a factor to being offered the post, she was a member of NAS (anyone could join). It's horrendously difficult to get good staff when they're not paid a decent wage/salary. That's not to say, you don't get good uns!

 

Caroline.

[Kathryn]

The trouble is that although well-educated, trained and motivated TAs are wanted, the schools cannot afford to pay accordingly.

 

This is the problem. I think there are many good TA's around - probably more by accident than by design. I think many parents go into it when their own children are of school age because of the convenient hours, and they are happy to take the pay. They may be highly qualified and intelligent - or they may not be.

 

I was turned down for both a TA job and an LSA job. I have an MA but they didn't want me.

 

K x

[MelowMeldrew]

This is the problem. I think there are many good TA's around - probably more by accident than by design. I think many parents go into it when their own children are of school age because of the convenient hours, and they are happy to take the pay. They may be highly qualified and intelligent - or they may not be.

 

I was turned down for both a TA job and an LSA job. I have an MA but they didn't want me.

 

K x

 

 

Initially I went in myself because there was no-one. I must be one of the very very few fathers to do this ! It is of course a complete postcode lottery. I Just get envious and very frustrated when I read others are being smothered with help at times, it has never happened to me or mine. Currently we do not have a Social worker again, that is the 13th allocated to my son in 5 years, he has only ever met 2 of them, the others didn't stay long enough to meet up with him, the two he had stayed a max of 6 weeks ! 1 SW visited us, and then left the job after 12 days..... I must be using the wrong soap or something.........

 

Our LA does not appear to have the money to hire the people, and just say 'there is a shortage..' I said to have a shortage you must first have had a normal support team, you've never had that ! My only recourse would be to move out of Wales altogether to England where the support is better, unfortunately I cannot afford to do that. We get lots of promises, but that is all it is. I'm sure most TA's mean well, I just want professionals in, our children at least deserve that, so do we. Why have a teacher trained as a special needs or autistic teacher, who then offloads the more needy to TA's ? surely they deserve the teachers more ? It's a numbers game isn't it, do the best for the easiest to handle...

[chris54]

It's a numbers game isn't it, do the best for the easiest to handle...

 

It is this very thing that national testing and league tables encourage, instead of looking at the achievement of individual children.

 

The support staff in school may be on low pay compared to teaching staff, but not necessary compared to similar jobs outside of teaching. All working in this type of work are undervalued.

[Grace]

Just to warn you all; I was in a meeting the other day where this research was used to justify not giving the one to one specified in a statement - something like: 'this has proven what we have been saying all along, that having an LA glued to a pupil does them no good whatsoever'! The LA was being used to help everyone in class.

 

I could not remember the exact details of the research at the time, but remember thinking that wasn't how it appeared to me!

 

I think it's called selective editing!

[cmuir]

Just to warn you all; I was in a meeting the other day where this research was used to justify not giving the one to one specified in a statement - something like: 'this has proven what we have been saying all along, that having an LA glued to a pupil does them no good whatsoever'! The LA was being used to help everyone in class.

 

I could not remember the exact details of the research at the time, but remember thinking that wasn't how it appeared to me!

 

I think it's called selective editing!

 

 

Hi

 

Incredible! We all hear lots and lots about inclusion. Now, children that are on the spectrum can have a number of difficulties (academic and social difficulties). Specifically, the social skills need to be taught to children that are in mainstream schools and not just on and as and when the need arises basis - these are valuable life skills that need to be constantly reinforced daily/continuously. I've heard a lot from other parents whose kids are in mainstream education, that although their kids are doing well academically, socially things are problematic. Class teachers don't have the time to do that and that's where LAs can play a big and valuable part. Again, it relates to their experience/training/etc. But, there is in my opinion a definite need for LAs (despite my acknowledgement that you get some good uns and some bad uns!).

 

Caroline.

[pookie170]

I am opposed to classroom assistants personally. Prior to me getting my son into a proper school with professional help (!), my son was deliberately isolated from the rest of the class to get 'one-on-one' support, I went to the school to observe what that meant, I actually sat in on a class to watch. I found he was half the time in a corridor on his own with a well-meaning woman who had no teaching skills, and no idea how to help an autistic child, she gave him a pencil some paper and left him to try doodling..... I pulled him out of the school, and I never returned him there, that is how I got special school. At one point my son was put at the front of the class, and when the teacher asked questions she wouldn't ask my son anything, and ignored him when he put his hand up to try, asking his 'helper' to 'attend to him', she said "He holds the others back...". More teachers (NOT like that one !), less 'helpers' please ! We KNOW they are only there because the LEA's do not want to pay professionals. Baby sitters that is all they are...

 

Yes, well, thanks for that, MM. That makes me feel just flippin marvellous, that does. I'm a baby-sitter, am I? Cheers.

Actually, I do have relevant qualifications and each SLA (support for Learning Assistant)at the schools I have worked in is shown the program/material being used for a specific child by the Support for Learning Teacher. We are taken through what needs to be done, what is hoped to be achieved through it, how we can best support the child using the material and so on. We certainly aren't left to simper beside a child all day and draw fluffy bunnies for them. One SLT simply cannot give each and every child the amount of 1:1 work that is necessary. Many programmes require a child to complete a session once a day, for 10-20 minutes. In a school of 500 or so kids, it's not feasible to lay all that at the feet of one SLT. TAs are NEEDED for this very reason. I for one, would be loathe to return to the bad old days where kids were left to flounder unaided.

I appreciate that you have had a bad experience, but kindly do not stereotype all of us who work in this area. I am not some kind of vacuous, incompetent, do-gooder who bumbles along like an ineffectual kids' tv presenter.....though I hold my hands up to being well-meaning in my actions with the kids. Consider me duly insulted. And I don't get insulted easily either. Bravo.