Special needs training for teachers

[sonj186]

Hi all, i was just wondering what if any training teachers recieve as standard for special needs children? im just asking because cams teacher as nice as she is! really does not seen to know anything about autism! is it down to the school to organise appropriate training or is it up to whether the teacher wants to look into it independently?

 

sonj x

[Mumble]

Hi all, i was just wondering what if any training teachers receive as standard for special needs children? im just asking because cams teacher as nice as she is! really does not seen to know anything about autism! is it down to the school to organise appropriate training or is it up to whether the teacher wants to look into it independently?

In my three year B.Ed (QTS) degree we had one, one-hour lecture, and that was considered as a good amount in comparison to other unis. Does that answer your question?

 

There are now standards to be met and teaching packs for trainee teachers produced by the DCSF but universities etc just don't have time to fit it into the 9 months training a typical PGCE student gets ... and the Government wants to reduce training further?? Mad.

 

In service, schools may offer training but this will be dependent on what they see as the school's needs. One school I was teaching in did a half-day Autism inset. To be honest, I found it very upsetting because it just intensified stereotypes; I'm sure there are some very good autism consultants and people who offer training, this just wasn't one of them.

 

Individual teachers will choose their own CPD courses so that would be entirely dependent on individual interests (and perhaps cynically what would help them progress to the upper pay scale and management ... ooh, did I say that... )

[Kazzen161]

The IDP (Inclusion Development Programme) has just been introduced by the dcsf and is supposed to be used for teachers/TAs CPD (continuous professional development). The IDP is seen as the minimum that any teacher should know about ASD.

see:

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/165037

[sonj186]

Hi Kazzen, do you know if all teachers have to complete this ? ive read through it and couldnt find anything about existing teachers.

 

sonj

[Portia]

Hi, I went from year1 to year6 with an autistic child.Not one teacher I ever worked with had ever had any training OR experience.Luckily I received some and they were all happy to follow my lead along with advice from his parents;The communication support service also came to observe and support us once a term.The advisor was brilliant and gave a short twilight session for all staff which was very basic but helped with them backing off on treating him just as a naughty child.I was the one that went on all the courses but a few teachers were there from other schools,I think it's a personal or school choice. I'm afraid it seems to be just down to luck whether you get an understanding effective environment for your ASD child on not...

[Mumble]

The IDP (Inclusion Development Programme) has just been introduced by the dcsf and is supposed to be used for teachers/TAs CPD (continuous professional development). The IDP is seen as the minimum that any teacher should know about ASD.

see:

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/165037

Anyone taken a look at these resources? We're all doomed. I know less about ASDs now than I did before reading them.

 

[Kazzen161]

Hi Kazzen, do you know if all teachers have to complete this ? ive read through it and couldnt find anything about existing teachers.

 

sonj

 

It is a newish thing (and the first section on dyslexia was very difficult to navigate, which may have put some people off). I don't think it is compulsory yet, but it is recommended and as Ofsted is becoming a lot tighter on SEN provision, hopefully things will improve.

 

As a TA, we were given about an hour to look at the dyslexia one, so we didn't get far. The teachers got longer, but it does take quite some time to work through it. It is recommended that it is used for inset or twilight training.

 

It is intended to be used by staff already working in schools. It is also intended that it will be part of the training/development of other professionals (eg: new teachers, SaLT, SENCo, outreach teachers) so there will be consistency across schools/counties/professions.

 

As a Governor, we were told that it would be available to parents, and that parents would expect schools to be using it, and to be using the guidance for their child.

[JsMum]

 

 

 

when I researched what special needs training a senco has I couldnt believe the answer, they dont need to have any experience or training in special needs, they can be a senco without any history of any special needs awareness!!!

it can be just an ordinary teacher who has decided to take on the role of senco.

 

 

JsMum

 

 

[Sally44]

All of these things were what finally made me decide that my son needed a school with experience and expertise in ASDs. Because no-one else in his former school, or indeed our other local schools, had any idea about ASDs. This is a 'complex' disorder and even more 'complex' for those complex individuals that manage to get a Statement So I felt like I could not wait for each individual who came into contact with my son to move from 'ground zero' knowledge. It takes years. It takes us as parents years to get to grips with aspects of how ASD affects our child. And because it has usually taken years to get a diagnosis in the first place you are already in a position of playing 'catch up'. So to be in a position where you are 'waiting' for training to be put into place is painful. The fact that our LEAs Autism Outreach Teacher works alone and has around 200 children on her books, all in different schools, means that she can spend less then one day per year on each child and training the staff in each school. Things like that made me realise that it just wasn't anywhere near what is needed. So I would advise any parent to ask for clarification when they are told that "staff will be trained so that they understand the difficulties your child has". I was told that. But one day a year is pitiful.

Our LEA does arrange training days about once a quarter for teachers and TAs. These are usually carried out by the SEN only schools. But mainstream schools are not obliged to send anyone, and when they are short staffed etc it tends not to happen.

[purplehaze]

When I asked if training was given to the staff at the mainstream school my son use to attend I was told it was offered but up to them to take it up!!!!!!!

 

For anyone that is going into teacher training now they do have to do some training on SEN but I'm not sure what-I have 2 friends doing their QTS at the moment so I have asked them to keep me updated on what they do.

[sonj186]

Thanks for your replies! god what an eye opener!

the reason i asked is that ive been called in tto school this term loads of times about completley avoidable things ie they decided to change the whole format of the school day so now everything is totally different to last term! not only did they do this BUT they decided cam didnt need his visual timetable any more as he didnt need it much last term (last term of the school year so he had got used to the routine) all of this was dont without any prior warning for us and cam, which he just couldnt cope with! i just get sick of telling them the same things over and over again also straying from the topic slightly! i was called to pick him up early today as he was running a temp when i got there it was lunch time, he was sitting in a roasting hot classroom with his jumper and polo shirt still on! he was bright red he was that hot!

 

sonj

[sonj186]

Thanks for your replies! god what an eye opener!

the reason i asked is that ive been called in tto school this term loads of times about completley avoidable things ie they decided to change the whole format of the school day so now everything is totally different to last term! not only did they do this BUT they decided cam didnt need his visual timetable any more as he didnt need it much last term (last term of the school year so he had got used to the routine) all of this was dont without any prior warning for us and cam, which he just couldnt cope with! i just get sick of telling them the same things over and over again also straying from the topic slightly! i was called to pick him up early today as he was running a temp when i got there it was lunch time, he was sitting in a roasting hot classroom with his jumper and polo shirt still on! he was bright red he was that hot!

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

sonj

 

[Daisydot]

Sonji -i just get sick of telling them the same things over and over again as well !!!

 

totally agree with above comment - yes yes and yes. I too am sick of telling the school (mainstream one) the same thing over and over again. Conversley, the special needs school my other son goes to doesnt need to be told anything - they are brill. This is why I am so anti Inclusion at the moment because it just does not work in reality.

Edited October 16, 2009 by Daisydot

[Sally44]

I had similar problems in my son's previous school. They were totally inconsistent with his visual timetable. They used different visual symbols depending on who put it together. Whenever I went into school it was always a couple of days old!! They also set up his workstation next to the sunniest window, they decorated it with pictures of things they thought he would like eg. dinosaurs and pirates and they gave him the choice of 'sitting in his special place' or sitting on the carpet with the rest of the children. He chose the workstation obvously. He sat there roasting. There were three reports that had been sent into school saying he was sensitive to sunlight and that he found it hard to interpret body sensations such as hot and cold. His teacher kept complaining to me that he was sitting there sweating but would not take off his jumper even if asked. Well where do you start.

I just put everything in writing and why I thought it was inappropriate and asked school to seek advice on it. I copied that letter to the SALT, Ed Psych and AOT involved at the time.

His new school is much better. But even there I find they are too quick to remove supports if they feel he is coping. However he recently went through a period of frequent vomiting episodes which the doctor and hospital put down to anxiety. So school were informed of this and told to ensure that his anxiety levels were kept low by using supports that helped him cope. So I am waiting to go into school soon for his next MEP and I will discuss some of these things. But to some extent, once your child is in a school that has a much better understanding, I am willing to accept they sometimes make mistakes and I think it is also good sometimes for my son to be in a situation when things are not working out as he expected. That will happen in real life. But it is how everyone, parents, school and child deal with these things and repair any damage done and teach any life skills that were highlighted as being absent etc. But it does feel like a never ending journey and you can never take your eyes off the ball.

[Frizz]

when I researched what special needs training a senco has I couldnt believe the answer, they dont need to have any experience or training in special needs, they can be a senco without any history of any special needs awareness!!!

it can be just an ordinary teacher who has decided to take on the role of senco

I heard anyone can take on the senco role, its attraction is financial-a bit extra in your monthly pay packet! I recon this is definetly the case at our school-the senco hasnt a clue

[Daisydot]

my experience of DS last mainstream primary was that not only did the staff not have a clue about ASD or special needs but they did not WANT to have a clue. The attitude seemed to be that they hadnt gone into mainstream teaching to work with special needs children, and the whole thing had been imposed on them. Sad but true.

[sonj186]

What annoys me is when they have autism outreach and the ed phyc in they say all the right things! but as soon as they leave its back to normal! im also sick of being spoken to as if a control cam with a remote control while im at work! i get called in arount 3 times a week! i cant do anything about his behaviour while he is in school!

 

sonj

[av16]

When I did my PGCE we had an afternoon on SEN so in effect knew practically nothing. I was interested in SEN and read around the subject, more so when I realised my son was different-by the time he was diagnosed I had read up on ADHD and ASDs. I've funded my own training with the OU around inclusive education and currently on Child developmental psychology (exam next week- first in 26 yrs!). What I'm trying to say is that the amount of training a teacher has can be minimal and often reliant on their own interest, the amount of time they are able or prepared to put in to finding out more.

Now I'm a senco and I'm just starting a new OU course on literacy difficulties and today discovered I need to complete mandatory training as a new senco. From now on all sencos will have to complete a set training course so this is really good news. (When I'm doing two different dissertations next year I might not think so!)

 

Of course I have to say that there are many teachers out there who will still continue to hold the same views as they do now but sencos will have a duty to make sure that children with sen make progress at the same rate as all other groups- Ofsted will be checking.

 

(Just distracted watching Gary Numan on TV - mentioning his AS- he was always one of my heroes)

 

I think this is a positive step forward in improving education but I'll wait and see.

 

AV

[justine1]

Wow!I thought I was the only one feeling this way about mainstream school,so sad!My eldest son told me today that the teaches have come to him on numerous occasions to come and settle my AS son,this is so unfair to my eldest he goes to school to learn and to get to socialise with other kids not to care for his brother.Feel like screaming.