Found out what happened yesterday

[fiorelli]

and got excluded until the end of term...

 

Apparently they were doing a subject (Louis says it was handwriting, teacher thinks it was something else), and Louis said "everyone was telling me how to do it, but I already know", so he got upset and wanted to "go and count the lego". But the teacher/classroom assistant wanted him to this subject. So Louis got very upset, and went into meltdown, throwing things, hitting out, shouting etc. when they managed to get him out of the classroom he proceeded to trash the library.

 

No I understand that he shouldn't have trashed the library (the main reason he was excluded) BUT:

 

The classroom assistant should have realised he was getting upset

They could have said to him '2 minutes counting lego, then back to the subject'

 

(His IEP states that they are working on him doing things on teachers terms rather than on his own terms)

 

 

Also - Louis has never shown this wanting to 'count' things at home, so it is something new to me - is it a normal behaviour for those with Aspergers/ADHD or no?

[Zemanski]

absolutely normal for AS

 

goes with ordering and arranging things

 

often used to de-stress

 

and you are absolutely right in saying it was badly handled and I think the school are ultimately responsible for the damage your son caused because his reaction was provoked by the insistence that he did as he was told when he was not in a state to do so (not that they will admit that to you or even say sorry!)

 

I think you need to talk to NAS about that clause in his IEP, it gives the teacher to an excuse to insist on conformity even if it is not appropriate

 

Zemanski

[mossgrove]

I suspect that he may not have wanted to count the lego, he just needed a time out and that is what came into his mind to say. The school were more obsessed with the fact he needed to conform, hence an explosion.

 

The school should have some sort of time out area where he can go when it all gets too much so things don't go too far. It's something to get written into a statement if tyou get that far.

 

Simon

[fiorelli]

the school have developed a 'Nook' where he can go for time out if he feels he needs it. There he has a tape player with headphones that he can listen to (he likes that).

 

They are also developing a room where he can go for time out, and he is away from everyone else, and he knows he is safe, and so do the school.

[puffin]

Not easy to cope with

 

I think that the school have handled the situation badly as they obviously did not understand that the request to count lego was perhaps less about "getting his own way" way as trying to express his need to reduce stress - getting into a battle of wills shows that the school are poor at identifying the issues - and it was at least an educational activity that he wanted to do:

 

You could perhaps ask the school to

*work on distraction/negotiation strategies

* ways that he can signal to staff that he is not coping - a card that he can show to demonstrate that he needs a break.

* perhaps strategies for the LSA to use to prevent him getting upset - perhaps break up the tasks into small chunks - perhaps with a stopwatch - for example see how much handwriting he can do in 10 minutes and then 5 minute counting lego <'> <'> <'> <'>

[call me jaded]

I would appeal this. First of you need to ask for a copy of the school's Exclusion policy and check that they have actually followed all of the procedures set down in it. Then you need to see if they have been dicriminatory. Have a look at this:

 

http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2099930

 

I would ask whether the staff involved have had autism-specific training. If so, how much and what did it consist of. There was a case reported in the TES about a year ago which is almost identical except the condition was ADHD. The family won their appeal. I have a copy of the cutting on my PC. If you PM your email address to me I will pass it on to you.

[annie]

I haven't got advice to add to what you've already been given. Just wanted to mention this though,

 

I don't think my son was ever at school the last week of any term. He was always suspended. I came to the conclusion that after weeks of 'trying to fit in' each term he just came to breaking point and couldn't hide it anymore.

 

Just a thought.

 

Annie

<'> <'>

Edited July 8, 2005 by annie

[oracle]

(His IEP states that they are working on him doing things on teachers terms rather than on his own terms)

 

Says it all really - the person that needed excluding was the person who failed to understand that your son had reached his limit. Counting could be his way of de-stressing, a bit like stimming, but I would watch it if I were you because it could become a compulsion, not saying that it will, but it's worth keeping an eye on it.

 

I would appeal and I would also have the above clause taken out of his IEP. It's not about conforming and normalsing our kids. It's also not meant to be a power struggle one that they are hell bent on winning, when they do that then it really says that they are treating our kids as naughty girls and boys who WILL do as they are told.

 

Carole

[Jericho]

How awful. <'> I agree that the staff handled this badly. They need to get out of the mindset that if a child with AS/ASD doesn't want to do something then it must be because they are being deliberately defiant.