Games and P.E.

[LKS]

Last year my daughter was having real trouble with games and p.e. She did not enjoy the noise, the movement and the changing. L.S.A and myself worked quite hard with her and gradually introduced her to different aspects. She had reward charts and bits to tick off when she had completed an activity, she was doing really well. The one thing that she really needed to happen before games was to be able to wear her tracksuit. Her tracksuit is something she associates with games. There was no problem with this last year. I found out this morning that she has been unwilling to take part in games and p.e. Why ? because they have not allowed her to wear her tracksuit. She has become very upset and they have not been able to get her to leave the classroom. This has happened for 2 weeks but I have only just been told. I asked why she hasn't been allowed to wear her tracksuit and they replied 'because the children are not allowed to wear tracksuits for games until after the half term' I seriously wonder sometimes whether this school take delight in winding myself and my child up

[puffin]

Well this is just plain stupid - I think the school is really winding you up with strange 'rules' such as these. Perhaps you should sent a docotrs certificate to say that she HAS to wear a tracksuit for medical reasons.

 

I have a lot of sympathy as M also hates some forms of PE especially the 'fun' games that can be loud and noisy. As she has 1:1 I've done a deal with the school that if she can't cope with the school activity that she can do an individual activity with her LSA such as go for a walk.

[mossgrove]

This is not an unusual problem.

 

Many kids with ADS's do not like to wear shorts and prefer to wear tracksuits, but most schools have the nous to know that it's pointless making a stand.

 

Why not wrote to the head teacher explaining that she is unable to wear shorts and can thay conform that they are refusing to make the necessary accomodations for her special needs? Keep a copy!

 

Good Luck!

 

Simon

Edited September 27, 2005 by mossgrove

[bid]

Hi

 

The Disability Rights Commission helped us over problems with PE and a stupid reaction from my son's old school

 

Bid

[lorryw]

Oh for goodness sake!! Some schools are their own worst enemies and leave common sense at the door.

I suppose the tracksuit after half term rule is to do with the change in weather. Its such a simple thing to make your daughter happy and take part in PE with a blindingly obvious solution. Has your daughter changed teacher or LSA since last year? Its possible her teacher hasnt read her notes and is not up to speed, which is so rare (tongue firmly planted in cheek!)

Take care

[LKS]

Puffin my daughter also has 1:1 support. I think that is a good idead about the L.S.A. taking her off for a walk etc. if she can't cope. She particularly dislikes p.e. in the hall. Had a complete meltdown when it came to country dancing. Mossgrove as you say most schools would have the nous to understand. If it worked o.k. last year what is the problem now. I don.t think the teacher last year had 1 problem with other kids wanting to wear their tracksuits as they were too hot anyway. Their lack of understanding sometimes is breathtaking. I can't understand why her L.S.A. didn't speak up, but I think she may have been over-ruled by the witch of a senco who I am beginning to suspect does not even believe autism exists

[sonia]

My son also had problems with PE mainly changing before it. His Senco and LSA introduced a social story that really helped. Have the school tried this strategy?

Sonia x

[annie]

Hi LKS,

 

When I worked as a 1:1, the child that I was with hated PE for the same reasons as your daughter plus he had a phobia.......feet. The children were expected to do PE in the hall in bare feet. I was told many times that I had to stay in the classroom with him while the other children did PE. I wasn't happy about this as the child was being excluded. Eventually, I persuaded them to let the child wear plimsols..........end of problem. It did take a lot of convincing though. The SENCO at the time insisted that a mere LSA and mum of a child with Asperger's ie ME didn't know what I was talking about

 

Oh for goodness sake!! Some schools are their own worst enemies and leave common sense at the door.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Annie

XX

[Kathryn]

I'm ashamed to say I took the easy way out during my daughter's last term at school when PE was just one more stress on top of loads of others. I just wrote sick notes for her.

[Zemanski]

we don't have clothes issues with PE, except that Com would prefer to be in shorts and T-shirt all year round but there is so much wrong with PE

 

we've just negotiated individualised PE/OT, Com does PE with another ASD kid - no more smelly noisy cahnging rooms with bullies waiting to get him and no more team games. They can join in if they want to with things like trampolining too.

 

took a lot of doing though - the advisor was very helpful

 

Zemanski

[LKS]

Thanks everyone they actually managed to get daughter to stay in the hall yesterday. I think it is a combination of the acoustics of the hall (everything sounds distorted) and as annie pointed out bare feet as well. They are trying to encourage independance from her L.S.A at the moment and school thought this would be agood activity to try her without support This then releases L.S.A to go and work with someone else. I have tried to make it quite clear that they are making problems for themselves and if they are trying to withdraw support(this was the brilliant suggestion of the E.P.) they are building up a lot of problems.

[puffin]

I would have thought that this was a VERY BAD activity to reduce LSA time for - especially as it involve:

a change of location

a change of clothing

a lot of noise

unpredictable activities

 

All of which are hard for an asd to cope with even with support. I would suspect that a classroom based activity would make it easier for the LSA to sneak out. Is she still getting her full statement time if her LSA is being used elsewhere.