lisa Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Yesterday my daughter came home from school and was obviously distressed, pacing, fist clenching, looking very worried etc. In her home contact book, it said they'd had a fire drill at school and L was a bit upset about it but apart from that had a good day. I was really annoyed because she has a visual timetable and the school are supposed to inform her of any changes, so I wrote back in the book and said that she was upset in the evening and asked if in future they could let me know about fire drills so I could prepare her and possibly send in her ear muffs (she has sensory problems and hates loud noises). The teacher then pulled me aside after school today and said no, they couldn't let me know when they have a fire drill because the staff are not told and if they had a fire she wouldn't have any warning so it'll prepare her and basically she'll have to get over it. The teacher also said that L didn't seem very upset to her, but she was obviously upset when she came home. L also told me that her friend had tried to comfort her because she was upset which again annoys me that the teacher didn't even notice that she was distressed. Again another lack of awareness of how these things upset our kids, she didn't even bother to check that she was ok. I don't actually agree that L shouldn't be told of fire drills, I can see the teachers point that they need to react to each practice as if it's the real thing, but to me they're causing my daughter unnecessary distress. Am I being unreasonable to want the school to make an allowance for my daughter's disability? I'm so fed up of the school making a big deal about everything. Why couldn't they for once say, YES!! No problem, we'll let her know next time and perhaps in an ideal world the teacher would even hold her hand and keep her with her for the duration of the test to comfort and reassure her. What does everyone else think and how do other schools deal with this? I would think that most ASD kids would be upset by fire drills so has anyone got any advice. Thanks. Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tmf Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Hi Lisa Hope your little girl is ok now?? I can see where the teacher is coming from, but when you have a child with an ASD they should know that any sudden change to her routine is going to effect her. I can't beleive the attitude of the teacher in all honesty she sounds like a dragin with a heart of stone! If it were me i would complain to the head about this teachers attitude towards both you and your dd. I would then readdress the issue with HM direct and see if yu can come to some logicall agreement. As for ds school, i don't know what they do there, but after reading your post i am certainly going to find out what procedures happen there with a fire drill. Good luck in wotever you decide to do with this, and i do hope your little girl is ok from this distressing event! Take care tmf xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Hi Lisa, sorry but I'm with the school on this one. There is no way that they can pre-warn anyone about a fire drill as that would defeat the purpose of the drill. Phas Jr also hates loud noises and has had similar reactions in the past so I can fully understand where your comming from with this. However, and I know it sounds harsh, but, as the teacher pointed out, they would not have the opportunity to warn her of the real thing. I appreciate that this left her distressed for the rest of the day and that you had to suffer the after effects of it. One thing that may have helped would have been to explain to her the reason for the drill after it had happened, that might have lessened the impact it had on her. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BusyLizzie100 Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Following on from what Phasmid says, it seems like a good opportunity to use it as a real learning experience for the next time, whether it's real or practice. The whole idea of these drills is to get everyone to know what to do in an emergency; perhaps it's going to take a little longer and a few more visual explanations (if that works for yours) to explain why it happened and when it could happen again - without panicking her. HAving said that, I know what it's like when your child freaks after a fire drill - mine did the same and dealing with the aftermath is not fun. I understand how you feel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb1964 Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Lisa, I understand where you're coming from - my daughter got pretty upset last year over one at school - especially as she had to walk a different route out of the building to the usual one - and it took ages to get her over it as she didn't know if and when they were going to do another one. But I fully agree with the other posters too - it does need to be done. When theres a real alarm there's not going to be any warning and they'll need to be able to cope. The good thing is that she did cope in school - and so did my daughter - it's unfortunate that we have to suffer the consequences but sometimes the reason outweighs the worries - if you know what I mean. Hope she's ok now. Jb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justamom Report post Posted March 17, 2006 Hi Lisa, I have to agree with what Phasmid has posted, I work in a special school and we are never told about any fire drills that we have... It does cause alot of distress to the students (alot of the kids that have epilepsy have fits because of the stress and noise) but unavoidable, but like you say the teacher could have reduced her anxiety by comforting her thats not alot to ask a bit of reassurance and maybe she would not have been so upset. justamom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jen Report post Posted March 17, 2006 The school could have 2 fire alarms in the afternoon so your daughter could get use to them and they use this as a learning experience. That way she would not be in school all day getting stressed but both problems would be addressed for a short term. Hopefully by then she will be able to cope with fire alarm any time of day. Jen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisa Report post Posted March 18, 2006 I've calmed a bit and I do understand why they can't tell her about the fire drill and I am ok with that now I've had time "to reflect". I now realise that if they told her there was going to be a practice every time, on the real thing she'd panic big time because she'd not had prior warning so would probably realise it was a real fire. She's in Year 4 and they have a fire drill every half term, she always gets upset but this time she was very, very upset. I think it was more about how the school react. There's no thought or consideration. L is on SA+, she doesn't have an LSA to help her cope with situations like this so finds it incredibly hard. If the fire drill went off and L didn't know about it, if she had an LSA with her, explaining all the time what's happening and why etc. talking her through the whole thing I'm sure she'd be much happier about it. But she's just left to get on with it and we have to cope with the fallout. Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted March 18, 2006 I work in a mixed class of yrs 3 and 4 children. I have also worked in similar mixed classes of yrs 1 and 2 children. All these classes have included children on SA /SA+ and those with statements as well.When a fire alarm goes off there is absolutely no way that children of this, or any age, will/should be expected to 'just get on with it' when an alarm is sounded regardless of any level of support that may or may not be in place. Every adult should know what to do in this situation. Any particularly vulnerable child will/should be guided out via the nearest fire exit along with the rest of the class. The adult should be the last to leave the room, having ensured ALL children have been escorted out. If there is more than 1 adult available then one should lead the children out and the other bring up the rear. Children in my school then have to go to a designated place to line up (well away from the building) where a register is then called. This is fairly standard practice in all schools that I have worked in or visited or been a governor at. If there are children who are likely to have difficulties at these times they will/should be well known to the staff. Perhaps if these fire drills are causing your daughter significant distress then the opportunity should be taken to sit and talk with her after the event and an explanation given as to what has happened and why there is a need to do this. These sound like regular events at her school and this will help prepare her for the next time the alarm sounds (as it clearly will at some point in the future). It is at this point that I would say your daughters school are getting it wrong. These alarms cannot be avoided - they are a legal requirement under health and safety laws and fire regulations. So they ought to be looking at social stories to ease her distress. Something that, perhaps, you could suggest they consider. I would have a look at your county fire service's website to see if they have some advice sheets on this that could be used (some do, some don't). HTH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lsw146 Report post Posted March 18, 2006 We have days of exaggerated emotion after a fire drill and last week it was a bomb scare at school! I suppose it is really in the way they help the child down from their anxiety rather than letting it build up until they are home. We had a simliar thing with an accident in science resulting in a burned finger. B was left with it under the tap, not sure what to do next and came out of school 20 minutes late very distressed. If they had managed diferently the very small burn wouldn't have had to be bandaged all week and become a matter of obsession! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tilly Report post Posted March 18, 2006 In dd SEN school the head teacher goes around each class to explain that the fire drill will be going off and that it is a practice. I know dd is still not reassured and can still get quite stressed even though she knows it is only the headteacher testing the alarm, I dread to think what unnecessary state she would be in if they they did not warn her. Tilly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted March 18, 2006 Tilly fire drills are a necessary fuss. As I said earlier they are a legal requirement. What you describe sounds more like a system test of the alarms which we do get warned about when they are taking place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisa Report post Posted March 18, 2006 When I say L is left to get on with it, I mean that she's sheparded out with all the other kids with no consideration to her SEN. I've regularly helped out in the school and have been present on a number of these drills, I have no concerns that she'd not go with the rest of her class and line up in the designated place. I fully agree that someone should then talk to her after the event and explain what's happened and why but they don't. There's no one to do it anyway as she doesn't have an LSA, there's only the teacher and 30 kids in the class with no additional help, even though there are 8 kids with SEN in her class (no statements). We've gone through it on every occasion with her and explained why it's done etc. (when we've known there has been a fire drill, we've not always been told) but by that time she's already got herself wound up throughout the day. On some occasions she's a lot more distressed than others for some reason. Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tilly Report post Posted March 19, 2006 Tilly fire drills are a necessary fuss. I don't dispute fire drills aren't necessary it is the state our children get themselves into over a practice which I think is unnecessary. I'm with the headteacher of dds school on this one. Tilly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted March 19, 2006 We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then. If it is just a routine test of the alarm system I see no problem with your dd's head doing this. If, however, the head does this as part of the fire drill routine they are not doing anybody any favours. As Lisa has pointed out already what would happen if the alarm went off for real and the head hadn't told them? Panic in all probibillity, as they would know there was a real fire This is why they should not forewarn of a fire drill. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tilly Report post Posted March 19, 2006 We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then. Ditto Tilly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
