Children with autistic spectrum disorders suffer through poor provision of specialist teachers and are often left behind in mainstream schools , where they are often misunderstood, left to one side in classrooms and the target for bullies. To get any help parents have to fight the local education authorities to get a statement of special educational needs which often has to be contested and fought over in every detail to overcome the unwillingness of local authorities to provide any assistance and funding. As recent figures suggest 1 in 100 children now suffer it is about time schools were given appropriate staff trained for these childrens needs, rather than farming them into pastoral support or left in the corner with some teaching assistant with no clue how to communicate the lesson to the child in an appropiate way. Every child has a right to a decent education so why is it the local education authorities fail to provide this and leave these kids destined to a meaningless life?
They probably don’t have the money. It could be $50,000 per year for a specialized school (real number that local school systems are spending to put autistic kids into specialized schools around here). If 1 out of every 100 (I don’t believe that ratio since even the TV ads asking for aid to autistic kids have a lower number) needs that money it is not going to turn up without closing down the schools for non-autistic kids. And that is not going to happen since the parents of the other non-autistic kids have a right to have their kids educated too.
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What is it going to take to get local education authorities to provide a fair education for autistic kids?
Posted at September 30th, 2009 by admin
They probably don’t have the money. It could be $50,000 per year for a specialized school (real number that local school systems are spending to put autistic kids into specialized schools around here). If 1 out of every 100 (I don’t believe that ratio since even the TV ads asking for aid to autistic kids have a lower number) needs that money it is not going to turn up without closing down the schools for non-autistic kids. And that is not going to happen since the parents of the other non-autistic kids have a right to have their kids educated too.
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If you’re that concerned about your child, you educate it.
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I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know what the answer is. You should take this whole letter and add to it your personal detail and struggles and send it on to your local authorities, congressman, etc. Good luck!!
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need to lobby parliment at national level to have a universal policy on the education of special needs students in mainstream school. volunteers can be trained to assist and many parents would be up for this. the government and councils need to be reminded of their responsibility to provide a standard of education for all under the education act.
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these kids are not destined to a meaningless life-far from it they get more from their lives than we do, just because they do not think the way we do or have the same priorities they just have different needs and different wants, and these days most kids suffer through school it does not provide a decent education for any child.
I have an 8 yr old with autistic spectrum disorder he has never been to school, he is happy, confident and loved. I wouldn’t change him for the world, he can be difficult but at the same time, he makes every day worth living. His thought processes are out of this world.
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i agree totaly with you in your statment as our grand son has autisim but is unable to attend mainstream schooling ,but hear where we live so many special needs schools are being closed due to short fall of funding so they say but the teachers we do have do a wonderful job teaching these kids they are not recognised is any shape or form to the work they carry out its a pity because some kids with autisim have wonderful talents in there own right but do you honestley see any goverment body supporting children with learning difficulties to a standard where a child can lead a normal life because we dont , there shoved from pillar to post and left on the forgotten pile like everything else the gorverment neglact to highlight in this screwed up society
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Not to belittle your situation, which I do sympathize with you. But it isn’t just Autistic children that are getting left behind and shoved aside. The only thing that schools are concentrating on anymore are the End Of Grade (EOG) Testing.
When my son was in 4th grade, his teacher told me, and other parents, that dispite her best efforts to avoid it, she was put in the position of basically handing our children text books and telling them to work on their own because they were above grade level,(or honor) students, and that they should come to her when they completed every 5th lesson and she would test them then, and that if they made atleast a 85 on it then they would go on to the next 5 lessons. She was being forced to do this because she was given a class with students that were testing at 6th to 8th grade level in 4th grade and students that were testing at 1st to 2nd grade level in 4th grade and she HAD to get those low preforming students at grade level by EOG time. So if your student is at or above grade level they were pushed aside and left on their own because they could already pass the EOG test. These students were not challenged and basically wasted the year doing nothing. (My son was done with the required years assignments by Thanksgiving-now tell me he didn’t waste the year) And going to the administration was a waste of time, it was there that the teacher was feeling the pressure to focus on her low preforming srudents only. And the school board did not want to hear about it either, they were worried about the bottom line only-test scores that would show up in the state capitol to make them look good.
Thank god for the teacher who went above and beyond what the admistration instructed her her to do as far as the "other" kids in her class. She would stay after, come early, and do over the phone and internet instruction with those kids she wasn’t suppose to worry about. The teacher was great-the school system-sucked!
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As a teaching assistant who does know how to teach an autistic child and as a parent who has been on both sides of this I can tell you that schools don’t want to have to provide for autistic children or any other child with a disability or disorder. I work in a special education classroom so our kids have varying degrees of autism and othe disabilities.If teachers in the mainstream would bother to learn how to teach an autistic child the world would be better. Parents have to fight the system. Take lawyers, experts and whoever else you need to your IEP meetings.
As for the children having meaningless lives, I disagree. These children are full of love and brightness, They just don’t know how to show it or say it. Never stop talking to your autistic children. Play with them constantly, love them and keep talking to them. Open them up and fight the system for their rights. You and your child have them. Use them!!!
I’m off my soapbox now. Thanks!!
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Good question. Most families spend all of the money they have and lots that they don’t to hire and train teams of private tutors to educate their children.
I always suggest that parents keep thorough data of their child’s progress and detailed records of all private therapies. Make sure that you can prove that what you are doing privately is more effective than what the school district is providing. Since each child is entitled to a "free and appropriate" education, you may get some funding. The problem is that the word "appropriate" is quite subjective. Also the burden of proof is on you and school districts are not eager to set the precedent of funding private education.
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First..to phish…no child is an "it". Your wording was both insensitive and insulting.
So you know, the reason most families are constantly fighting for services through the school system is because they can’t afford to pay for them on their own. While there are many outstanding private schools in the country for autistic children, top notch specialists and all sorts of therapists doing the cutting edge work with these kids, they are simply out of reach of your average parent. The one other place many families try to turn to, their health insurance providers, are equally dismissive and even less willing to help pay the costs of the care and services that autistic children and adults need. Nor are these therapies that even the most devoted of parents could master thouroughly enough and have the emotional and physical energy to provide, along with providing for all the other needs of the family. It would be like asking you to make your own medications every time you needed aspirin…and you needed aspirin freshly made every four hours and it took three hours and forty minutes to make!
I have been extremely fortunate with my son’s placement. Our school system very quickly admitted that they did not have a placement they felt would give my son the support he needed. I was also very lucky that one of the leading non-profit, private centers in the DC area…Kennedy Kreiger..was just implementing a plan with our county schools to open two classes spedcifically for moderate to severe autistic students. These are stand alones…the kids here are not integrated, which for our son is the correct choice. Each class has a max of 6 students, a teacher and a minimum of 2 para-educators. Children are grouped by developmental abilities, not age. Each child recieves individual speech, OT and if needed PT. The curriculum covers educational as well as life skills. All the specialists work in the classrooms with the groups on a daily basis as well. WHile we have chosen to home school our daughter rather then send her to the local middle school (one of the worst in the state), we have chosen to stay in the district to keep our son in this program.
We were lucky. we were prepared for the fight…and it never happened. However, I know dozens of other families…and have helped many of them..who have had to fight hard and long. Educating an autistic child is a challange. They have communication and often behavior issues which take a very special teacher with sufficent training and time to handle. However, we do know that if these kids don’t get the services, they can not grow into happy, caring, involved adults.
Our schools have been challanged by the current administration and it’s "No Child Left Behind". Sadly, all children seem to the the losers of this policy. Children who should be in gifted placements no longer have that chance. Kids who are happy and doing well in traditional classes are now being forced to do better and better on standard testings since the schools budget depends on them. And the kids who need extra help are just being allowed to slide. Money gets tighter and tighter…teachers get more stressed and angry…administration is left with fewer options and to bear the brunt of decsions they had no say in. I don’t know where things will go…but I do worry.
So start writing..write your local school board, your local government, your federal representatives. Help your school by looking online for grants and support from some of the national autism groups. And most importantly, during the next election when one candidate or another starts spouting how he can give more to the schools AND cut your taxes at the same time, stop and think. Can you spend more when your pay gets cut?? Tax cuts take money away from the schools..it doesn’t bring more in. Let your candidates know that you are willing to pay the cost of a good education for all kids…and have them find other places to take your tax cuts from! Change does not come without a strong enough catalyst…and we can be it.
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It is expensive to hire a special education teacher, but there are laws out there that would work in this situtation. One is called Title 1 Education. Another thing that goes along with this is the American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990. You can fight the school on this because it is stated that each and every child is supposed to get education and if a certain child has a disability they are to get an education that is supported to their needs. I worked in a school back in Kansas and worked with Special Needs Children and we did have a child with autisim and that child was teached by a special education teacher, but that child was also in regular classes. I would suggest that maybe starting a petition and get as many signatures as you can that would support your cause and hopefully that would help you get your child the help he/she needs. I am for children with needs get all the help they can get at an early age and not waiting til the last minute because it makes it harder on them and gets them to the point where they don’t want to go to school because they don’t enjoy it.
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http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html
A lawsuit in Federal court for violations of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997)…both are Federal laws.
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I respect what you have written and completely agree that all children are entitled to an education, however, your comments about the autistic children are being left behind can be applied to many children with special needs.
As a former Educational Assistant, I know first hand that children with a diagnosis of autism, down syndrome, fragile x, etc. receive alot more support then a child with a learning disability or behavioural difficulties. Children that may require some extra attention to complete assignments/tasks are pushed aside. Although their disorder/disability may not be as extreme or noticeable as a student with autism they are not granted time for an Educational Assistant or special education support. They continue to fall between the cracks.
I used to work with a boy with autism (very low functioning. Needed assistance for bathroom, could not read, did not speak etc) he was allocated an EA for 100% of his day. Most of your time was spent helping him with hygiene issues or calming him down from an outburst. Out of my time with the student we spent possibly 25% of the day on school work. Is that an effective use of an Educational Assistant?
There has to be a balance and unfortunately a time to say…when do we draw the line and assist the students that actually require the help in EDUCATION. I do believe that everyone is entitled to an education, however, the public system is NOT for everyone. As much as inclusion seems like a great idea, there are some students that do not benefit from it. Their teachers ignore them or push them to the side, students ridicule them and their only friend is the EA that has been placed. Is this the sort of education that these extreme cases deserve?
There are different degrees of autism and disabilities and each case needs to be assessed on an individual basis. Those students that are severely disabled may benefit from an alternative educational program/setting where more specialized programs can be created.
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My son is Aspergers, high-functioning autism, and the public school system refused to give him the services he needed. He was not a behavior problem, could learn, and wanted to learn.
We went through years of this while my child suffered endless teasing from the general school population. He doesn’t look any different from so-called normal children. Even on an IEP spec. ed refused to diagnos him as Aspergers because it would have meant more specialized services. Translation: More money.
We took them to court and won. Five years they paid for at a private school for kids with learning disabilities, where he prospered. Plus our legal fees and their attorneys. And I know plenty of parents who have gone through this and will continue to go through this. No Child Left Behind my butt.
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As we were told… it all boils down to funding and a lack of understanding children with autism. Our son is high functioning and is able to excel in many main stream classes however his social interaction skills are seriously lacking. Our solution…. charter school. Classes are limited in size, they require more one on one interaction with children and they’re not as dependent on federal aide as public schools. I don’t know what a viable solution is. You figure that 20 to 30 years ago most children of special needs status were institutionalized and not part of the public school system so the schools were not overwhelmed as they are today. Not to mention the increased pressure to offer ESL classes and other courses which require funding.
Please realize that autistic children are not the only ones left behind by the educational system. Any child with special needs is lost. Ultimately, it’s up to us parents to step in and ensure our child has the education they deserve.
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What a great question, thank you for raising it.Is there any way I can get back to it to see subsequent answers as am new to this site?
Our daughter is 13,autistic with severe learning difficulties.We live in Cumbria in the UK.Maybe because of the severity of her problems ,we got diagnosis at 6 yrs and she has been at an ordinary school with unit attached ever since.We are happy with her present school,although the junior school that preceded it was restraining her physically without our knowledge.I only found out when she had left and this present school informed me they had witnessed it when she was brought by them(previous school) for her induction.Is this right? I think NOT.
Our fight was getting transport to the appropriate school,as parents are the key to pushing the authorities to providing for their childrens educational and medical needs.Only a parent can have that gut instinct as to which school is best for their child.
I notice that many of these posts seem to be from the States,and am surprised as I thought things were more understanding and advanced over the Pond.Oh well,another illusion shattered?
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I work on a voluntary basis with an Autistic child once a week at a mainstream primary school. The school currently has five or six autistic children, and each child has a full term LSA who works with the child according to their specific needs. The children are also encouraged to learn life-skills such as cooking, and road safety, which they do with their LSA.
However, the school is an old school, and cannot provide all the facilities now recognised as being useful to an Autistic child’s progression. The children are therefore taken to either a ball pool at a local secondary school, or the Autistic Unit at a local Primary school.
Being incredibly interested in Autism, and desiring to train as a Psychologist, and then specialise in Autism, I visited the unit both with and without an Autistic child. On attending with the child, I saw the various rooms in use – the ball-pool and padded play room, where he worked off some energy, and played with his LSA and myself to encourage interaction, and response to instructions, e.g. "Can you throw the ball onto the purple square?" This also provided a fun environment for learning, by requiring him to identify shapes and colours, and cross-match them, e.g, a square that is green. There were also many buttons for him to press that played noises into the room which he enjoyed. His memory was tested by asking him to remember which button played the baby’s laugh for example, or the train.
Another room included many tasks for him to take part in. Here he was encouraged to recognise that one must take turns in activities by being able to take part in only the available tasks as recognised by picture cards laid out on the table. There were many new sensory experiences for him here, with playdough to touch and mould, balloons to inflate, tap, and here the echo through, bubbles to play in, a variety of foods to taste, and strange things to feel, and smell.
There was also a large room with a trampoline, a large tumbler which he could climb inside and be rolled about it, a balancing beam, a body-board, and a giant ball for him to bounce on.
He finished his experience in a small padded room with lights dancing around by which he was momentairily mesmirised. One wall was entirely mirrored, there were many things built into the wall for him to play with, and many toys that provided sensory stimulation.
The whole experience was very enjoyable to him and valuable in encouraging him to play and communicate with others and to experience new things.
On returning alone, I discussed with the SENCO the ways in which the school aided Autistic children. She said the unit had just been accredited by the National Autistic Society. However, she pointed out that at 18 Autistic children, they were at the maximum. They could not take on any more full-time Autistic children. Other schools were welcome to use their facilities however, as did the child I visited with.
The school appears to be very much what the borough needed. The school is a mainstream school, with its own Autistic Unit. All children in the main school learn two signs each week, and the school has PECs on many surfaces and rooms to aid interpretation of what the room is and is for, for Autistic children. This school also has visual timetables in every room, and swingtags with photographs of activities on them by every door, so that the Autistic child can select the activity they desire.
Their work includes much choosing, tracing, imitation, and slow progression towards normal goals. Bit by bit the work progresses and becomes slowly more challenging so the child meets basic goals such as knowing there must be an interaction before thay may receive what they want, knowing how to interact, knowing they must say please etc, which is suited to each child’s needs and progress.
Children are in class between 60 and 90% of the time to encourage integration and inclusion, with a fulltime LSA each, and are bonded in groups of six children, with whom they may use the other rooms, encouraging interaction. There are places in the school where workstations possess no stimulation at eye level so as to be a calming place for Autistic children.
These children also receive music therapy, speech therapy, social skills lessons, and other such additional aids suited to their own needs.
Seeing all this was very heartening for me. It seemed that much can be done for Autistic children without having to purchase the sensory room equipment etc. Just doing things like encouraging them to use their senses through tasting things, playing with balloons and playdough, and smelling things can make a difference and encourage interaction.
The way in which children are taught at both the schools I have visited has proved to be beneficial and understanding, and most of the people I have encountered have had a fairly good understanding of Autism.
In reality, LEAs should attempt to provide at least one unit such as the one I have above described, in each borough, which children in all schools could visit. This is of course, expensive, but CAN YOU PUT A PRICE ON CHILDREN?
In the schools I have experienced, Autistic children are fairly well understood, and the staff are always interested in learning more. It seems tragic to me that any individual should not be provided for, and the scenario you describe is most sad.
It’s true, LEAs should provide for all Autistic children, however, I hope you agree that what I have seen in heartening, and suggests that change and understanding are on their way.
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I would like to point out that not all authorities are useless when it comes to childrens with special needs, I am very happy with the services my son recieves. He has had a statement since he started Nursery which means that he has one to one support all day, he even has his own dinner lady. One thing I will say though is that you do have to persevere if you are having difficulty. There was quite a delay in my sons; statement as his Educational Psychologist was off sick, luckily his Nursery provided extra support anyway as they knew he would be entitled to it.
I would also like to point out that not all Autistic children "suffer". My son is very happy and contented, he is popular at school and is doing very well achievement wise. It worries me that so many parents of Autistic children seem hell bent on finding a cure. What does this say to the child? I am not saying that this is the case here, I just wanted to get it off my chest.
I really hope that you are successful and I wish you and your child happiness in the future.
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I have an autistic son who is 9 years old and goes to mainstream school, we live in London. We have always pushed for the best for him in education but have been happy with the end result. The key is to keep pestering and seek out as much help as you can. You may have to fight for the best but only parents can do it – and it does wear you down so find some good support.
We are now starting on the quest for secondary school. We do not want him to go to a special school so have to be sure that we get the right place.
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A lawsuit.
Or lots of lawsuits.
Against the school administrators, against the teachers individually, against the school board members, against the school as a whole.
Good luck.
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special education teacher
I think the answer lies with parent led non profit organisations, support groups etc, using their voice through the media and and informing their local MPs of how difficult life can be for not only the child but how schools and LEAs often blame the parents for the child’s difficulties. The fact most of these children have average or above average intelligence, and labelled with Aspergers Syndrome or High Functioning Autism, gives a false impression, that when in adulthood they will be independent, but the sad fact is only 1 in 3 will manage this the rest will require an amount of support for the rest of their lives. Most of all the Educators need educating, parents are the experts on their ASD children not the educators. As a parent , I know where you are coming from. I have never used this before so I don’t know if you can get back to me. But it would be good to share ideas.
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this has been an ongoing problem for years. My son is 19 with autism as well as other difficulties. When he was 12 he was accepted to a school for people with special needs on condition he was under medication to control his behaviour. He stayed there till he was 17 and he got educated to his own ability.
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eh, yeah
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