[senco-forum] ASD and exclusion

From: Amanda <amandavh at btinternet.com>

Dear Gaynor,
Reading this I'm wondering if there is anything you can do in terms of
seeing this as simply a very unhappy boy who has been moved (perhaps against
his will) and just needs friends? Can you set up a Circle of Friends, for
example? Could his behaviour (and, by the way, what exactly is the
behaviour?) stem from acute anxiety? Could you figure out what causes the
anxiety and work to alleviate it? Forgive me if these are obvious but I felt
they may be worth suggesting all the same.
Best wishes,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Gaynor Dunkley
Sent: 14 April 2007 11:34
To: amandavh at btinternet.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] ASD and exclusion

Amanda

I have been following this strand with interest as I am now approaching a 
similar situation.

I have a yr 7  ASD/ADHD student on a statement that provides roughly 12 
hours of support a week but despite out best efforts and those off outside 
agencies his behaviour is becoming so extreme that even with the 25 hours of

support we are giving him things are looking bleak and he has only been with

us for 6 months. There was no indication of the extremity of his 
difficulties in the request for placement before transition and I did not 
have the opportunity to visit him as he came from another LA over 50 miles 
away. The LA are offering us more money to extend the hours of support but 
we are already doing this out of budget and it has little effect on him

I too am questioning whether mainstream placement for him is appropriate but

have no alternative to recommend or refer him to.

The rest of his form are frightened of him as are some staff who are 
struggling to teach the other 29 in the group while dealing with him. He is 
spending increasing number of hours with my self and TAs but refuses to do 
work for us and threatens to run away as he hates being in school and hates 
all his peers. It is clear to see that he is not in an appropriate setting 
either for him or for the learning of other students. Had I know what I know

now I would probably have recommended that he not be offered a place at our 
school on the grounds that the learning of others would be adversely 
affected.(A quick look at the data on the group show that they have suffered

more than any other group on teacher assessments )

It is only a matter of time before the complaints from other parents start 
coming in and I have to put myself between the rock and the hard place. The 
boys parents are very supportive but do not wish him moved.

Added in is the fact that he is a very likeable boy and I feel like a real 
s**t when I have had to discipline him for his bad behaviour.

Like you Amanda I am concerned at the big questions that appear to have no 
apparent answers.

Gaynor

>From: Amanda <amandavh at btinternet.com>
>To: senco-forum <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
>Subject: [senco-forum] ASD and exclusion
>Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:09:54 +0100 (BST)
>
>Hello everyone
>   After my request for comments on whether to excude someone with ASD or 
>not, I thought I'd summarise the responses.
>   There were some who feel that exclusion is always unacceptable and that 
>we must accommodate the person with ASD whatever their behaviour.  I can 
>see their point.  But I have to say that I do worry about the rest of us.  
>Brandan told me about someone who puts salt on all his food and that of 
>everyone else.  His colleagues say nothing - just eat the food without 
>complaining.  But I'd be in trouble if he put salt on my food as I have a 
>very low salt diet.  And what would happen if he put salt in a baby's food?

>  I also have personal experience of a boy with ASD who felt the need to 
>cuddle up to everyone he met.  We had problems when other students felt 
>threatened by him - and, yes we did have parental complaints about him.
>   There were others who felt that we have to make sure that people with 
>ASD can be acceptable members of society, so we must make sure that they 
>conform to our rules of behaviour even if they don't like it.
>   I'm a working SENCO and I deal with these difficulties all the time.  I 
>won't say any more about the exclusion of the pupil who started off this 
>thread except to say that I know that we have spent five years doing 
>everything we can to help him in school (and we have to all accept that 
>schools have rules which must be applied - and schools are places where 
>pupils are educated in groups).
>   I return to my biggest concern.  Should we be placing the needs of one 
>pupil above that of others?  What do we do if the school is not the right 
>place for that pupil but there is no means of managing a move to a more 
>appropriate placement?
>   Amanda
>
>
>Amanda
>Secondary SENCO
>Cornwall

_________________________________________________________________
Txt a lot? Get Messenger FREE on your mobile. 
https://livemessenger.mobile.uk.msn.com/