[senco-forum] Working with pupils with Asperger's as a career

Jean -- ?A great pioneer in the field -- Charles Burns -- developed a clinic and an assessment training centre / school in the Selly Oak / Edgbaston area of Brum -- in the days when such children were the total responsibility of he NHS. This?school was Ulfcumbe and it still remains, and is maintained as a brilliant?primary special school by B'ham LA --?but is always oversubscribed -- difficult to get a place there.??There is another similar special primary in another area of Brum -- and similarly long-standing and of high quality.?Baskerville is the long established?secondary phase special ASD school,?and has residential accomodation for some most severely affected.

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These schools have always?attracted the top ASD educators and advocates?as Head Teachers?such is their high reputations. Always in high demand and very popular. The original "Charles Burns" Clinic (renamed more than once) name now) still exists as the regional centre for ASD?diagnosis?under CAMHs, with a brilliant multi disciplinary-team of clinical assessors and advisors to parents and schools. Including excellent speclialst nurses and speech and language therapists as well as clinical pychs and peadiatricians.?But I did hear that?it was in danger of closure (merger with a larger hospital complex) and that the specialist team would be broken up. That would be a tradgedy as they are brilliant. But the waiting list for?diagnosis is over 2 years and Brum SEN Education are not always happy to agree the level of?diagnosis' in my experience, as they have to then arrange the high level of?specialist provision advised by the clinicians and expected by parents. I've done more than a few tribunals over this and the evidence from the clincians and school staff of the afore-mentioned schools has been terrific. It's all very good -- but more of the same has always been in urgent demand -- and, trgaically -- very specialist schools?seem to be?getting harder to place children in rather than easier.? Brendan King

-----Original Message-----

From: Jean Dowding 

To: kngbrndn at aol.com

Cc: astryngia at googlemail.com; jwwray14 at hotmail.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk

Sent: Sat, Nov 3 4:00 PM

Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Working with pupils with Asperger's as a career

Our local school that specialises in teaching children with autism uses  the Ulfcumbe Reading and Spelling programmes.  Their outreach teacher  introduced both to the LSA in my former school who is designated support  for a statemented child.  They worked wonders with this child, enabling  him to develop a basic spelling vocabulary and to embark on reading  fluently.  Good to see a mention of the school that obviously produced  them from its own experience!    Regards    Jean    S Wales        Brendan wrote:     I studied for my SLD/ASD /Aspergers quals at Brum Sch of Ed -- pre  > internet days -- books, journals and written lecture notes -- all on  > something then known as paper -- were the essential provisions in those  > days (80s). Wish the online approach had been available then. Had to be  > off school for a year and drive into Brum 5 times a week -- or to  > Baskerville / Ulfcumbe Schools?where we had hands on practice. Rita Jordan  > ran it then -- superb. Libraries and librarians were the key essentials  > then. I supose they still are --?but more in the backgound.. Hurrah for  > laptops, broadband, google and, even, Wikki (I know one can't quote Wikki  > -- unauthentic but it leads one there -- and nice summarry accounts to  > focus the brain). Go for Brum -- they have been at it virtually  > since?Aspergers was widely?known about in the UK. And Brum?have the  > best?the?specilaist ASD, maintanied schools to gain practice if you're in  > the W Mids.?They and Nottingham are the pioneers ( there may be others o  > f!  >   course that I've not been aware of -- if so aplogies for overlooking  > them).  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >    

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