Help: SEN child biting!

[espadrille]

I would like to contribute to this thread.

 

Firstly as a parent of a now 20 year old with Asperger syndrome (on the spectrum.

Secondly as someone who has AS myself and thirdly as a professional who offers training to schools where they are needing further training to raise awareness of managing children's behaviour with this misunderstood condition.

 

As a parent I can see both sides of the story. If we are to treat each child with the Every Child Matters slogan then of course we have to look at the needs of all children. In the past , (like in mental health services where individuals were treated as though they needed to be separately treated),there was a tendency to let children who were on the autistic spectrum go to special schools as they were deemed to have a need far greater than what a 'normal' child would have. I must admit not not liking the word 'normal' but cant think of another word to describe what I mean.

 

I am a governor of a special school in Sheffield and think the school does an absolutely fantastic job with the children who attend.Some children however with Asperger Syndrome are not always suited to being in a special school. It all really depends on the individual child.

There are however now many many children who experience great difficulties in being in a mainstream environment and go to a mainstream school, but that environment and the awareness of staff does not always meet the needs of these children.I know that my son was very disruptive in class and can completely understand how this can be frustrating for te children who simply just need to get on and learn.

As someone with a neurological difference myself, I was fully integrated in to a mainstream school but of course this was in the days when very little was known about Asperger Syndrome and autism. I must say that I came out of school as an underachiever and always felt that the way that I was taught wasnt sufficient for my learning style

 

 

As a professional , I feel that what needs to be done is that all children and all staff need to understand about disability and understand why a child would behave in this way.Many kids with autism kick off due to extreme frustration with the environment that they are in and often simple strategies can be employed that can make the situation much improved, but it is all about raising awareness.

[Plain Talker]

It takes a long long time for a child to get on the SEN register. I had concerns about my daughter from when she was 2 and a half to 3, but she was only diagnosed with Autism last June when she was 5 and a half and her Statement is only just about to be released.

 

My sister was DX'd with autism aged 3/4. I was 5/6 when my sis was dx'd.

 

I misunderstood what the diagnosis was, and, in my 5/6 year-old's understanding, thought she had been diagnosed as "ARTISTIC", and I was proudly telling everyone "My sister's Artistic!" ...

 

She started at the same mainstream school I went to, but after a totally degrading, and disgusting incident of (verging on sexual) abuse from the nasty piece of work who was my sister's form-mistress, it was quickly realised that my sister needed an SEN statement.

 

Sis was withdrawn from that school, "PDQ", and was transferred to Kirkhill School at Greenhill, where she progressed so well, aged nine, she was transferred to Bents Green, where she continued to progress.

[espadrille]

Yes Bents Green school is a good school. I used to work with many adults who were looking for employment who had attended there and only heard good reports

[Plain Talker]

Yes Bents Green school is a good school. I used to work with many adults who were looking for employment who had attended there and only heard good reports

 

Shopmobility is building links with this school to give some of their kids the chance of work experience with the charity.

[smog]

Thanks everyone, it is most refreshing to have a discussion with only one trollish statement. I'm going to keep a close eye on the situation, but I think as I said before, that the staff have just about had enough too, so they will be working on how to support him more appropriately and keep other kids safe too.

[espadrille]

Shopmobility is building links with this school to give some of their kids the chance of work experience with the charity.

 

That sounds like a great idea.

[123456A]

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[Plain Talker]

Some parents like to try and keep their Autistic children in mainstream schools.

 

1 Put a cage at the back of the classroom.

It's either prison or refuge depending if you want to escape the biting,

or be bitten. If I was the teacher, I'd be sitting in it.

 

2. Hang the naughty kids by their braces on the coat hooks

 

3. I'd teach my kids to bite back [but harder].

 

I think you could do with the caging, 123... You've got to be withdrawing the urine... (either that, or your clock stopped at 11.55 am, and you're trying to have an april idiot fool joke on us with that comment)

[123456A]

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[Plain Talker]

I did say that if I was the teacher that I'd be sitting in it [refuge]

 

You also suggested hanging the child by his /her braces, on the coat hooks or words to that effect...