teacher shut autistic girl a tiny room - Page 3

Russ · 10-03-2009, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

So you're saying that everybody's education should be allowed to be totally screwed up because someone else has a reason/excuse?

An example. more than 25 years ago in junior school I had trouble understanding franctions. I mean REAL trouble, I could not get my head around them. Everyone else in the class could but not me. After several attempts, the teacher gave up.

When my parents could see I was making no progress they contacted the school to ask the teacher what was happening. Her response "Well, he did fall behind and we had to move on". My parents went ape.

Rather than contact them to suggest some possible out-of-hours schooling or or other methods, she simply brushed me aside.

To this day I still have trouble with fractions. I genuinely believe if she had actually tried instead of making life easier for herself, I'd have a better understanding. She couldn't even be bothered to offer a suggestion. She didn't even see fit to contact my parents, she was happy to brush me out of the way.

Back to this story. The teaching assistant clearly has no understanding of how to deal with children. This indicates to me she should not be in charge of them. It's nobody's fault but her own. She could have requested assistance or even training as soon as she knew of the girl's condition.

There are some really good teaching staff out there but truly there are some abysmal ones.

joglynne · 10-03-2009, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

No, you didn't. You added 3 mins later(at the same time as I was writing mine, so how could I have read it

) to your post that there must be a policy but didn't say what that policy was or should be.

So you're saying that everybody's education should be allowed to be totally screwed up because someone else has a reason/excuse?

I don't believe anyone has said that. IMO There was nothing wrong in taking this child out of the classroom. What is wrong is putting an upset child in a room on her own. Why the teaching assistant didn't just sit quietly with the child outside the classroom until she calmed down is what I can't understand.

10-03-2009, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

No, you didn't. You added 3 mins later(at the same time as I was writing mine, so how could I have read it

) to your post that there must be a policy but didn't say what that policy was or should be.

So you're saying that everybody's education should be allowed to be totally screwed up because someone else has a reason/excuse?

---------- Post added at 12:49 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------

It is claimed that she was upset as a result of being in a room with a view of the corridor, whereas she was put in the room because she was upset.

Being disruptive came before being put in the room.

obviously you have no experience in this subject . A friend of mine has twin girls who are autistic they are great kids but they are a hand ful and you need to take you time and care and be understanding. Another friend of mine has a boy who is quite severely autistic and it is very frustrating to try and get through to him. You are showing no compassion and definately no understanding on this matter and therefore your views imo are irrelevent

nomadking · 10-03-2009, 12:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osem

That's because the policy should be appropriate for the CHILD! In all my years I have never heard of anyone shutting a distressed autistic child in a room on their own.

Autism is a condition with a very broad range of expression - the staff member clearly had no idea how to cope with the child she was responsible for.

NO! I'm saying that the school should have had 'APPROPRIATE' measures in place to cope with what happened without disrupting the entire school. Those measures should not have included shutting her in a room!

Apparently in all your years you haven't heard of any alternative as you haven't given that alternative.

**Chris** · 10-03-2009, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

Apparently in all your years you haven't heard of any alternative as you haven't given that alternative.

As I suspected, you're not really interested in the welfare of this little girl, or others like her, she's just an excuse for you to flame other people on a forum.

nomadking · 10-03-2009, 13:03

My problem is not so much with the way the child behaved but the unfair criticism of the teaching assistant.

Osem · 10-03-2009, 13:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

Apparently in all your years you haven't heard of any alternative as you haven't given that alternative.

The reason being that I don't know the girl! Something as simple as a walk around the playground or another acitivity may have done the trick! That's what the assistant and school should have known far better than me.

I have a feeling I know rather more about SEN provision than you ever will.

**Chris** · 10-03-2009, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

My problem is not so much with the way the child behaved but the unfair criticism of the teaching assistant.

And you think that criticism is unfair just because nobody in this thread has explained to you how autistic children should be managed when their behaviour becomes difficult?

How lazy are you planning to be today? If you really gave a smeg you could have googled an encyclopaedia's worth of information by now. The information is out there, and teachers and assistants who know they have an autistic child in their classroom *should* have taken the time to find it and action it.

10-03-2009, 13:05

If schools have children with special needs then they should have staff trained in looking after children with special needs seems simple to me. Then if anything like this happens the child can be removed from the lesson and to the trained staff or if possible the trained staff can come to them. I see no reason why all staff can not be given some training after all they have plenty of teacher training days it seems rediculas to me that they do not cover this

Osem · 10-03-2009, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

If schools have children with special needs then they should have staff trained in looking after children with special needs seems simple to me. Then if anything like this happens the child can be removed from the lesson and to the trained staff or if possible the trained staff can come to them. I see no reason why all staff can not be given some training after all they have plenty of teacher training days it seems rediculas to me that they do not cover this

For obvious reasons getting good staff in the SEN arena is very difficult. It's hard enough ensuring there are enough specialist teachers in special schools and units let alone ensuring that those children in ordinary schools have specially trained staff to assist them. Sad but true. As usual, funding is the major problem.

10-03-2009, 13:10

I am not saying they need to be fully trained but some training would go a long way

nomadking · 10-03-2009, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osem

The reason being that I don't know the girl! Something as simple as a walk around the playground or another acitivity may have done the trick! That's what the assistant and school should have known far better than me.

I have a feeling I know rather more about SEN than you ever will.

May have done the trick? Then placing her in a room may have also done the trick.

If it was something obvious that was upsetting her, it would have been easier to resolve the situation. But it wasn't something obvious and probably only became known long after the event.

Quote:

Melanie-Rose thought she would get into trouble because she had not done her homework and began crying and waving her arms.

Russ · 10-03-2009, 13:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

Then placing her in a room may have also done the trick.

It clearly didn't and the tribunal agreed. You can't argue with facts.

nomadking · 10-03-2009, 13:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

And you think that criticism is unfair just because nobody in this thread has explained to you how autistic children should be managed when their behaviour becomes difficult?

How lazy are you planning to be today? If you really gave a smeg you could have googled an encyclopaedia's worth of information by now. The information is out there, and teachers and assistants who know they have an autistic child in their classroom *should* have taken the time to find it and action it.

Quote:

The tribunal accepted that Mrs Pearson, who remains in her position at the school, acted in good faith,

So provide the links that I have been indeed searching for, but without any luck so far.

Her mother is a supply teacher, so should she have to undergo a week's training for each of the many potential situations prior to teaching in a particular school?

Russ · 10-03-2009, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

So provide the links that I have been indeed searching for, but without any luck so far.

Her mother is a supply teacher, so should she have to undergo a week's training for each of the many potential situations prior to teaching in a particular school?

Ever heard the expression "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"?

Who is talking about 'potential situations'?

A child with special needs was in the class. She had no idea how to deal with special needs. End of.