Teaching teachers about AS
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| Wed, 03-01-2006 - 2:16am |
David, 8, has been having lots of ASD moments at school. He has an IEP with stuff like two hours of Resource a week, and weekly "speech" class for conversation skills, but basically no one has a clue about Asperger's. I'm realizing that he NEEDS his teachers to learn about it.
I've gathered together a few things I found on the web that I hope will help the teacher/s understand him a bit. Lately, I feel like he really needs someone there who understands AS.
Does anyone know, is it reasonable for me to expect the school district to provide some training for some of the folks who work with him? For instance, on the OASIS website, there is a schedule of conferences. If his teacher, or the resource teacher...or next year's 3rd grade teacher, went to a 2-day conference (2 hour drive away), that might make a world of difference for David. I'm thinking of mentioning it to the principal, but I thought I'd ask here whether people think that is asking too much...or is it exactly what they are *supposed* to be doing?
What kinds of things have you all done to help your kids' teachers learn about ASDs? Any success stories, or "what not to do"s?
TIA
Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,
I think you might want to spend lots more time at IEP Board here, as what you are asking here is not just a good idea ... it is your RIGHT under national IDEA law. Your son is to have an expert on his disability working on his team. You can most certainly have all his teachers attend training every year. You can write this into IEP for every year. And by law the school district cannot claim to not be able to afford this.
Now, getting the school district to pay for it and make it happen is the trick... Again, it is your right, I have even seen the cl at IEP Board, Steph, post the section of the law where it states this. As I don't have my son mainstreamed, but in privaye special ed schools where training in disability is not an issue, this is not something I have had to deal with. But I lurk at IEP Board, towards the day when we might need to try maintreaming, and when I plan to fight for every single service and accomondation our ds will need in order to be successful.
As there are many others here who have made this work, I expect they can give you more advice.
(((((HUGS))))) and to David, too.
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm
Evelyn,
it sounds very appropriate to me! and for the teachers' benefit these kinds of conferences also count towards continuing education for their teaching cert. so positives all the way around! I agree w/ Sara, maybe ask the question on the IEP board to find out how to go about getting this in his IEP and making it happen.
Betsy
At the beginning of each school year, I provide my son's teachers with a packet of AS information, including articles, checklists, essays, etc., that I've collected over the years. I try and highlight certain characteristics that are particularly Chris-like, and write a cover letter painting a picture of my son.
I also give them a book written specifically for teachers about AS (the author is Matt Winter, the title escapes me right now). We also have a video called ASK ME about Asperger's that Christopher's resource teacher showed at a staff in-service before school started (He's in middle school.)
When he was in grade school, I would often alert his teacher or relevant staff (counselor, social worker, etc.) about upcoming conference on AS and autism. Sometimes they went, sometimes not.
I think you can have staff training written into the IEP.
Elizabeth