Alrighty, so after my sterling victory with The School The Stuffed Me Around BIG TIME, the principal did a lot of apologising and we arranged a date for a proper trial. He wasn't to be there for very long, he was to meet his new teacher and hang out a bit so they could observe and get to know him.
He didn't want to go but I told him he needed to get back to school and this place was nice, quiet and didn't have too many kids in the classroom and he might feel better with less noise.
He carried on a little, lying on the floor and doing the usual testing of a new persons mettle by ignoring them. He came around quickly when we got the lego out and I breathed a little sigh of relief.
Then it was time to have a look at the current class. The boys were sitting on the floor listening to a story. I warned them he was very anxious about walking into a room full of people so I sat in there first and waited for him to join me. He didn't. He stood at the door for a second until the teacher looked up from the book and said - "Come here and sit on the floor". Quite roughly I might add.
I AGAIN was gobsmacked. Who on earth speaks to a child like that, let alone one you KNOW is nervous? Anything wrong with a smile and "would you like to join us?"
I felt like I was in a different universe there for a second. A stupid universe.
So Cyclone said pfft to that and headed for the door. I told them not to chase him but they did. I called out that he would only do and stand next to the car and wait but the teacher chased him through the carpark and grabbed him. There was no danger, this woman just freaked out. He tried to get away, she gripped him harder so he called her a fucking idiot arsehole. He saves those words up for when he really needs them (like feeling threatened and wants people to rack off).
So that was that. They can't accomodate him as he is too full on. My head is spinning but quickly realising these people have no fucking idea. We talk for a bit and they recommend another school and when I reject that the Principal gives me another option. She calls me every second day to see how I am feeling about it - and frankly feel like I have dodged a bullet.
This is backed up by another super spectrum mumma (through here - thank you oldschoolgeek!), that since advised me nearly every spectrum professional in the known universe is totally against this school for spectrum kids.
Why the hell do they consider themselves the right place for super kids?? I spoke to them at length a few months ago about his behaviour/spectrum/sensory issues and tells me they can certainly help him. How dare they wax lyrical about how they can help when all they are doing is running some sort of military academy. Yeah, smack them back into shape is all they need, right?
I'm angry and sad. Not because we built up to go there, but because it was a complete waste of everyones time. I could have had him sorted somewhere else. Now it's 3 weeks from the end of term and I have to spend days looking for a new school, negotiating him beginning Term 4 and starting the transition process. I could have been doing this weeks and weeks ago.
Just for the sake of it I'm going to mention this again. EARLY INTERVENTION.
All of this could have been avoided if we had help sooner.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
OK, so maybe not THAT school after all *sheesh*
Posted by Lulu at 5:11 AM
Labels: The Present
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6 comments:
Oh Lulu,
That sucks but in others ways it really does appear to be a dodged bullet.
WTG oldschoolgeek for giving Lulu the professonals view on this place.
Good Luck Lulu. I'm so sorry that this is not going to be an easy task for you.
What a pita! Oh, well at least you can move on from there now.
Sending you strength.
Thanks for the shout out. I have found that the psychs/'professionals' who do suggest that school are the types who a) do NOT seem to get that while a quiet, timid very very mild Aspie child might be a better match for that school, it doesn't mean that all Aspie/ASD kids (particularly high anxiety ones) would do well because in fact, kids like mine would be harmed irrepairably; b) strongly oppose homeschooling because "ASD kids need to be in school to learn social skills" (I will smack the next 'expert' who tells me this) and c) shouldn't be practising with ASD kids at all if they think schools like that can help all ASD kids.
When I told the special ed people I knew (they work with ASD kids) about that school and the other one, they said OMG no way, even our psychologist said run a mile.
We need Autism Police so they can go to places like this and make it illegal for them to do what they do the way they do it. how dare that woman talk to Cyclone that way, urgh if she walked in to a room full of strange people and one barked at her to sit down, I doubt she'd choose to obey.
Some of these "professionals" just fuck with your head don't they?
Sounds like a fortunate near miss although it sounds like a triple vodka speedhump.
I hope that Cyclone can find his groove.
Ha, loving the 'triple vodka speedhump' comment - throw some Brie in there, and you'll be set :)
What can I say? Kinda hard to talk while I'm beating my head against the wall for you...
And, you've been spruiked lady :)
I'm just quite appalled at the sort of introduction you had to this school. I teach, albeit at a 'mainstream' school and children who are older than Cyclone, but I can't imagine talking like that to a child I'd just met, regardless of his needs or personality. Not ever. And chasing him, and grabbing him? Wow. It beggars belief.
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