Problem with how Autistic boy handled in dd class

[ewe+lamb]

DD has a little autistic boy in her class, and there is always someone there to help 'look after' him, they are not trained or qualified in sn, so I was in the class helping out making things for Christmas fete tomorrow - yes there's even pre-school on a Saturday here, for the most part he was made to sit on the punishment chair for being naughty, now I don't know much about autisim and I should look it up more, but I do know he tends to jump on his class mates not out of aggression but it's a way of showing affection - or that's how I see it. The supervisor pulled him up and dragged him by his arms to sit on the chair . I feel so frustrated by this situation and so disappointed in the class teacher - who is great but I would have thought she might have tried to difuse this and try and guide the supervisor to some other way of explaining things to the little boy, its a state school and I have to send my dd there, as do all the other parents but how do I go about changing the way they treat this little boy? It seems so brutal, I've also seen the mother smack him really hard, I don't really know what I am wanting from this post but I'm not sure that giving them some information would be appreciated, as of course they are in the school and know so much more than me!!

The headmistress already thinks I'm an overprotective mother because I told another mother that I saw her boy being beaten up by three other boys in the playground one lunch time and the headmistress took me aside one afternoon and told me that school is sometimes violent and I had to accept that:

So what would you do in this situation, the little autistic boy isn't going to profit from his time at school if all he does is get told 'no' all the time or to sit in the punishment chair.

Oh so confused ....

[TinkerBelle]

I am the mother of an Autistic boy, so I am just in tears right now. He will never learn if all he knows is being smacked and put in the "naughty" chair.

Is there no special needs classes or schools where you are? (Mind you, I am not being nasty, but I have no knowledge of how things are done in France.) Is there some higher authority you could report these terrible conditions to?

I am just appalled at the mistreatment of that child. I am also appalled at the attitude of the headmistress.

[chaoticzenmom]

As an American mother who lives in France (Orleans) I can so relate. I hate to hear the teachers talking with the children at school! Hate it! I'm also considered an overprotective mother for refusing to make my preschooler return after her lunchbreak. I've heard teachers here call children names while using very shrill voices...over a runny nose once! I volunteer at the school and hang out in the hallways afterwards which is how I hear this stuff.

So, I'm thinking that you're against a whole system, not just one school teacher. I'm not sure you can do anything except let him know that you like him. Maybe you can find some literature for the teacher to read about autism. The teacher cannot be fired, so whether she chooses to help the child or not is really her choice. I also find that parents are hands-off here when it comes to thier children's education and school life. They just accept that the school will teach the children and accept rudeness towards thier children without thinking much about it.

Also, maybe if you go out of your way to let the teacher know how much YOU like the boy, she'll see him differently. I did this with one boy in my English class that I teach with another french mother. I made sure that she knew how much I liked him because she was really horrible and rude to him. Since then, she keeps away from him and lets me handle him instead. He must realize this because he clings to me now and I really wonder if I'm the first adult to like him!

What about you and your daughter? Are you sure you want your daughter in this school? She has the same teacher, right? I think that there are some homeschoolers near you. Is that a possibility? We're leaving in a few months or I would have to seriously consider if keeping my children in a french school would really teach them to be the people I want them to become. Actually, I plan to homeschool in the U.S., so no school system is really good enough for me I guess.

I know it hurts to see this child hurt, but I'm not sure that there is anything you can do. Hopefully somebody else will have more info for you.
Lisa

[ewe+lamb]

I don't think that there are sn schools unless for the seriously sn kids, in general the comprehension is very poor, there are a few sn kids in the school but this has in particular hit a raw nerve with me, but I am VERY wary of making waves as it will follow my child throughout school. We have seriously considered homeschooling, private schools are just out of the question ££ wise so I think I'm still confused and not convinced by the schooling here the only thing we can do is go home!! but then that wont help this little boy. I need to find some links and try and translate them or, find french links any help would be greatly appreciated.

As for the little boy, I go into the class every week to sing with them and I try and communicate with him I say hello to him and certainly get my daughter to do the same we try to get him to join with the other kids encourage the kids to play with him and make him feel included but when he does jump on them he does scare the kids and it's not handled in the way he would make the kids feel more at ease, the culture here in some ways is over protective i.e. have wear shoes, hat, not get cold, too hot etc., but the actual communication is very disrespectful. It's so hard.

Any help ....

[MillingNome]

As a mother of an autistic child, I can not begin to say how detrimental (sp) their treatment of that child is. I know nothing about the school system in France but I must say I can spot unhumane treatment anywhere. The teacher at the very least needs to be educated how to better handle autism in her classroom. And this is not about training. Most moms with sn kids had none prior. This is about being open to how best reach every child so they can reach their full potential. Stories like this stay with me...