I’ve had moments over the past few years when I’ve been VERY frustrated with school personnel over various issues to do with my daughter’s IEP. More recently, perhaps as a result of my own progress as a parent advocate, these moments are less frequent. It is still never easy to approach a PPT meeting without a me versus them attitude.
I have a friend who is known to be an outstanding educator in her district–one of the best. She is a 2nd grade, general education teacher. She also has 2 autistic children in her class this year. I know first hand how dedicated she is to her profession, but she is frustrated. And, I can’t blame her. She said these two students were placed in her classroom because of the administration’s belief that she would be the most capable of the 2nd grade team of teachers in her school to ‘handle’ autism. Hmmmmm….handle autism……? Obviously, the principal doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. Too late. Too late for the kids. Too late for my friend.
Through tears, she told me about how excited she was at the beginning of the year. She spent hours on the internet, searching behavior strategies for autism, teaching students with aspergers, teaching social skills in school ….and more. She came to school each day, armed with an all new strategy to teach these kids with autism. No aide. No curriculum. No help. Just…..handle.
Last week, the principal decided to send a special ed aide from another class (assigned to a child with Down’s syndrome) to ‘handle’ the situation. When I asked my friend what the aide might know about autism, she said, ‘nothing.’ So, it won’t surprise you to know that her ’strategy’ was to put one of the autistic students, a boy, into the teacher’s supply closet when he became agitated.
To my friend’s credit, she refused to allow this and has determined that she, and these two boys she so desperately wants to help, are better off in her classroom without the help of anyone else.
My question…..where are these boys parents? Where is the principal? Where is the legislation? What must this come to? How many more teachers will be left with no training, no budget, no solutions? How many more children will pay a life long price for senseless irresponsibility?
I know there are some success stories out there. Hat’s off to cutting-edged administrators whose vision, common sense, and denial of the status quo have won out. We need more of you!
