Autism and Assessments

Lindsay, Proulx, Scott & Thomson (2014), note that " given the difficulties in the social and emotional understanding of students with ASD, teachers need successful strategies for including children within mainstream classrooms".

How to get professionals and parents on the same page. Advocating for my student in YR.9 with High and Complex Needs. Sitting in the top 10% of the population for cognitive ability.

Parents of children with ASD often report being discontent with educational services and advocate for better services to meet their children’s needs (Lynch and Irvine 2009)

From my work with STUDENT N over the past two years, through Covid, lockdowns, surgery, employment and unemployment and transition to secondary mainstream school, the thing that has been vital is the relationship with mum.

The further through the schooling system this student goes, the more complex the situation becomes. Having strategies to engage a student and welcome them into a learning environment at primary school can be highly effective. Building a positive relationship with the teacher is so much more manageable. At intermediate, although students have to move independently to other curriculum specialist areas and connect with more teachers in those environments, they are fundamentally under the protective umbrella of the key teacher. If that relationship can can established and maintained, we can work on strategies alongside the family to engage Autistic learners.

At secondary school level, this appears to become so much more complex. Schools have an expectation of compliance and engagement. Students are in highly complex social surroundings which are busy, noisy and overwhelming. They need to work and move independently between classes and areas of the school. Making positive connections with teachers is harder due to subject specifications. My on-going, trusting relationship with mum, and in our joint advocating for and on behalf of the student continues to be the core mahi.

N has also done so well, despite the challenges. The strengths and positives to date:

• Some positive connections have been made at school with one Learning Assistant and a few peers

• Weekend social time has started with those peers from school

• Has expressed an interest in getting involved in the school radio station

• RTLB requested a 1:1 Complex Needs support session with our Cluster 7 Ed Psych trained manager for reflection and input. As a result, RTLB re-visited the option of N taking medication with mum.(previously N has refused) and this has re-started with positives being observed almost immediately.

• Following up with school, when at school, N has on occasion been much more engaged and focussed.Head of House indicated that N had participated in P.E in Week 3 of Term 2.

A key aspect of individualization for students with ASD involves approaches for supporting high rates of engagement( Lovannone, Dunlap, Huber, Kincaid, 2003) and N's attendance at school is 47%. N attends lessons approx 50% of the time or less. N's is an extremely complex and gifted student with High Needs. N's family, despite being passionate advocates, also have high and complex needs. School attendance is very irregular, making consistency of engagement challenging.

Student N has been declined Learning Support from the MOE ( behaviour.)

Following discussions with the school SENCo and through liaising with the MOE, it is vital that we provide support for the family (especially mum) to enable N to come to school regularly and consistently.

Assessments and supports for identified Autistic learners who are not thriving in the system?

What are the options?

• IWS application process to proceed. Wk,4 Term 2. 2022

• Refections: It has been difficult to get clarification from the MOE about eligibility criteria. At best, if I can get IWS support, we may be able to access this level of high needs support for two terms, until Year 10.

• Where do families go after Year 10 when young people may be most at risk and entering a significant period of their schooling and education? - the pinnacle of years in the system to enable them to achieve financial independence in their adult life?