Resign yourself to pulling teeth, because administrators don't get hired to be accommodating, they're hired to make the school profitable, these days. Special programs cost money, and that's an administrator's #1 variable.
However, I would say, learn as much as you can about Autism, which you're probably already doing.
Create a list of challenges/challenging behaviors. Then take some time to bring out a positive attribute from each. All too often, we get bogged down by the negative, that the bright side is dulled from our awareness.
I teach at a military Child Development Center. I have a few kids who are likely on the spectrum, but whose parents are too worried about the impact of a child with official Special Needs to seek out the early intervention that could render their lives easier down the line. I feel for these kids, have been undiagnosed and thrown under the bus so much for my behaviors for 25 years.
So I work with my fellow teachers to create an environment of understanding and inclusion, despite having no official 'qualified' intervention. We've had much success, just in my brief discussion with other teachers about WHY a child behaves in a certain way, and how we can acknowledge the child's attempts of communication.
I think the more you know your son's triggers, the reasons for his behaviors, good and challenging, the better you'll be able to communicate with the front-line teachers who will do more to help your child than any administrator could ever mandate.
It's all about getting teachers to use their kids to teach the other kids about social understanding. Doing small things to make an autistic child feel like part of the community really makes a huge difference.
As far as test-taking and such, I wouldn't stress too much about such details that do little to improve circumstances. Usually, tests don't count significantly toward a final grade. So if he does well on the 80% that contributes to his final grade, and not so well on the remaining 20%, then that's where the effort should go.
That 80/20 rule has helped improve my quality of life immensely. It reduces frustration by making a bit of failure acceptable, which is only realistic.
So put in most of the effort on the 20% of work that will result in 80% of the success, and only worry about the other more tedious the it's when truly necessary, like if a certain test is absolutely required for progression, like a Constitution test, or something.
TL;DR: talk to teachers, not admins, about bringing out the positive in your son. Let him know that failure is an inevitable part of success, but he can concentrate on the things he's good at to make up for it.
I wish you and your son the best!
19 Feb 2015, 2:26 pm
