I totally feel for you. We've been through problems with schools, mostly in California when our son was young, but now we are kind of going through some problems (not many) with the transition from elementary school to middle school.
I asked how much training in asperger's the middle school teachers get, and I'm under the impression that it is VERY LITTLE. We actually live in a great, highly rated school district, and STILL the teacher training in this particular syndrome is VERY LITTLE. I think they depend on a autism specialist, who we've seen very little of. I don't think the man is terribly effective.
Having said that, I honestly think our teachers, especially, are doing the absolute best they can with the knowledge they have. The trouble is, they don't have that much knowledge about asperger's in particular, because it's a relatively new diagnosis, and they are much better at handling ADHD kids, or kids with low IQ's. Asperger's is particularly perplexing for school staff because it seems as if every kid with Asperger's is so different.
I just feel like I have to be as nice as possible to the school staff (but I don't know how nice I would be in your situation, because you are absolutely right -- the late diagnosis is really a bummer, because early intervention gives you years to work on things) -- I mostly have to be nice because I think that, when I have to come down hard, they will know that I'm not kidding, and I know what I'm talking about. It's kind of a good cop/bad cop way of handling things.
We've been asking that my son be taken off learning support -- he only has had one class in reading, so it's no big deal. We came to the conclusion that he might do well by doing a reading lab instead, so we all compromised. He's not in the sixth grade reading class, which has 25 students, but he is in reading lab, that has 12. We also have pulled him out of speech and OT (at this stage, I don't think it's really necessary), and we are working on the problem that he has with finishing tests in the time frame given to students in the regular ed program.
I think you pick your battles. Decide what's absolutely vital to your son, and don't give on those issues. But try to be as easy-going as you can (which is hard, given the way things have been going). It may pay off later to be as nice as possible now.
Kris
05 Jun 2007, 11:34 am
