info for teacher what to include

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hey there
my son will be going to kindergarten next year adn i'd like to give his teacher a sheet or two of info as to how to understand and handle my son when he's there. i figure the more info she has the better she can adapt to it. i spoke with her today and she seemed willing to sit downand talk with me and said that an info sheet would likely be helpful in september when he starts.

my question is what should i include.

basically i want a general aspergers 101 that is maybe 2-3 sheets max and with in that i can add specific examples from my son or from others.

so from those of you with your kids alreadyin school and those of you that have gone through the first of full days at school what is important to know before starting and while transitioning into full day structured school.
what have teachers done that really helped or really harmed?

as i am fairly new to the whole AS thing and new to the whole school thing i really don't know and am looking to those with expereince or those with as who can tell me what worked or didn't for them.

thanks

Based on what I've done with teachers, I would make the info sheet reasonably brief and just list the main traits that your child is likely to exhibit. If you make it too long they are less likely to pay as much attention (information overload). Have a meeting with them and go through each point, and do your explanations. Some things might be: difficulty with eye contact; lack of social skills; need for routine or to be prepared for changes; may struggle with auditory instructions and need to see them visibly; sensory issues; meltdowns. Personalise it to your child.

At your meeting I would:
1) Ensure they understand something of AS as it relates to the autism spectrum eg. high-functioning/low-functioning, including your childs strengths.
2) Go through your list.
3) Make sure they understand the process of meltdowns so that they don't treat it as "NT naughtiness". The crucial thing is that teachers understand that, most of the time, meltdowns occur because of sensory overload or something in the environment stressing them, and your child requires time to "re-group" before they can bring any rationalisation to the situation. If the teacher doesn't get this, they will just treat them as though they're being naughty, confront and make demands of them, and make the whole situation worse. Give them some tips about things that have worked for you to get your child out of a meltdown (if there are any!).

It may also help to have a meeting about 6-8 weeks after your child has started, to allow some more dialogue. By this stage the teachers should have picked up on issues/differences, and you may be able to give them some extra insights.

Oh, well. That's my 50c worth. All the best.

Great topic. We have our first big post dx meeting with the school on Monday. We will be meeting with the 2 resource teachers, principal, guidance counsellor and 2 teachers for next school year. I figure that with this many people in the room there is no way that I am going to be able to keep my thoughts organized and be intelligible, so I was also going to make up information booklets about my sons, Aspergers and allergies. All of the allergy stuff is old hat for me, but I feel like I am so new to Aspergers that I don't know exactly what is important to include, without overloading them with info, and was going to come on WP and ask for help. But since Mom2bax has already asked the same question, I'll just keep an eye on this thread (if that's OK?).

I think the point of not treating meltdowns like NT naughtiness was really important. Would you also include something about how vulnerable aspie kids are to bullying? I wanted my sons being watched and protected by the adults around them as much as possible.

Oh, yeah, definitely! I probably forgot about that one, but then it wasn't such an issue with kindergarten. It's not just the bullying, it's also that our kids don't naturally have the verbal skills to defend themselves. Hacks me off when my kid gets in trouble for punching someone, when it is only a reaction to a verbal taunt. The teachers are now on to the other kids a lot more.

If you are new to Aspergers, then I'd also recommend reading something like "Aspergers Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals" by Tony Atwood, as it will help you to pick up that main traits of AS, and also probably some other traits that are evident in your child that you didn't know of.

Can you take him to meet his new teacher/s a few times in advance, show him his new class room, where the toilets are etc.

Lots of visual aids, visual schedules (use pics if they have to)
A special place for him when things get to much, eg maybe a bean bag or book corner etc, let him know that he can use this space when he needs it.
Extra time to finish work, shortened work sheets.
Frequent breaks.
The inclusion of his special interests.
A buddy system for when he is in the yard at break times.
A quiet spot that he knows about if he needs it for break times.
The teacher needs to check in with him frequently, to see how he is doing/ make sure he understands what has been asked of him. Especially after break times maybe she could ask him what he did during lunch break (this way she may be able to find out if he was getting picked on or if he was lonely etc) This will also teach him that he can talk to the teachers.
A communication book and email address for you and the school.
She needs to know to listen to him, these kids don't generally lie, they do mix things up but these are honest mistakes
Lots of praise.

I can't think of any more at the moment. These are things I would like to happen at my son's school, sadly they don't . Good luck, hope this is what you wanted.