Our school district has a "structured" assumption...if someone with ASD is having problems in our school (a parent participation, project based, developmental one), then its because they need more structure, not services. So, in one case (not my kid) a child got denied an aide at our school and instead got moved to a more structured school, on the assumption that all he needed was more structure. Needless to say, it was worse there, and he got an aide. Shame they had to rip him away to another school to determine that our teachers suggestion of an aide was correct.
Our K teacher stressed that ours needed a *predictable and flexible* environment, not a structured one, and in the last few years I've seen how right she is. He has the same need for control over his environment as yours does, and if he were put in a structured environment he would lose all sense of control and this kid who is doing 90% great at school and needs no school services would suddenly be a problem student.
I'm stressed about the "structured" assumption as we contemplate getting ASD kid #2 into the system, with a similar desire for a "predictable but flexible" option....thinking about how to avoid the insistance upon structure by the district. She's likely to need services, so we're going to be more dependant on the district this time around.
(we also serve desert with the dinner, so they can eat it first, and hats and coats only appear if the kids determine it is cold out. the little old chinese lady was mostly miffed over the pacifier at 3.5 years old.)
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branchandroot
structured vs. predictable
Date: 2011-06-15 05:39 pm (UTC)Our school district has a "structured" assumption...if someone with ASD is having problems in our school (a parent participation, project based, developmental one), then its because they need more structure, not services. So, in one case (not my kid) a child got denied an aide at our school and instead got moved to a more structured school, on the assumption that all he needed was more structure. Needless to say, it was worse there, and he got an aide. Shame they had to rip him away to another school to determine that our teachers suggestion of an aide was correct.
Our K teacher stressed that ours needed a *predictable and flexible* environment, not a structured one, and in the last few years I've seen how right she is. He has the same need for control over his environment as yours does, and if he were put in a structured environment he would lose all sense of control and this kid who is doing 90% great at school and needs no school services would suddenly be a problem student.
I'm stressed about the "structured" assumption as we contemplate getting ASD kid #2 into the system, with a similar desire for a "predictable but flexible" option....thinking about how to avoid the insistance upon structure by the district. She's likely to need services, so we're going to be more dependant on the district this time around.
(we also serve desert with the dinner, so they can eat it first, and hats and coats only appear if the kids determine it is cold out. the little old chinese lady was mostly miffed over the pacifier at 3.5 years old.)