Hello to everyone.
I am not a teacher but the mother of a 5 year old boy with undiagnosed Aspergers syndrome amongst other undiagnosed conditions.Kian (my son) Started school in September last year, in a mainstream.
Although the head teacher was well informed of Kians conditions, i.e. she had all the reports from various psychologists including a team from Guys hospital, she failed to include him in the school. Kian is gifted with a high IQ but still has complex needs. He is unable to use a public toilet and will only empty his bowels into a nappy. There is no physical reason for this, only psychological but the problem is real none the less. The head refused to allow Kian to wear a nappy or even to have one put on him during the day in order that he could have a wee. I have an 11 yr old daughter at the same school and suggested she could put a nappy on him for lunchtime as the reason given was their was not enough staff to deal with it. She refused this suggestion and after many meetings and Kian being sent home every afternoon, we felt we had to take things further and obtained a copy of the disability discrimination act and went along to yet another meeting. this resulted in the head and an LEA rep deciding on a plan to let Kian go to school with a nappy on but he would have to change himself at lunchtime into a pull up. Anyone who knows anything about Aspergers syndrome should know that sufferers do not like anything new. Kian had never worn pull ups and would not even look at them let alone put one on. We decided to home educate him after 4 weeks, in which time he didn't spend one whole day at school. After de-registering him the head called me to see her and informed me she was "referring" me to social services, for what reason I or the social worker who visited do not know.
While Kian was at school and with the teachers fully aware of his needs and his giftedness, they insisted on teaching him at reception level. Kian knew the 49 words that a child needs to know at the end of reception, he knew all letters, sounds and names and was able to read at a beginners level. The school were "teaching" him letters and sending him home with books without words. I was assured before he started that he would be educated to his ability. Kian found school extremely boring and stressful. The consequences of this were that he started to self harm. He chewed his fingers until he had blisters and started stammering. He also woke in the night screaming that he wanted to go home. This was after just 4 weeks, I dread to think what he would be like now.
I know there was a boy at the school with cerebral palsy who needed his nappy changing so the facilities were built onto the school to do it. I believe that because Kians disability was invisible he was not treated fairly.
Is this what you mean by inclusion? I am not attacking anyone here I am just interested in your opinions. Why do schools not see that special needs are not always visible or obvious and that they also include children who need a higher level of education than the norm. SEN can be at both ends of intelligence.
