| School systems across the country are facing an | | | | how to work with a child with autism. |
| uphill battle. With autism on the rise, school | | | | Furthermore, school systems have not been |
| systems are taking in more and more students | | | | prepared to deal with this inflow of children with |
| who are on the spectrum. Although many | | | | autism. They do not have the resources available |
| systems have trained staff in place, most districts | | | | to provide help, and when they do the cost can |
| are at a loss of what to do and how to handle | | | | be extremely high. When all of these factors |
| the situation. Parents are becoming increasingly | | | | come crashing together, the powder keg is ignited |
| frustrated and in some cases, schools are being | | | | and explodes into difficult, painful and sometimes |
| sued in order for a child to receive proper | | | | litigious situation. |
| therapy. This does not need to be the case if | | | | This situation can be avoided if both school |
| both parents and school staff work together to | | | | system and parent are willing to work together to |
| provide the proper environment. First and | | | | attempt to solve challenges and celebrate |
| foremost, a school is not a place for a parent to | | | | successes. This means understanding each others |
| drop off their child to be babysat, especially if that | | | | language and communicating to each other about |
| child has special needs. A school is a place for | | | | the child. Parents know their child best and also |
| learning, social skills building as well as a place to | | | | spend the most time with them. The know if |
| learn life skills. Many parents of children with | | | | their child has had a bad day or if they did not eat |
| special needs put an enormous burden on a school | | | | a good breakfast. They also know what works |
| to provide everything their child needs without | | | | will with their children and what reinforces them. |
| providing any support. The reality is, if this | | | | All of this is knowledge that a teacher needs to |
| happens, the child will fail and nobody wins. | | | | know on a daily, weekly or quarterly basis. When |
| The key to having success in school for a child | | | | a parent contacts a teacher and tells them about |
| with autism is to form a team mentality with the | | | | a negative or positive situation that happened at |
| school and its staff. Take time to work together | | | | home, a teacher can either be prepared to |
| to create the environment to best suit the child, | | | | counter act a behavior or praise and celebrate an |
| not the parents or the schools best interests. In | | | | accomplishment. It is also extremely important for |
| order to do this, both sides need to be on the | | | | a school to be as open as possible. |
| same page, speak the same language and | | | | A school needs to develop a plan to over |
| understand where each other is coming from. | | | | communicate with a parent and let them know all |
| Raising a child with autism can be a daunting task. | | | | that is going on, so that both sides can work |
| Parents of children with autism are frequently | | | | together to solve problems or reinforce positive |
| exhausted. A large number of children with autism | | | | actions. Finally, the school and the parent need to |
| stay up all night and finally fall asleep at 4 or 5 in | | | | be trained on how to work with children with |
| the morning. Parents are working long hours and | | | | autism. School systems need to have training in |
| then have to come home to take care of a child | | | | place not only for their Special Education |
| who may have numerous challenges. Parents | | | | Department, but also for their para professionals, |
| have spent every penny they have on therapy, | | | | and general education staff. Each person in this |
| and are reaching out for help in the best way | | | | child's life needs to know how to work on bad |
| they know how. Many times that way is to drop | | | | behaviors and reinforce positive behaviors. They |
| them off at school in hopes that by the end of | | | | need to be proactive, not reactive in their |
| that day their child as progressed in some way. | | | | teaching to develop their student to the fullest |
| At the same time teachers are attempting to | | | | potential. Parents need to be trained so that they |
| work with every child in their class both typical | | | | can take what was learned at school and help |
| and special needs to help them learn. Each child | | | | develop skills and work on behaviors. When both |
| has their own challenge, but the addition of a child | | | | sides have open communication, are realistic about |
| with autism can make a teachers day much more | | | | a child's goals and work together the child with |
| difficult, especially if that teacher does not know | | | | autism has a much better chance of success. |