Sensory Breaks and An Inclusive Ethos.
With children knowing school holidays are looming with class parties and the much encouraged by the schools stage performances you may find your little one starts to exhibit some anxiety.
As you may know I’m a home educator and I will tell you why.
In schools I have found that many of our children are not supported when they need it most, at lunch time and in the playground. Our children struggle socially and are often left out or bullied.
Add then the anxiety of having to perform on stage in front of a packed hall and be it Christmas cards or other types of parties, you then have veritable melting pot of worries. Will they receive as many cards as the most popular kid in the class? Will they make a mistake on stage?
These things panic and bother our children to the point of night terrors and diarrhoea attacks.
If your child does want to do the Christmas performance then all well and good but please if they do not do not feel under pressure to make them do it.
Some schools are great and if you have a school that is doing well for your child on ECHP/I.E.P and is following it more power to you.
At the least they should be offering sensory breaks and allowing your child to leave class and go to a designated quiet area if they become overwhelmed.
The best ECHP I have seen implemented sensory play and allowed time in a specially purchased by the school dark den complete with lights and stimm toys. Those schools are rare.
Your child may need support eating their lunch and prompting to use cutlery and not rush.
They may need support to join in a game and participate with help if they get frustrated by the rules.
But if your child seems anxiety ridden ask them what they are worried about, if they have trouble verbally telling you give them paper and pens/pencils and let them draw or write it.
Role play with them with dolls, a lot can come out in play.
Children with autism may not know to tell you that their teacher is unpleasant to them or a child has bullied them, they may just accept it and believe its how school is meant to be.
You have to ask specific questions and draw it out if its there or you may never know.
My son assumed I knew he was being bullied and melted down every morning and after school. I never knew why and when I found out I withdrew him.
Also I found that with schools the generalised education and academic gain is one size fits all. If your child is falling behind and having trouble understanding or keeping up they must provide extra help or they are not being inclusive.
You may find homework causes anxiety. Many spectrum kids have trouble transitioning what they primarily see as school work to home. You can ask that homework be stopped, its your right as a parent to do so.
You can also de register your child from the school and home educate them if need be.
Your child needs faith,love and encouragement.
If you see your child crumbling seriously consider an urgent team around the child meeting, look for another school or remove them.
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