He doesn't get what he needs...

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Hey all,
I have changed positions in the school district where I work and am noticing some really upsetting things.Not so much from the district but rather from another teacher.

There is student, we will call "Mike". He is 21 and is due to be "aged out"of school this year.
Mike lives in a home, he had to leave his mother when his violent outbursts became too much for her to handle as he got older. Mike is severly low-functioning autism.

He is medicated at the home he stays at, then he comes to school and sleeps constantly. His teacher doesn't do much with any of the kids....let alone Mike. She is content to let him sleep.

This fella is brillant in certain areas, like he can tell you just about any song and it's artist. You can say, for example, Elvis Presley, and he can tell you atleast 6 songs by him. He can also recognize any video simply by looking at it's screen caption before it starts.

Mike can write a little and is somewhat verbal when you ask him to "use his words." He knows how to count and can follow just about any request that you give him like cleaning up his mess after eating etc. He can communicate wants by signing a little too,

I feel upset by this because there is so much wasted potential. Mike could do so much more I think....but they are simply satified with letting him sleep. True, I doubt he will ever be able to go out and hold a job, but he could learn so much more which I am sure would make him feel a lot less stressed.

There's an Aspie who comes in as well, He's very well spoken and for the most part, almost seems NT....he loves to play sports and always plays basketball etc with the other students. He enjoys social interaction. He has a great support team around him while in school.

I know that AS and low functioning are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but if one student gets the proper help in school, should all students?

It's like the more severly impaired get swept under the rug...it's like the closer to NT you are, the more help you'll get.

I don't know what to do. It has been said to myself that I am an aspie and my son is showing subtle signs....so this upsets me and angers me because if my son was in Mike's shoes, I'd be seeing red.

my older sis is a special educator, and she would blow the whistle at letting such a student sleep during schooltime instead of being in educational interaction. all students should get the same resources equally per need. the LFA student you mentioned should be no exception.

I'm not a teacher, and I'd still blow the whistle, at that one.

Unfortunately I think you are correct. Not enough is done to help those on the lower end of the spectrum.

For those who are violent towards themselves or others, lack of funding and resources often means medication is the only way the caregivers have of controlling the situation.

Some of those medications have very strong sedative effects so if this is the case with him, I'm not sure it would do any good to try to force him to interact while he's so sedated.

You might mention your worries to his mother.

Unfortunately I think you are correct. Not enough is done to help those on the lower end of the spectrum.

For those who are violent towards themselves or others, lack of funding and resources often means medication is the only way the caregivers have of controlling the situation.

Some of those medications have very strong sedative effects so if this is the case with him, I'm not sure it would do any good to try to force him to interact while he's so sedated.

You might mention your worries to his mother.

Unfortunately I think you are correct. Not enough is done to help those on the lower end of the spectrum.

For those who are violent towards themselves or others, lack of funding and resources often means medication is the only way the caregivers have of controlling the situation.

Some of those medications have very strong sedative effects so if this is the case with him, I'm not sure it would do any good to try to force him to interact while he's so sedated.

You might mention your worries to his mother.

How about trying this -

NAMI

I've heard great things about this as a resource. I wonder if this might be where you could blow the whistle to.

Your compassion for this student restores my faith in humanity.

Why is he sleeping? Is he sick?

He's 21 yrs old and has lived in a special "home" (think institutional almost) since he began highschool. He became too much for his mother to handle when he became violent. She still interacts with him on holidays and long weekends from what I hear. I feel sad for him. He talks about "going to mommy's house" a lot. He loves his mama, that much I know.

He is on strong meds (which I don't believe is always needed, meds aren't a fix all for "different". I feel meds are used as a first option rather than a last resort.) so you are right, he sleeps all day and then stays up until 4 or 5am, then catches the bus for school, gets there at 8am and goes back asleep until about 1 or 2pm. I'm new there and I already see the wrong doings. I don't like him getting treated this way. He deserves much more than that. If someone doesn't help him, who will?

Sure, he can be difficult at times...but he's a good person. He has feelings and can learn. He's entitled to an education, to be the best that he can.

He is wonderful with me. He is eager to learn and really wants to please. He gives hugs and sings.....there is so much to him, why don't they take the time to see it???Sure, he's on the lower end but I can see intelligence in his eyes. He is so smart when it comes to music and artists...than is a foundation...something to build on...that's not all he can do.

I am going to speak with the superintendent of schools tomorrow, as well as the principal. Let's home they don't fire me over this...but someone needs to speak up for "Mike" for a change. Wish me luck!

I wish you great success at the meeting. I cant imagine them firing you for caring about your student. they should be grateful for your advocacy. Maybe that is why you were hired in the first place- because they needed someone to get certain things done.

This a southern school system...a lot of politics. The teacher I am talking about, has a close family member on the board of Edu. There's a lot of "who you know" mentality there. Still, I hope that no matter what happens, it will open some eyes. It does make me nervous. I am a single mom , so losing my job worries me...but if I don't do what's right, I will be miserable there watching "Mike" like that. Thanks for all the encouraging words everyone.

Can you reframe the problem without reference to the teacher who lets him sleep? He sleeps, possibly it's his meds, skip what other teacher could/should do, you've noticed communicative responses indicating intelligence ... and then say what you'd like them to do - re-evaluate? re-assign?

try a letter board, most non-functioning autistics can communicate by spelling out words on a letter board. think of it as he is completely normal, but just can't speak

I hope that he does get what he needs, very soon. I have my fingers crossed.

So his sleep schedule is completely backwards. He does all his sleeping at school, none at the group home. You know who else wants to see him awake at school? The staff of the group home! So when you go to the superintendent of schools, don't put it all on the teacher and make it all about how she should wake him up. Because it's going to take a lot more than that. It's going to take a co-ordinated joint effort between the school staff and the group home staff to slowly reverse his sleep/wake schedule. So maybe frame this as a health issue as well as an education issue- he is staying up all night at the group home and that's not healthy. If you frame this as "he needs to get back in sync with the rest of the world and we should work together with the group home to make this happen" instead of "he is being robbed of an education by lazy teachers", you will likely get a better response.

Many autistics have circadian rhythm disorders. Treating it as behavioral and trying to force us awake only works for a little bit.