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Educ8er
Emu Egg
Joined: Sep 10, 2008
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:19 am Post subject: One-on-One Assistant in School?? |
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Does anybody have any experience going through school with an aide or assistant?? Did it help or hinder?? Is there a time when that assistance should be faded out?? I'd love to hear the thoughts of those who have been there.
I am an educator who is trying to advocate for an aspie student and I want to get as much real information as I can.
Thanks for the help. When in question, always go to the experts!! |
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schleppenheimer
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 970
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:51 am Post subject: |
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I have real opinions on this one!
We lived in California, in a district where they WOULD NOT give a one-on-one assistant in a regular classroom for our son -- but they WOULD put him in a special needs classroom with 15 kids, all with different special needs. Before his first grade year, we MOVED back to Pennsylvania (where we had come from) and were able to get all sorts of help that we couldn't get in California.
Our son had a one-on-one aide in first grade. He desperately needed this help, and at this age, the kids in his class didn't really notice anything unusual. He needed the direction to stay on task, to know where he was supposed to go, to clean up his space, and to pack his backpack.
In second grade, he had aides (multiple) who would help depending upon the class he was in. He did NOT have an aide in his main class, but basically a different aide with each class where it was necessary. This way, he didn't become dependent upon one aide, and he could get used to a number of different people helping while we were basically getting ready to ease him off of aides.
In third grade, he had fewer aides.
In fourth grade, the aides were completely pulled. He may have had help every once in a while, but not much. It was the same in fifth grade.
In sixth grade, they provided aides for the first week or so. This was a nice idea in theory, but not a good idea for him, because it caused more confusion than providing help. Also, I am under the impression that having an aide at this stage, for him, was more of a negative stigma -- making him appear more handicapped. He is not handicapped -- he just has areas where he sometimes needs more understanding than other children.
He is now in seventh grade, and this is the first year where he has all regular ed classes. He is really doing well, and I think that this is due partially to maturity, and partially to the fact that we incrementally got him used to independence and NOT needing support. The school would rather give him lots of support, because that's how they've done things for years. But he cannot have support forever, so we needed to get him used to enjoying independence. He loves this independence, and has really stepped up to the plate in keeping track of things, working on homework, etc. He periodically has problems, but they seem to be manageable and minor.
I don't know if this type of aide "schedule" is doable with all kids, but it sure worked with my son. Other kids may need more support, while some may need less. But I totally believe in diminishing support for children as soon as it is possible, so that they can gain independence as soon as possible.
Kris |
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roygerdodger
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 16, 2006
Age: 17
Posts: 1156
Location: High Point, NC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject: Re: One-on-One Assistant in School?? |
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| Educ8er wrote: | Does anybody have any experience going through school with an aide or assistant?? Did it help or hinder?? Is there a time when that assistance should be faded out?? I'd love to hear the thoughts of those who have been there.
I am an educator who is trying to advocate for an aspie student and I want to get as much real information as I can.
Thanks for the help. When in question, always go to the experts!! |
At my school, we do, but they're sometimes get annoying after a while. (what do they think I am, mentally retarded?)
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jimmister
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Oct 05, 2008
Posts: 25
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject: Re: One-on-One Assistant in School?? |
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| Educ8er wrote: | Does anybody have any experience going through school with an aide or assistant?? Did it help or hinder?? Is there a time when that assistance should be faded out?? I'd love to hear the thoughts of those who have been there.
I am an educator who is trying to advocate for an aspie student and I want to get as much real information as I can.
Thanks for the help. When in question, always go to the experts!! |
Yeah, once. Right now, I only have an aid from 7:15 until 10:40 am. |
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earthmonkey
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 06, 2005
Age: 18
Posts: 509
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| Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:31 am Post subject: |
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I didn't technically have an aide under 504 or IEP or anything, but when I was in younger grades I often had my dad with me, helping me understand what was going on and what to do, such as when we had art projects and when we went to the computer lab to learn counting monetary units.
This was maybe a year or so, and I was pretty clearly autistic but nobody really noticed anything beyond unspecified "attention issues", so I wasn't diagnosed until fourth grade. But it really did help me focus when he was there, as opposed to when he wasn't there.
I think I should've had more assistance, for longer, since the extent of my difficulties was not acknowledged for a very long time (high school), then phased out maybe in late elementary school. I really didn't understand what was going on most the time, and would literally spend half the day staring at the ceiling or sorting beads and not getting work done, because I didn't understand or I got distracted.
Fortunately for stuff like spelling and math, I studied on my own and excelled such as teaching myself differential calculus at age 10 (though rarely completed assignments), which is how I managed to get through school, but I remember when I was 7, and I just didn't understand phonics at all.
I had to learn how to read by associating the pronunciation of each word with the shape of the corresponding word, each one individually, because phonics just didn't work for me. It wasn't until I was about 11 and I was tutoring an 8-year-old ESL student, and I bought her some phonics cards, that I started to learn phonics myself! (But I had always been described as an exceptional reader, so my alternate method had worked for my very visual ways.)
_________________
"Public transportation is for jerks and lesbians." --Homer Simpson
"why is it bad for me to discuss why I need the lights off above my desk but it is ok for you to tell me you had a camera shoved up your a#$?" --an aspie coming out |
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parisisburning
Butterfly
Joined: Nov 02, 2008
Age: 15
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:10 am Post subject: |
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I don't have an aide, but I sit next to a more autistic girl in some of my lessons and her aide sort of unofficially helps me with things and reminds me to do stuff. At my school they're called Learning Support Assistants though. I think it's so you can be all mysterious and vague and say, "I have an LSA," if you're uncomfortable about the fact you get help and don't want to spell it out to people.
How do the other pupils in your lessons react to the aides? In mine they keep saying things like, 'What do you have to do to get an LSA?" and I'm never sure what to say to that... |
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Orwell
Outer Party Member
Joined: Aug 09, 2007
Age: 19
Posts: 4243
Location: Room 101
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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I had a one-on-one aid in elementary school through my IEP, but I don't really remember much about it.
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WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH |
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DeLoreanDude
Nemesis of HD3H
Joined: Oct 11, 2008
Age: 14
Posts: 1100
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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I had someone helping me in lessons I find hard, I didnt mind that much. These days I only have one for maths but he is never really there... Stupid crap school.
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"When will mankind learn all humans are equally inferior to robots" -Bender
If ya want my MSN, AIM etc. PM me for it!  |
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deliar
Emu Egg
Joined: Nov 05, 2008
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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| My son was diagnosed Aspergers at six and had one to one support in mainstream class for twenty five hours from age seven. Had two LSA's one morning one sfternoon right through years 3 -6. When went to secondary school (year 7) had one support worker in minstream class. Still entitled to one to one but now in year 11 and decides himself when he is struggling and needs help. Does not need to use support very often because knows teachers routines etc so now more independent. Doing very well academically which he could not have done without support and has ambitions to become a lawyer. Was never directly bullied about having support because often while he was priority she would give other kids a hand if they were struggling so she was seen as a class asset. Will probably need to increase support again when moves on to next stage of education until gets used to routines and teachers get used to him but this is ok. For some reason he is a very confident young man with good self esteem so his limitations do not bother him he has no problem admiting he needs help |
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Corydaman93
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Oct 13, 2008
Age: 15
Posts: 181
Location: Oakville, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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I always had an EA(Educational Assistant) with me in elementary, now in highschool, I am in a locally developed program so there are still EA's in the room, but they are not withdrawal(Just for me), they are resource(For anybody who needs help.)
Most were pretty good, while others got on my nerves on an almost daily basis.
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PLEASE CURE IGNORANCE! Life is just not getting any better with ignorance around. |
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Mosse
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 23, 2008
Posts: 793
Location: In a cemetery, getting to know them before I join, forever...
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: One-on-One Assistant in School?? |
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| Educ8er wrote: | Does anybody have any experience going through school with an aide or assistant?? Did it help or hinder?? Is there a time when that assistance should be faded out?? I'd love to hear the thoughts of those who have been there.
I am an educator who is trying to advocate for an aspie student and I want to get as much real information as I can.
Thanks for the help. When in question, always go to the experts!! |
Hinders like hell. It totally destroys whatever social life (s)he have, and (s)he'll end up stuck with the rejects groups or on his/her own. The only time to have them would be... never.
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Formerly a use to society.
Formerly worth living.
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Corydaman93
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Oct 13, 2008
Age: 15
Posts: 181
Location: Oakville, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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In my junior elementary years(Gr 4, 5, 6) I thought that having one on one assistance was the reason why I rarely have any friends, because I wasn't totally aware of my AS back then.
One advantage of having one on one assistance is that classmates may understand your needs a little bit better, they are less likely to consider you as "retarded", they'll consider you being more special, and some NT's would ask me for high fives on a regular basis as if they thought I was severely autistic or whatever.
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PLEASE CURE IGNORANCE! Life is just not getting any better with ignorance around. |
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