Just Literature discussion

Thanks for this poem, Ambra.

A much more relevant and accurate description of Autism, and I always read the word 'different' as both a fact and a compliment (too much has been done to give the word a negative connotation) than, for example, a lecture by a luminary, a Professor in a very prestigious university, on autism, where I almost walked out: he was trying to see autism from statistics and (misinterpreted and incorrect) data, and there was no real attempt to see the world from an autistic point of view. I almost interrupted him when he said that autistic people can't see patterns, I wanted to say, 'No, you idiot, they see different patterns!'

On the theme of autism, in the UK, I fought a long battle (with no results, but worth fighting) with examination boards. We talk about equality and equal opportunities all the time, yet students with AEL (additional educational needs) are simply given extra time (some time s a scribe) in exams. That's not what they bloody need! To start with they need exams that put questions that suit their way of analysing the world, second, experienced markers who understand the way they express themselves. But in a data driven world 25% extra time (that in many cases turns out to be simply 25% extra stress) equals equality.

I agree, Ambra... Having taught in secondary schools, and having tried to teach pupils with AEL (sometimes, far too often, failing dismally), I will never forget the feeling of having failed them teachers have on a daily basis, when you go to bed and you realise, again and again, that you are simply not equipped in a mainstream school to support them, but, although you may try to rationalise the experience, and look at how the context is wrong for them, how the government (with that dismally failing policy of 'inclusion at all costs' which, even if I am ready to concede that it might have arisen from good intentions - or at least populist ideologically and artificially created policies to hide the real reasons behind it: cost-cutting, which we can see as having the pale resemblance of a shadow of a good intention - which most times turns out to be 'exclusion within four walls') have insulted the meaning of the word 'equality' with their games, by pretending that being in the same room is 'equality' (what's happened to equal opportunities, I wonder...they have become 'equal geographic location', or even worse, as pupils are now numbers in the eyes of the government...'equal coordinates'...), despite trying to imagine new ways of being six people at the same time, despite working one hundred hour weeks (as a norm!)... a teacher is left with the feeling that s/he is failing these students on a regular basis... How soul-destroying... Watching these kids accept a situation where they know quite well they can only receive minimal support... Day after day after day after bloody day: their eyes meet yours in a sea of impotence in class, in over-crowded classrooms, in noisy corridors where they don't want to be, on the pages of textbooks that pretent to be AEL friendly just because they have a few pictures in them or, even worse, because they cut the story short and spare both pupils and teachers the pain of failure by putting answers at the back...

Hi Adriano. I work as an entertainer and teacher to the institutionalized elderly. I am often discouraged by my low salary but I do see positive results to my efforts. Too bad teachers are not put in a position to see results from their efforts. What has happened?

I don't think people should juge my sister is autistic and if people have a problem with that take it up with me people with autism have to work harder to read walk talk every thing we will never know what is like to be them they r fighters and survivors and I love them all

Hello Jane,

I had a few positive results in my career too, by my standards though, and I'm sure by yours too, even one too few is painful. Here in the UK, secondary teachers can earn a pretty good salary (and mine way very high), but the emotional stress of seeing children slipping through the net, despite all your efforts, is just horrible. The changes in education in the last fifteen years, which I think Ambra will confirm, mean that more and more children with autism or other AEN have been left with less and less support. I don't know how it is in the US, but when you have twenty children in front of you, sometimes put together with no real idea of who they are (here, they are streamed by achievement, while I always argued they should be settled by learning styles and needs, not by grades that mean bugger all), means that you want, you desperately want, to give more support to them, but there are only sixty minutes in an hour. There are specialist teachers and schools, but they cost an awful lot, so the government has taken the excuse of inclusion to cut down on them... You have to fight amazing battles with the authorities to allow these children access to the right resources, teachers and environment for them.

There are those moments when you see you are making a difference and they are wonderful, but far too often the system works against you and them rather than in favour.

Exams then, as Ambra was pointing out, are really not made with AEL children in mind... That gives them twice (or more) the stress than other children and they often end up with poor grades, not because they have not worked hard, but because the exam questions are written in a way that doesn't suit them, and they often end up feeling that they have 'failed', while it's the exam system that has failed them... And there's only so much you can tell them that you are still proud of them (and I am sure you as a teacher know you are honestly proud of them, you know how hard their journey has been, you know how much they've ad to fight to get there), but you can't change the fact that that stupid, often irrelevant grade that has nothing to do with the person you have worked with, that number or letter will stick with them for life... It's just not on...

Not to a talk about the bullying that sometimes goes on in schools, even 'teasing' day after day after day can be a very depressing experience for a child...

Hello Cayla,

You are 100% right: lots of people can't see that, or don't want to see that... Judging... You say the word that has been bugging me for some time... People judge all the time. Because they have nothing better to do... Judge... People are very quick at judging... Aaargh! They don't try to understand, they don't bother to help or at least have some sympathy, instead they waste their energies judging... Keep sticking up for your sister. And, if it helps, you can tell them what my Mum always told me as a child... 'The best breakfast is always a cup of your own [insert word as you please] business.' I used to use this sentence fairly frequently when I was a teacher, I must say in some classes it became a motto, and students who had worked it out, then sometimes stepped in to give support to those who others pick on, sometimes just the words, 'a cup' from a mate could be quite effective, or I have seen children pretending to pour 'a cup' to the ones who had made a nasty comment...
Ade

I agree but I do wish people wouldn't and just try to see it another way

There is just so much one person can do. According to Hilary Clinton (think it was originally an African expression) it takes a village to raise a child. How can you all get help? Maybe internships with college students in education to provide individualized help?

There is a 'tradition' in the UK when it comes to education: the government of the day think they know it all, and they never listen to students and teachers... There are specialist AEN teachers, but they are particularly 'expensive', that's why the cut down... Individual help... We have teaching assistants, but even these are being reduced and they were never enough to start with... I have seen some of them do wonders with AEN pupils, but their salaries are so low that they often move on after a year or two...

I wish we had someone with one percent of Hillary Clinton's mind and vision as education secretary in the UK... Fat chance... The late one was a sort of glove puppet stuffed with useless data and statistics...