Blaming Autistic Children & Sending Them Home

On Sunday I commented on the tendency of schools in the UK and in NB to blame autistic school children for being autistic; for characterizing their autistic behavior as disciplinary issues when in fact it can be behavior resulting from ultra sensitivity to environmental stimuli such as noisy busy classes. Autistic students including higher functioning students diagnosed with Asperger's are often dumped in the classroom with educators who do not understand autism or autistic behavior. These otherwise well intentioned educators often do not understand what can cause problems for students with autism or Aspergers. They blame the student when problems occur and reoccur. They seldom look for flexible placements, combinations of time in and out of the mainstream classroom for example, and instead insist that it is either the classroom or home schooling. They also provide tutors at home who do not have autism specific training as to either interventions appropriate for educating autistic persons or an understanding of autism itself to assist in preventing problems from arising. The result? In the last 36 hours I have received 2 phone calls from different areas of NB from parents whose children with Aspergers have been sent home by local schools and districts. Sometimes it seems as though we simply can not make any headway. We have to keep trying though, keep hoping that good will exists and that persistence in educating the educators will help them understand our children.