What's Your Opinion? Building A "Dream School" for Children with Autism
Two grandmothers—Gillian Hutton, a former headteacher at Foresters Primary School, and Vail Sale, a former speech and language therapist—-have mortgaged their own homes to open an independent school for autistic children in Tadworth, in the UK. As described in today’s Surrey Mirror, Hutton and Sale founded the school, Papillon House, on seeing the lack of placements for autistic children who cannot be mainstreamed and who needed a school tailored to their learning needs. While the article does not clearly refer to what kind of teaching methodology that the school will use, the new school is said to have “state-of-the-art equipment [that] is designed to help the children”: This is described as a “mood room where a child can calm down” and also a “sensory theatre, soft play area and a brain gym.”In reading this blog post, I immediately zeroed in on the new school's lack of actual teaching methodology! I've seen it far too often: private schools for autistic children set up with a focus, not on actual learning or discovery, but on social skill development... sensory integration... and virtually no academic content. In fact, my most recent Google search for "autism education" turned up a whole set of programs intended to get across social and life skills - but very few programs intended to actually educate.If you had the resources, would you start a private school for your child and other autistic children? What kind of school would it be? Or would you prefer to work with your school system and work on options with the district?
Many children with autism do need a calm, structured space in which to learn, along with small classes and multi-sensory teaching tools. But the tools are not the end product: they're a means to an end. And for children with autism, as with typical children, the desired end is learning, discovery, and preparation for adult life. After all, high-tech sensory stimulation and calming is all well and good - but unless it's going to be recreated at home and in the wide world, I'm not sure what purpose it serves except to keep kids occupied and contented.
In answer to Kristina's question, then, I think I would like to create a "dream" school for children with autism. But rather than segregating children with autism in a high tech sensory chamber, I would focus my money and energy on the goal of helping each child to reach his fullest potential - academically and in the real world. I'd build community relationships so that my students could start, as young as possible, learning skills for jobs about which they feel passionate. I'd think about "transition to adulthood" from the earliest days - and I'd insist on family and community involvement every step of the way.
What do you think? Does my "dream school" resonate with you? Or is it just so much fluff? What's your answer to Kristina's challenge?
Comments
Currently our two children are in high school in a Canadian School district. Well, sort of. Both had a very successful elementary education. High school is a very different matter. Lack of care, understanding, and an inability to recognize our children’s needs all lead to a very patchy service.
The challenge asked, was, “If I had the resources would I open a school for autistic children?” The answer is emphatially no! My resources could only help very few children. Once opened, control would devolve to a wider group and my resources would no longer be my own. The learning model would be at the mercy of those hired to implement it. I would be unable to appeal to any higher authority.
If I stay with the local district, as we have chosen, then I can work to change the policy and use the law gain what is required for myu children. In doing so, I can gather like minded people, build a program and advocate for its implementation.
Lisa,
I responded in kind to Kristina’s question, on her blog as well as my own. I am encouraged that nearly every google alert about autism that I receive references the efforts to open private programs for autistic children. My optimism is supported by the fact that the more autism is in the news, more people will pay attention to our plight. Nevertheless, I continue to be conflicted between private vs public placement for our children.
I noticed that there was a heated debate about this issue between two bloggers on Kristina’s site.
What is the government’s responsibility to educate our children, the autistic children whose numbers are rising? I believe that ALL children have the right to an education.
Frankly, it is the typical population that needs to learn about autism as well, and if we segregate our children, the message will prevail.
I agree that intensified language therapy,concentrating on social skills is paramount, but academic and cognitive instruction must never be abandoned.
I have a 20 year old autistic son, where does he go from here? What about job opportunities and humane acceptance? I agree that you cannot teach altruism, but without exposure and the message of tolerance, we are profiling our kids right off the bat.
x Robin H. Morris aka resilientmom
I recently returned from an internship at the Danish Building Research Institute where I studied purpose built schools for individuals with autism. As part of the internship I did post-occupancy evaluations in England and Denmark. All the schools I visited had the end goal of mainstreaming their students if possible. The good schools were not meant to reflect an autism oasis, but rather a facility that offered various levels of stimulation and experiences in the hope of creating smoother transitions between exclusive schools to inclusive schools. Due to the lack of research of these facilities I found the same reoccuring misopportunities by design firms who do not have the resources to explore the several examples that exist. Hopefully there will be further collaboration in the future.
i am not sure dreams of this type are fully reached as to meet others needs some adjustments are always required…we have prayed for a group of people in the education department and social services to meet autistic need s on a local basis but money is always short they say little building space is available and then if they have the resources could they afford and obtain good quality staff to run it..we are still praying now the need is for autistic adults rather than children at a personal level although some government led inititives have been achieved supported by the n.a.s
I think you are a bit off on your assesment of the importance of academics. My son whom is 8 can read, write, do math but cannot ask another child to play with him. How does that serve him? How will his “academics serve him” Here lies the problem, schools need to just throw out ALL academics for children on the spectrum and focus soley on language, sensory, and social skills. Once these items are in place the academics will come easily. I would rather have a child that can function in society but can’t read than a math wiz who can’t make his own food.
Just the view from a parent.
I live in Utah, and we are starting a public (free) charter school for high-functioning Autism and Asperger’s kids (K-8) in North Salt Lake City. It has only been possible thanks to EXTREME involvement by half a dozen parents of kids with these issues. If they had not stepped up and given their all in blood, sweat and tears, it would never have happened. There are too many other problems already in “regular” schools for people who are not intimately connected with the Autism Spectrum to take this one on as well!
The overall objective has been to provide a safe environment for our kids where they can experience actual (specific) social and life-skills training, where they can have academics taught at adaptive levels that correspond to their strengths and weaknesses, and where all teachers and staff are being constantly well-educated about ASD-related topics through further, ongoing training. We want the kids to be able to learn as much and as quickly as possible in areas where they have talents and interest, because the goal is to raise kids who can transition into further education, jobs and, well– LIFE! We think they are great people, who will have a lot to offer society. Our methods therefore have to be specific to ASD needs (which is especially difficult because each child is so very unique!).
It is a very lofty goal, and the road has been long and bumpy! We’re only starting our second academic year, and there are still many “bugs” to be worked out of our systems. But for many parents and kids it has proven a blessing to be able to connect with others in similar situations, and to have a place our kids can go each day where all the other students and staff will not look at them as “weird”! www.spectrumcharter.org
I expect methods and curriculum will be tried and made permanent or abandoned as trial-and-error measures success, but we have found some very good materials (concrete methods) on social training I wanted to mention. Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking programs (and others mentioned in her site) have offered ideas from experience learned on a road already traveled by her and her staff over many years. Her point in a nutshell is that, because social situations have SO many changing variables, we must teach kids to actually THINK socially, not just perform expected manners and social customs in as many scenarios as we can think up! Her site is well worth researching if this is of interest to you. www.socialthinking.com
It’s a complex puzzle for us all, to be sure. At least we live in a time when we can share information and resources and connect via internet with others like us all over the world! -Jenn
Whether or not you have a private school or allow your child to attend a public school the main issue is communication skills. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders need to learn communication skills in a mixed enviroment with non autistic individuals.
Educators are concerned that there is nt room in the academic day for another “class”. My opinion is that we don’t need another “class” just for teaching communication skills. Think about this-in every class, no matter what the subject matter is, incorporate teaching communication skills that apply to that subject- whether it be math, science, social studies, etc.
In the USA, the biggest complaint of companies trying to find employees is the lack of communication skills that potential employees have.
They are not talking just about ASD individuals, they are referring to the public at large and that high schools and colleges are not teaching communication skills effectivly.
Everyone needs to improve their communication skills. This is evident by the high divorce rate, and the inability of world leaders to communicate with each other.
So include our ASD children in public and private schools along with the non autistic population and teach everyone how to communicate in every subject taught in that school.
Math can be taught using groups to problem solve together using communication skills-the same goes for science, social studies, language.
The teaching skills that are used to teach our ASD skills work on non autistic children also. So instead of teaching two different ways, why not teach all children the way you teach ASD children. It is a more effective way to teach.
Utah is finally trying to help educate children with autism by providing scholorships to students to attend private non profit schools. Our school is in its fourth years and we are about to build our own new school. Our problem is finding school building plans that are designed to educate children with autism. We have been watching the building of the Treehouse School in London which we will visit in December.
Does anyone know of other schools that have been designed from scratch for students from ages 3 through 18 years? We have visited converted schools and even two built from scratch but they are very difficult to find and design.
I have been given an opportunity to start a private non-profit school for children with ASD and I am very passionate about this project. I want to develop the program in South Los Angeles where the resources are not available. We are extremely limited in most resources however by the time a child is diagnosed with ASD they are already two to four years behind. I believe that early intervention is the key. I have been blessed with a building that is being built right now. I do not know where to go to get information about what the requirements are and who to talk to about how to structure the center. Can anyone direct me as to where to begin? I believe that this is an opportunity to take what I have learned over the years and give back to an under served community in great need.