tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201954696614511095.post6408941038318301974..comments2023-09-25T07:27:52.823-07:00Comments on Life with Butters: MainstreamingVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06882892812988500526noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201954696614511095.post-31469756127877860502011-04-12T19:21:29.455-07:002011-04-12T19:21:29.455-07:00Elise, right now in our district once he reaches k...Elise, right now in our district once he reaches kindergarten he will be in a mainstream classroom with some help from a class aid. At this time he is in a self contained classroom with a teacher and 2 aids. He is also lucky that there are kids on the very end of the spectrum (better) than he is in the class as well. His class goes outside every day weather permitting. From what we can tell he loves it and comes home singing songs and other things. We always ask him what he did and have even gotten a response once or twice. <br /><br />Team Aspie, one other good thing is that all of the teachers in the district are required to have training in autism and all of its forms. The teacher he has now is very knowledgeable and very good at communicating what they are working on and how he is progressing. They have already updated his IEP this week because he is progressing so quick. Don't get me wrong he still has a lot to work on but they are really pushing him at school which is great.Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16331232308659337550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201954696614511095.post-41463409591554635092011-04-12T04:52:43.603-07:002011-04-12T04:52:43.603-07:00If there is proper support for your son I think yo...If there is proper support for your son I think you should mainstream him, especially if he is bored academically. Having raised two youngmen with aspergers I have experienced both self-contained and mainstream. Mainstream teaches them how to interact with typical peers which is generally life. The majority of people you come into contact with daily do not have a disability and our children need to know how to interact and read typical situations..<br /><br />Also both of the boys have had paras through highschool and we even hired help for them in college. it is not a reason to hide your child away from society in a self-contained classroom.<br /><br />There are some levels of autism that require more structure and support than a mainstream environment can give them. A properly trained teacher however, understands scheduling, sensory issues and auditory processing in a mainstream environment for a child with aspergers. <br /><br />Perhaps in your district mainstream means no support and throw the child into the fray. however that is not how it is supposed to be done.I would check out the way your district handles mainstreaming, the support available and just what a self-contained program happens to be. There are some self-contained programs that are no more than warehousing too and they throw all disabilities together. That would do your child absolutely no benefit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201954696614511095.post-18262334451659122742011-04-12T04:28:50.652-07:002011-04-12T04:28:50.652-07:00My son is 8 years old and was diagnosed with Asper...My son is 8 years old and was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome last year. He's currently in 2nd grade and has always been mainstreamed. I think my son would've benefited from a self-contained classroom during his first school years, had we gotten an early intervention for him. His first school years (Pre-K through 1st grade) were VERY HARD and challenging for us, and him. His teachers were NOT trained to handle children on the Autism Spectrum and in my opinion, damaged his self-esteem. They kept constantly putting him down for his challenges and very seldom praised his strengths. Although they were aware that there was something wrong with him and I was doing my part in seeking a diagnosis they insisted in treating him and holding him to the same standards as the other NT kids. Since his diagnosis, we've moved him to a school that is trained to handle children on the spectrum. He's still mainstreamed the difference now is that his teacher has a co-teacher that visits the classroom throughout the day, 2 to 3 hours a day, and helps him and other special need children with their individual needs. We still have our struggles with attention/focus but things are way more better than previous years.<br /><br />In my opinion, children who need a more 1 on 1 help in the classroom would benefit from a self-contained classroom. Looking back I think my son would've strongly benefited from being in a self-contained classroom setting during those first school years. Children who are able to work on their own for the most part with redirection and prompting will probably be OK in a mainstreamed classroom provided his teacher has an assistant/co-teacher. The most important factor is to find the RIGHT school and staff to work with our children. =)Team Aspiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14036810080745519120noreply@blogger.com