My next few blogs are directed toward school and teachers.
Teachers, do you have an inclusion student in your classroom? And, does your inclusion student have an aide?
From preschool to his current grade, 5th, my son has always had an aide with him at school. He has always needed that support.
Many times, I have asked the question…
Do all teachers know how to work with an inclusion student’s aide in their classroom?
Now, teachers have classroom aides, but there is a difference between a classroom aide and an inclusion aide.
For the sake of teachers, I’d like to clarify the responsibilities of the inclusion student aide.
The aide that has been assigned to a student has been assigned as support for that student. They are not a classroom assistant.
With that in mind, the aide has to understand and/or learn how to fluidly work within your classroom. The two of you need to find a common ground. One of you is there for all of the students in the class, and the other is there for only one.
It is your classroom and the aide has to try to not be too disruptive. Additionally, if the aide needs to remove the child for an OT break or to attend speech therapy, they need to coordinate with the teacher. The teacher may want the child removed or returned a specific way.
The teacher also needs to understand that the aide is supporting a child per that child’s IEP instructions. The teacher should be fully aware and supportive of those instructions. Between the two, the instructions should be consistently implemented.
Even though the aide has to acknowledge other children, especially when brokering interactions between peers and her autistic child, they are not in the classroom to assist with other children. They’re not even supposed to help a teacher hand out papers. That is not there job.
Additionally, they are also not in the classroom to help with parental instructions from other peers.
I have witnessed firsthand a parent of a peer approach my child’s aide and ask that aide for assistance with their child.
What did I do in that circumstance?
I mentioned it to the teacher and had them talk to the parent and explain how that inclusion aide cannot render assistance/support to their child.
I approached the teacher because I felt it was her responsibility to deal with the other parents and not my son’s aide.
Next week I discuss teachers more specifically.
In the meantime…
To Find Kimberly Kaplan:
www.kimberlykaplan.com
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Twitter: @tipsautismmom
