10 reasons why teachers need more autism training
Written on 26th May 2016 by Sylvia Lowery
More needs to be done to make schools a more welcoming place for autistic students.
I awoke this morning to the news that a senior Government official has announced that autism training will now be a compulsory part of initial teacher training. This is great news and a step in the right direction. However more needs to be done. Every teacher in the country needs to be trained in autism. Here are 10 reasons why this is so needed.
1. 4 in 10 children with autism have been illegally excluded form school in England. This means children have been informally sent home without it being formally recorded. This is at least in part due to the lack of understanding of autism among school staff. It is clear that many teachers feel unsupported and feel that they have not been given enough training in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
2. 58% of autistic children said that teachers understanding autism is the single most thing that would make their life better.
3. The number of parents who home educate their children is rising. I am a home educator but I did it because I wanted to, it is wrong for a parent to feel forced into this situation. Parents write to me or I meet them as I attend various venues with Alex, the tell me that they do not want to home educate but their child’s needs are not being met. Sometimes their children have been permanently excluded and they have not been able to find a suitable placement. Often their autistic children’s mental health is suffering and they feel that the have no choice. A better awareness of autism in schools would improve this situation for many children, young people and their families.
4. An autism friendly school is a child friendly school.
5. It is a legal requirement under the Equality Act for schools to make reasonable adjustments disabled pupils. Children on the autism spectrum are protected by this legislation. A teacher in a classroom can’t make simple adjustments for a child if they don’t understand the child’s disability and how it affects them. Autism is a hidden disability that is not always obvious to an external observer.
6. The impact of growing up in a school environment where you are not understood can have a massive impact on adulthood. Some adults on the spectrum have been deeply traumatised by their school experiences. This is just not good enough. It is time to learn from the past mistakes and make clear steps to improve schools now.
7. Dr. Luke Bearden states that autistic people go on to develop mental ill health as a secondary psychiatric illness that is caused by the environment (Bearden et al, 2011 p. 7). This meant that the higher levels of mental illness among young people on the autistic spectrum could be prevented if the environment was more supportive (Hirvikoski et al, 2016). Spending a small amount of money on training for teachers is a small price to pay for the benefits of a positive future with better mental health for our students on the spectrum.
8. When a student is failed educationally the future can be very bleak, only 15% of adults on the spectrum are in full time employment. A lack of educational success may well be contributing to this figure. This is not good enough and as a society we should be looking at the need to provide an education that is suitable for all students.
9. Teachers should not be expected to work beyond their competencies. If a teacher has no understanding of autism they are not equipped to work with that student in a professional manner. This is unfair to the teacher and the students.
10. Training should be provided by those on the spectrum themselves. This gives the training authenticity and can help the teachers to develop a real understanding of the way in which a student with autism thinks and experiences the world.
Alex’s double training DVD is available for £15 a very reasonable option for schools to train staff. If you would like to order this DVD please email info@alexlowery.co.uk. Alex is also looking at providing online training courses to make high quality training on autism affordable for professional who work with children on the autistic spectrum. If you would like to be kept informed of this development please email and ask to be placed on the newsletter email list.
References
Beardon, L., W, Dean, C., Janet., A, Debbie. and B, E Veronica. (2011). ‘Aspies on Mental Health : ‘Introduction : Luke Beardon’ In Speaking for Ourselves (Adults Speak Out about Asperger Syndrome). Ebook ,London, Jessica Kingsley Publishing, [Online].
T, Hirvikoski., E, Mittendorfer-Rutz., M, Boman., H, Larsson., P, Lichtenstein. and S, Bölte. (2016) ‘Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder’ The British Journal of Psychiatry Mar 2016, 208 (3) 232-238; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.160192 [Online].
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