Autism - SENCology

Gareth D Morewood blogged here for two years, 2008-2010. Gareth's first eBook, The Role of the SENCO: An Insider's Guide, is now available from the Optimus Education shop.

The BBC programme 'The Autistic Me' generated quite a lot of comment and thoughts through forums, postings, letters, e-mails and, of course this blog. One of the most interesting comments was via a colleague of mine, whose daughter said after the show ‘When is the next part mum?’ My feelings exactly.

There was something missing I felt, in so far as providing the balanced view. A teachingexpertise Facebook follower felt similarly:‘Having read the blog and I must admit to looking at the programme in a less positive light. I thought at first that it was a more positive approach to young people growing up in what is obviously a strange world, but have to agree with the blog author, it seems to only look at their weaknesses. Perhaps it was the length of the programme?’

To gain an absolute balance it is important to allow enough time to cover all perspectives of an issue, and I am not sure this programme allowed for that.

Another comment disagreed:‘I tend to disagree - though it could be viewed as highlighting the negative aspects of Autism, it gave the opportunity for people to have an insight into the issue, not many people really understand it’. Perhaps that is the key point here – that it did give an opportunity for people who don’t have any previous knowledge a chance to get some insight, and perhaps my comments do come from a background where I have some considerable knowledge. However, whenever presenting information to the public I think it’s important not to provide a skewed view, or influence those without an understanding of the issues.

Visitors to teachingexpertise on the whole agree more with my initial post – possibly as those reading it there were doing so from a more ‘specialist’ background?

‘A good review of the program and highlighting that support is needed for the families makes it even more real’.

‘This is a very apt and correct view of the show’.

As with any debate or discussion in the arena of inclusion and SEN, there are political, social, moral and personal viewpoints. I am always conscious that my personal views, as outlined throughout this blog, are not everyone’s. But whatever we think about this program, our own experiences and thoughts as a whole, another colleague summed it up pretty well I think: ‘…something that makes you sit up and take notice like that can’t be bad.’

Gareth D Morewood blogged here for two years, 2008-2010. Gareth's first eBook, The Role of the SENCO: An Insider's Guide, is now available from the Optimus Education shop.

There was a fascinating programme on BBC3 this week – The Autistic Me − which followed three young autistic men as they struggled to find their roles within ‘the adult world’. The focus of the documentary followed the fortunes of Tom (15), Oli (23) and Alex (24), all of whom have experienced significant barriers to being able to lead independent lives and find employment, particularly in the current climate.

Tom is a complex young man, struggling to find his role within a large family group and dealing with a complete lack of understanding from his peer group. It was also evident that many people involved in Tom’s life had limited, if any, real understanding of how to support his needs. This caused many uncomfortable moments in the film, and resulted in Tom being placed in a residential setting.

Most of the issues, in my view, were exacerbated by the fact that those people closest to Tom did not having a good understanding of how to support his needs. I am always conscious of how TV programmes can present certain views with clever editing, and while it appeared that Tom’s family was wealthy enough, with a large house and extensive grounds, there appeared to be no activities or trips away from the home to support the development of key skill areas for him. I do understand the complexities of communication and interaction within teenagers, but a proactive and supportive set of routines are an important part of teenage development into adulthood. I was left thinking that better family support may have provided some different outcomes here.

Oli seems an extremely likeable young man, with a good understanding of how he can operate within certain structures and situations. Drums and history are his passions, but the show seemed less interested in these positive traits and focused on Oli’s lack of employment after the termination of his temporary position as a book stamper at the British Library. Oli said that he will ‘miss the camaraderie and companionship’ of the job. This was such a positive comment, but again the edit concentrated on the negatives. I felt that Oli was a very employable young man − perhaps the programme's editor would have done better to offer Oli a job, rather than editing out details of his many positive attributes and clear sense of humour in a manner that left me feeling rather ashamed and very disappointed.

The third young man featured was Alex. Alex does have a part-time position working to his strengths in a security firm, and his employers appeared supportive and understanding. But again an opportunity was missed here − I wanted to hear more about the work Alex did and how that linked to his skills; to perhaps compare this position with Oli’s situation. But no. Alex’s segment focused mainly on his desire to find a girlfriend. Of course this is an important part of life for a young man, and Alex’s condition would mean he was challenged in this area − however the film finished after one initial meeting with a young lady who also had needs on the spectrum, and the edit didn’t allow for any observations. I was a little concerned again with the portrayal of this fledgling relationship.

However, I do think Alex had one of the most memorable lines in the show. As he got ready for his date, he said: ‘If I was any cooler, I’d be an ice cube!’

I think the awareness raised by the programme being made at all will support a greater understanding of autism and also make some people more informed. However, the narrow selection of topics covered, the editing and the somewhat negative perspective, left me a little disappointed as I felt it was an opportunity missed.

We have done a lot of work in order to ‘saturate’ our school with knowledge and understanding of supporting young people with needs on the autistic spectrum, and we have had some significant success. However it is not an easy task, being an ongoing process of constant information-sharing and support. And efforts made at school should not be the end − The Autistic Me highlighted the need for proper services in supporting young people as they leave school, and enter a world that is not as well-attuned to individual need as some supportive schools and residential environments.

So, in conclusion – well done for raising awareness of the wider condition and more specific issues connected to it, and on challenging people’s views on the subject, as even critical debate develops mentalities and moves society forward. I would, however, like to see a more balanced and informed edit in future please, BBC.

Gareth D Morewood blogged here for two years, 2008-2010. Gareth's first eBook, The Role of the SENCO: An Insider's Guide, is now available from the Optimus Education shop.

A recent TES article on exclusion focused specifically on students with needs on the autistic spectrum; an area with which I have become particularly familiar through our school’s revolutionary project in supporting students with ASC (autistic spectrum conditions) in a mainstream setting. The Autism Bill aims to tackle the ‘lack of information about children and young people with autism and the failure of councils to take account of their needs in service-planning’.

I have worked hard over the past two years to increase awareness of ASC both within my school and farther afield, but despite taking a resolute and consistent approach there is still a lot of work to be done.

It is hard work including young people on the autistic spectrum in mainstream schools, but it can be done — as long as you are sensitive and aware of the issues. For example, on occasion things can be 'too much' for some students. At Christmas, with pantomines and excitement in abundance, it is better not to try and force students with spectrum needs to ‘fit into the mould’ of the chaotic, feverish end of term. This reminds me of the medical model of disability — you cannot ‘fix’ an autistic student’s perceptions and understanding of things, you can only support them and their peers, train staff and parents/carers, and minimise unnecessary risks and situations. This takes time and energy and, of course, a real passion for inclusion.

The Bill is increasing governmental funding for the Autism Education Trust from £320 000 to £500 000, but simply adding money is not the key — there is a need for constant supervision, training, sensitive educating and a slice of realism, and the requirement for these never ends. I know that including students with autism is hard work — but inclusion in schools can only increase a wider awareness of this issues, thereby reducing the everyday marginalisation of this vulnerable group of young people.