Mainstream or Special Schools for Asperger Children?
There has been a lot of emphasis over recent years on "inclusion".
The idea is that integrating children into mainstream schools rather
than placing them in special schools is a "Good Thing". But is it?
Children with Aspergers syndrome see the world in a different way.
With their fixed ideas and concrete thinking they can often come
across as very pedantic. They may also be obsessed with some
micro-topic and have little interest in general academic topics that
they may regard as irrelevant. With their social skill problems they
over act inappropriately in social interactions.
The result of this is that many people, especially their peers, will
regard them as "odd" or "weird". And this, in turn, often leads to
them being picked on and bullied. Then, with their poor social
skills, this can then lead to arguments or even physical fights.
At the same time they have great difficulties with their teachers
who are just trying to teach a subject. With their pedantic interest
in micro-topics they can be very tiresome to teach. Not only that,
but if the teacher seems to handle situations in any way unfairly,
this too will be challenged by the Asperger child.
So, the peers see them as weird and pick on them, and the teachers
don't understand them. So how do these children fare in a normal
mainstream school?
The answer, all too often, is very poorly. They often lash out at
the bullies, and then argue with the teachers who, they feel, quite
unreasonably come down on them instead of the bullies.
Over time these problems compound into more and more complications
until the child is either failing dismally, or being kicked out for
"bad behavior".
A very different scenario could occur in a special school. Staffed
with teachers and carers with both the traning and the time to take
a special interest in these children, the kids often get much more
support and help with their social skills. Their self esteem
improves, and so does their behavior.
Surprisingly, the other children in these schools can also be much
more tolerant, resulting in less teasing and bullying.
Every child is difficult. Surely it is logical that we cannot just
apply a blanket ideology to all children as though they were merely
sausage meat going through a sausage factory? Unique children
require unique solutions in order to succeed, and if that means a
special school, well, then so be it!
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