School getting rid of aide

Question

My friend has worked for a Michigan school for a child with Autism. For 7 years she has worked well with this child. The teachers she has worked with had very little input, so she educated herself more. They told her they would be moving her possibley into another spot, but thats not likely. Her boss has replaced her with a new aide and her parents fear that she will not do will. It took my friend 4 months to understand how to work with this child. The parents have talked to the school and the director said she will not even let the other aide help the new aide for a few days. The parents have seem a wonderful improvement in their child and want the adie to stay. Transisition for child with autism is very difficult. Does anyone know if they are breaking any laws dealing with this child. I've tried to look it up, but there are pages and pages. Thank you for your time

Answer 1

Schools are free to reassign staff to the extent that the contract allows.  It has nothing to do with IDEA.  The only way it could be considered a special education issue would be if they replaced a fully licensed specific disability teacher with someone who was not licensed or if the student used Sign Lang and the aide was the only aide that had been trained in that.

On a positive note - the BEST thing to do with students with Autism who are resistant to change is to set up a process to show them it is not bad - the faster and better that students are taught resiliency the better off they will be farther on in their schooling.

Answer 2

I have worked one to one with a few children over 5 years.

One boy I worked with, I was with for two years untill he got a placement at a special school.  I had no intention of following him to the special school as the staff there know what they are doing.

Before we knew he would get a special shool placement, teaching staff would ask me,'will you go to secondary school with him' and I said no.  This is because the childs relationship with their parents is the most important, then school.  All children move on to a new class every year.  It would be self centred of me to think that the child couldn't manage with out me and I am sure that children need to change top move on (even autistic children - they grow and need to mpove on a stage).

My coleagues all agree that I do a very good job and apreciate me.

I totally accept if someone has to tell me it is time to move on as it is dificult to tell when you work so closely with a child.

I allways feel proud seeing them move to another class with another aide.  Like a proud mother seeing them growing up.  But that is the point, I am not their mother.  I just move on to the next child that needs me.

It is unfortunate that good one to one teaching assistants (aides) only have their job as long as the child or school wants/needs them so there is little job security.  They deserve more recognition for the exelent job they do and be rewarded for their talants and expertise with job security.

You just have to accept this.  I can tell it has made you cross and upset but do not dwell on it for too long, it will pass and everything WILL turn out ok in the end xx

Answer 3

u r a good kid i know that

Answer 4

I don't believe that any laws are being broken.  If the IEP states that the child gets a one-to-one assistant, there is no legal reason that it needs to be any particular assistant.  As long as they are providing a staff person who fills that position, the school is meeting their obligation.

I am sure that your friend did a great job with this child, but after 7 years, she needs to learn that she can work with other people.  This might have been the reason that your friend was taken off this case.  It really isn't emotionally healthy for children to have the same person as their school aide for many years.  As a special education teacher, I am fortunate to have most of my students for 2 or 3 years, and we establish close bonds.  It breaks my heart to have to let some of my sweeties go to another class, but it's the right thing to do.  It's not right for them to spend years and years with me, never having the opportunity or the challenge of learning that they can get their needs met with other people and in other environments.  And it is true that transitions are hard for kids with autism, but teaching them to make transitions is part of the school's job.

Your friend surely learned some good skills during her 7 years with this child.  It sounds as if she could get a good letter of recommendation from the child's parents, so if her agency doesn't reassign her to another student, she can look for another aide position.  Change is really difficult, but after 7 years, it's time.

Answer 5

My aunt was in a similar situation- she'd worked with a student for all of his elementary years, and when it was time for the child to go to middle school, the question came about whether or not she would move with the child.  My aunt was torn, as were the child's parents.  In the end, it was decided the child would move on, and my aunt would stay in the same building with a new assignment.  The child got a new aide at his new school.  People thought in the end, it would better help the child transition between schools so that he's not confused about what's going on.  And he did ok in the end, and so was my aunt, after everything was said and done.  Hopefully it will be the same in your friends case.

specific people can't be mentioned in IEP's, only positions.  As long as the position is filled, they are in compliance.  It seems like it will be up to the parents to assist the child's transition.

Answer 6

You should go speak to someone in the media. any newspaper correspondent or TV journalist etc.

I am sure they can create a story out of it and can force justice to happen.

Answer 7

Unless it is in the IEP for the school to keep the same aide, the school is not breaking any laws.  However, I don't think that would be something you would find in an IEP(Individual Education Plan) because that is a staffing issue.  

The child may grow by learning to work with new people.  This is a life lesson.  

Answer 8

You're a stupid kid I know that.

Answer 9

Yes they ARE breaking the IDEA law.

First of all, they can't just get rid of the childs aide. They have to hold and IEP meeting and EVERYONE In the meeting, INCLUDING the parents, have to agree on this change IN WRITING.

ANd since the parents don't agree, they can't do this.

What should be done now is the parents need to write to the district sped director, explain the situation and request 'prior written notice' for this decision to remove the aide.

THey have to have LEGAL reasons for this decision. They didn't even decide this legally to start with, so they CAN"T have a legal reason to do this.

Requesting this prior written notice should stop this. If not, there is more they can do.

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