What do you do with a student who displays autistic behavior and the parents don't want any testing done?

Question

The child is constantly interrupting with verbal outbursts or banging on floor or table. I just need to make it to the end of the school year with my sanity. I can put the student on a computer and they will be quiet, but they also need to do classwork - which they will not complete unless someone is hovering over them. Student is very capable of doing work and is intelligent - The social worker and principal are aware of the situation but our hands are tied.

Answer 1

you dont need a diagnosis to modify for this child.  If parents dont consent to spec ed testing, flunk the kid-  that seems to get parents attention.

Answer 2

In the U.S. if you think a child needs to be tested to qualify for special education services and the parents refuse you can file a due process against the parents in order to gain the right to test the child and provide them the services they need.

Of course I understand you are looking for a quicker fix to just make it until the end of the year. HOw about a behavior plan, a reinforcement chart or reward system for being compliant and completing work? Ignore minor disruptions. Let them work for the computer they like so much. Provide attention and help contingent upon good behavior instead of bad behavior.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Instead of trying to get him classified which would take weeks since the team would have to gather assessments and the team is busy with the IEP's can you start a 504 for support or a behavior plan without the parents consent? I am a parent of an autistic spectrum child in a mainstream class.  For classwork he has a corral around his desk so he is less distracted, he wears earmuffs so he doesn't respond to every classroom noise, his desk is in the least stimulated part of the room, he gets reinforcers every 8 minutes for a pointcard which after four reinforcers he cashes in for a preferred activity, he has a breakcard for when he is overwhelmed, he has a schedule on his locker and desk, he is warned ahead of time if the schedule changes for a firedrill, or assembly.  He has a timer, a peer mentor, the OT takes him to do some movement for sensory integration, a special ed. teacher comes into the classroom for support, he sits on a core disc.  Can the parents come into observe or be willing to strategize on how to help their son be less impulsive and disruptive and improve his attention? Can the parents volunteer in the class? To help my son complete work it is pre-taught the night before at home. Directions are given as simplistic as possibe, an example is given, and he has to repeat the directions back. Letting him fail as a wake up call to the parents as suggested by SPED teacher is not an option.  When you have that kind of burned out mentality you aren't doing your job well anymore and its time to move on.  That attitude really sucks and its sad to see that apparently SPED teacher is actively teaching.  Thank god my child doesn't have her! Another thing that helps is knocking out the harder classwork in the am.  I am glad you are trying to look for suggestions to help him be successful. That is the sign of a good teacher.

Answer 4

By doing testing I assume you mean having it done by the school to see if child qualifies for special ed services..

Schools can not do testing to diagnose this. They do testing ONLY to determine if a child can qualify for special ed services.

IDEA law, federal law that mandates special ed in public schools, states that a parent OR a school can request testing to be done by the school to see if the child qualifies for special ed.

This law also states that if a parent does NOT agree in writing, the school can't do the evaluation.

BUT, the law states that if a school still wants to do the testing anyway, the school has to file a due process hearing for a judge to decide if school has the legal right to do this testing even though the parent refuses.

Answer 5

This happened to us with a Tourette's child grades k-2. I encouraged my mentee, the teacher, to mention a medical evaluation at every opportunity. Something like, you and I are both interested in one thing - your child's success. I have asked advice from every specialist at the school, including the school psychologist, counselor, principal, reading therapist, behavior specialist, school nurse, social worker and no one has offered a suggestion that has worked. I really want to see your son get the education he deserves. I am really concerned because I do not know what else to try. What has his primary physician said at his annual visit? That puts the ball in the parents court, so to speak and still prevents you from suggesting in such a way that it could cost the school system for a physician's visit.

When he finally transferred to my school in grades 3-5, I was ready for his parents, but I did not take the lead. I had another mentee with me at my school and she had a severe case of unmedicated ADHD. She talked with the parents and found out she and I shared his primary physician, which also happened to be head of our school board. She had several conversations before we called a meeting. In that meeting my mentee at my school talked about her problems in school caused by her ADHD. Then she mentioned his Obsessive Compulsive-like behaviors and wondered aloud if his physician ever had mentioned that he might have Tourette's. Then she went on that she was not a physician and it would take a physician to actually diagnose the problem. Next she asked if they minded since we knew the doctor so well if we called him and explained what we were seeing at school. then she asked when his next visit was. Well it took place very quickly and we were able to get some help from the physician with a diagnosis and some medication. We carefully monitored his reactions to the medication during the school day.

If you continue to make the child's best interest and learning the main focus, then eventually you will convince them. It may take three years, but we finally accomplished it.

We sometimes used to have to let the student fail, as your student will if no one stands over him. Sometimes that puts things in perspective when his own behaviors get in the way of his knowledge. (I know it caused us great anguish to have to do this, too.)

One way to defend this practice is that school years are about transitions, and the very few years we have the students at school is all the time we have to teach children to stand up for themselves, have pride in their own accomplishments, and know when to ask for help. That practice must start at the earliest levels if they are to be accomplished young citizens.