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I am slightly concerned that when schools go back next week in Scotland, some children who might struggle to comply with rules may end up being sent home/excluded. 1/6
I know that worrying about this on the last Saturday night of the school holidays is not ideal. But I also know that lots of teachers and pupils are worried ahead of next week. 2/6
Worry and a change to routine are likely to cause some children to become dysregulated. This may mean that they will find it more difficult to do the right thing, if they are given too many “right things” to do at once. 3/6
What REALLY matters next week is following the rules around preventing COVID infection. So if, maybe, school leaders and schools could focus on teaching and reminding around those rules in a way that is re-assuring, calm and consistent, that might be enough for a while. 4/6
Maybe rules about other things, like arriving late (because anxiety is behind the lateness) or uniform (because who knows what’s happened financially at home during lockdown) or low level disruption (because sitting quietly might be impossible just now) could be relaxed? 5/6
Social stories, very clear explanations of rules that explain the “why” behind them and an acceptance that the adults will need to help the children to do the right thing will surely be the right thing. That way, the children who need school the most will be able to be there. 6/6
A few extra ideas here that might help in relation to this thread
This is excellent on why rules can never be absolute and coping when people don’t follow them from @Peter_Autisme. 7/6+4
https://www.scottishautism.org/sites/default/files/not_following_the_rules_4.pdf
This is excellent on why rules can never be absolute and coping when people don’t follow them from @Peter_Autisme. 7/6+4
https://www.scottishautism.org/sites/default/files/not_following_the_rules_4.pdf
Remember when @NicolaSturgeon said that SOME people with different needs could exercise for longer or be excused from wearing masks so they didn’t get into trouble? That is called reasonable adaptation under equalities legislation and must happen in schools too. 8/6+4
This is what we mean by a social story: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YAlTIyq7i73LohLL-92xHI9qDJtEnN_Y/view?usp=drivesdk
This one is still helpful but maybe needs adding to around face masks and social distancing. 9/6+4
This one is still helpful but maybe needs adding to around face masks and social distancing. 9/6+4
And finally this is a piece I wrote a while back on reasonable adaptations so that all children can learn. 10/6+4: https://lenabellina.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/when-is-a-consequence-not-a-consequence-abcs-and-more/
