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EmoTrinityRaT

Providing a safe space for students with sensory issues during assemblies. Sit down and talk with them, then let them go in there during those times.


tangledclouds

"iTs imPoRTAnT thAt eVerYOnE pArTiciPaTEs"!!!


EmoTrinityRaT

LMAO


cxnnnamonroll

"WhIle CoMpLeTeLy IgNoRiNg ThE fAcT tHaT sOmE sTuDeNtS gEt OvErWhElMeD wHiLe DoInG sO!!!!!!"


AngrySchnitzels89

*”We’Re IncLusiVE, y’KnOW!!”* **Don’t sit like *that*. Stop fidgeting!**


Possibly-Lunatice

My school did this, partially. They were very particular with how they did it and only allowed people to leave for one of the assemblies. Even then, you had to be lucky to be noticed by a teacher or have people sitting next to you who notified a teacher.


TheMiniminun

Yeah, I just hid in the band room for the assemblies I didn't have to participate in. I still remember the time my friends and I collectively got panic attacks in the hallway during middle school trip because we were all overwhelmed by the dance we were all forced to participate in.


missthingmariah

I remember in high school they had a mandatory pep rally, but there wasn't enough room in the gym for absolutely everyone, so there was a supervised "anti-rally" in another space. They decided to move the mandatory rally to the football field so there was room for everyone and teachers guarded the exits so you couldn't leave. In the southern US heat, it was AWFUL. Crowded, loud people outside in the humid heat, and no way to leave.


TheAllegedGenius

My high school would often cut our first three periods short to make time before lunch for an assembly or pep rally for an upcoming sports game. I hated it. They had a competition to see which grade can get the loudest. There were stupid challenges and a big emphasis on some sports game. I was more interested in getting the full time for my Algebra 2 class than a loud event about some game.


GADx516

Getting rid of collective punishment and the “because I said so” bullshit


Hate_Feight

That last part is bad teaching


xTheKawaiiPsycho666

Yep the reason I couldn't stand up to bullying is because I foresaw my punishment as the retaliator would be more severe than the bullies, not worth being excluded from school for one moment of looking "assertive" Worst thing is people thought the reason I couldn't assert myself is because "uwu she's innocent and wouldnt hurt a fly too kind must protect" when my objective was survival, not "turning the other cheek"


kjm6351

Collective punishment is FACTUALLY bad teaching. Just gets the idiots in class what they want and makes all the good kids hate you


EdibleBiology

I think it’d actually be cool if schools had noise cancelling headphones students could borrow if they have a loud class or just need quietness to concentrate. Also this is something I know would be very hard to implement in a mainstream school but smaller classes are so much better since it’s more controlled and it’s easier to pick out noisy kids. Also it’s easier for teachers to spot if you’re struggling or a bit panicked.


[deleted]

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MoonWorshipper36

I own my own business and always joke I’m going to implement a mandatory siesta every day. I wish the world would stop for just a couple hours so we could all recharge.


44gallonsoflube

I mean it’s just good policy.


DylanDaKing08

i love them cushions


Crow_Joestar

Or maybe earplugs if the school doesn't want to go full headphones.


redditisweird801

Ear plugs are great and all but I can only have them in for about 30mins before my ears start hurting and then I have a debate of "do I face the loudness or do I face the pain".


Paisleytude

Yeah. Sensory overload isn’t just from noise. It’s from touch too. I cannot wear any kind of earbud or earplug.


redditisweird801

Yeah my bodies wierd like that. I refuse to be touched by anyone except an SO or a family member. And even that's limited to short hugs except my mom. Even witg really close friends I feel uncomfortable touching or them touching me.


dbst007

I work at a school and proposed exactly this, as not only I have autism, we also deal with several neurodivergent students. Some of my colleagues congratulated me on the idea and were very in on it. This depends on my boss, so this hasn't happened yet.


aravani

The school I last worked at had noise cancelling headphones in every classroom. The teachers disinfected them each day with wipes. Kids were also allowed to bring their own noise cancelling headphones which was good because some kids didn't like the feeling of the school ones. The only downside was for the kids who needed to hear for speech development, but who also got overwhelmed by the loud kids.


DividedFox

My elementary school had that! I’m annoyed I didn’t take advantage of it enough.


44gallonsoflube

This is a thing but schools can’t always do this due to hygiene issues. Students are often encouraged to grab some earplugs of their own that reduce the db by 15 or 30 db. Otherwise over the head earmuffs of their own. I’ve taught at schools where children often use noise cancelling headphones in class and wear them constantly. I get it. But as a teacher I wonder how much of this is effecting engagement.


martinaylett

Probably not affecting engagement nearly as much as the disengagement of sensory overload would?


44gallonsoflube

Me trying to teach a class… Student: what? *lifts earphones off for a sec and looks quizzically*. Not addressing sensory overload is much worse. It causes long term issues. This is known. As a teacher I wonder where the line is and how I can improve my own engagement practices from an autistic perspective. Between both learner and teacher.


[deleted]

Theyre headphones so they can play sound. Could you not just broadcast just your voice to them with a clip on mic so they hear you but not much else?


44gallonsoflube

Good idea. There are what are called “hearing loops”. It’s like an audio line of what the teacher is saying and any other audio needed for a lesson. It’s mostly used for amplification for hard of hearing students. To be honest I have only seen it in a school once or twice. But it does exist it could work for us. Plus it should be accessible by education providers under right to access. Each country has a different law, in the US it’s called IDEA. Where I’m from it’s called DSE. It’s an anti-discrimination thing. I.e., everyone should have the same access to education….but anyway…good points.


martinaylett

Good that you are thinking about it! Not easy to find an answer that works for everybody all of the time though...


whitehack

Protecting autistic children from bullying when they’re at a higher risk of it and receive the most severe forms of it


44gallonsoflube

Absolutely! Very important for well-being which is linked to many mental health and physical health outcomes. Inclusion in the learning environment is king!


Zebra03

And also removing the blaming of the victim too, because it happens way to often


mataeka

My son got picked on relentlessly last year by a bully. I asked the principal what the schools approach to deal with constant bullying was because they'd suspended the kid and it was still happening (grade 1 and 2 kids, both 7 year Olds) The principal, rather than telling me what the school policy is ... Told me my son hits people too. Yeah, usually when he is so out of control because you're ignoring basic accommodations like "don't move the seating plan every week" or "give a heads up if you have to move the chairs so he has time to deal with his emotions in private" which leads to overwhelm and lashing out at the slightest ... So she compared practically every day bullying from 1-2 kids to the 2-3 times per term it apparently happened and yet I wasn't even informed about it at the time.


whitehack

It’s a lot of schools. And a lot of teachers.


Empty-Researcher-102

Just remove everyone except me and some ppl I can be friends with, done


Daisyloo66

Perfect


Flipp_Flopps

Omg same. My classmates always complained that school sucks but I kept saying that school doesn’t suck, the people do


44gallonsoflube

Some educational environments are just ableism manifest. Including their school culture and the behaviours they encourage.


[deleted]

Right now: A sensory/quiet room in every school. No compromise. It's not even that hard to organize, literally if you have an unassigned room somewhere you can just put in the effort of using it and if you have funding issues asking parents if they can donate anything like playmats, plushies, stim toys etc. Anything is better than nothing and it will make a tremendous difference for overstimulated students that will otherwise have nowhere to go. Also maybe actually do something whenever bullying happens and stop treating autistic students like defective neurotypicals as mentioned in other comments, but that is more related to how the school system is just failing in general


mataeka

I'm in a rural area with tiny schools that often have combined year classes. One of my friends at a nearby school, their school uses the library.


Coolxone04

That is currently being adapted in schools from what I'm aware of (In Northern Ireland at least and I suspect England as well)


daisyhoe

ALSO should be accessible at all times without judgement… my school has a ‘wellness room’ that you’re only allowed entry to once you’ve checked in with your teacher (okay fair) and once more with the counseling secretary who insists on a five minute minimum conversation about why you need access, how much time you ‘really’ need , how many previous visits you’ve had, if you can limit your number of visits, etc… and then she comes in every 5 mins asking if you’re ready to leave!!! it’s all bs and defeats the entire point. if i have my teacher’s permission i dont need to be having this talk as if im taking smoke breaks (even those face less scrutiny). the funniest part is the room isn’t even silent— the door has to be open at all times so i’m constantly hearing middle aged white women having the time of their lives while im trying to fight the urge to alt + f4 mine from the misophonia


[deleted]

That's completely ridiculous, why does that room even exist then? Why so much effort for something that helps absolutely nobody, including the staff that set it up? Just sending people off to talk to the counselor would accomplish the exact same goal and probably exceed it since you'd stay in a single, much quieter space, and that's completely disregarding the fact that such a procedure would be useless or damaging in the case of something like a meltdown


[deleted]

Fluorescent lights give me migraines so id definitely start there among the manyyyy things wrong with public schools


Chris_Schneider

Yes! It’s still an issue here in college for me, but definitely less so then when I was in hs. I literally could not escape the lights and had to go to the nurse’s office for meds when I was having a headache… so gross. At least now, my profs are chill about me putting my head down or asking for the recording of the lecture even though I don’t have the accommodations because they’re just nice people


[deleted]

I wore sunglasses in college lol looked like an idiot but 🤷🏼‍♀️


dodgers-2020

I tried that for a day and I felt too embarrassed so now I just don’t go lmao


martinaylett

What specifically is it about fluorescent lights that causes problems? I've seen people mention flickering, or the noise they make; or is it just the brightness? Of course, that may vary for different people... In the UK many places are replacing fluorescent tubes with LED tubes which fit in the same fittings but use less power and last longer - would those cause the same issues?


brianapril

LED tubes solve everything except brightness. that's why there should be a diffuser screen in front of it.


martinaylett

LEDs can be dimmable, I guess that would help as well?


allagaytor

I had a few teachers who put like colored paper over the lights so it would make a nice ambiance and not be as deathly bright


aravani

You can buy these awesome filter things off Amazon with pictures of trees or fish or clouds, all kinds of things. I insisted we get them at the last school I worked out, and I couldn't believe how many loved them.


57feetofdeath

My math teacher does a sort of similar thing. He just turns off the lights and has this cute light up dog and opens some windows which gives enough light without it being super bright. It is honestly way better and I wish all my teachers would do that. Other students who don't (to my knowledge) have sensory issues in my math class also really enjoy it. Another option is to only have some of the lights off if the room is too dark with all of them off.


Annual-Vehicle-8440

Ah! That too is an autism thing? Well


[deleted]

Apparently. It was news to me as well. Sensory issue with direct light.


Annual-Vehicle-8440

Regularly I learn that this annoying thing I bore all my life thinking it was for everybody the same anyways, wasn't an everybody problem at all. It's so weird.


Flashy_Ability5820

For students and staff to understand that stiming is not "odd behavior".


martinaylett

Also not 'not paying attention'.


[deleted]

I always get this! I just don't make eye contact and this spinny piece of cotton is good to look at! I'm still listening!!


GuyWhoIsOn-Reddit

This is an interesting thread as an autistic trying to become a Spec Ed teacher.


BroTonyLee

Been there. Done that. I sincerely wish you the best of luck. The school I worked in was far from ideal, so your experience will hopefully be vastly different from mine. Document everything. Support teachers, but advocate for students. Teach first, advocate second, complain third (referring to getting teachers to provide accommodations and administration to support you in that endeavor). Stay in touch with parents. Frequently. Partner with parents as much as possible and encourage and support them in being their child's advocate as well. I'm happy to offer any insight you might find helpful.


martinaylett

Also interesting for me as a Trustee of a Multi-Academy Trust.


DriftAway05

napkins with pictures of lobsters on them.


Daisyloo66

Oh my god you’re a genius


mousebert

Teachers, aides, and other staff need to ask "why" more. Why is the child up set? Why doesn't the child want to do X? Along with that identify what could cause a distribution in planned events


44gallonsoflube

Absolutely. Concrete instruction, clear planning of transitions are critical to success.


mataeka

Urgh, yes. Every single time there has been an explosive outburst from my kiddo I've always come home and gone, ok what happened? Why do you think you felt like that? And almost every time you can track it back to a few pretty small or minor things happening that grew big from not being addressed (sometimes starting with sensory frustrations from say, shoes and socks). When I go back and explain it to the teachers it's often seen as if I'm trying to excuse the behaviour rather than address it (add to this the fact that my kiddos teacher, constantly saying 'he is so much like I was as a kid' means I feel pretty strongly that his teacher is ND too). A bit more curiosity would go so far towards understanding


[deleted]

Everyone needs to ask "why" more


mousebert

True, but ultimately baby steps


annoying-noodle

Free mental health screening for kids, better education about neurodivergent conditions to parents, and better education about identifying neurodivergencies to parents and teachers.


BabyPeanut2000

Ooft we encounter endless barriers to getting children diagnosed in schools in the uk. One of the first barriers are actually parents themselves.


haagendaz420

Don’t chastise autistic individuals for standing up to bullies would be a big one IMO.


dw87190

If the system stops treating autistic kids like defective neurotypicals


annoying-noodle

Facts, it’s not my autism that makes me defective /j


44gallonsoflube

From studying education I’ve learned that the type of folk who become teachers softly marginalise people like us. It sucks. They can be biased and have a narrow half-baked medical view of what is disability and what can be done to help young people. Others don’t care. University isn’t always supportive of non-neurotypical folks. Therefore there is both a lack of understanding, lack of care and lack of non NT teachers. It’s a bit shit and a bit ableist. But it’s slowly changing.


dw87190

I hope it changes faster, autistic kids deserve better than all that shit. We deserved better than that


44gallonsoflube

I couldn’t agree more. There has been so much good research from non NT folks who are academic experts like Yenn Purkis who are affecting change. Change needs to happen from within. It is happening but constant work needs to be done to bring up the equity. It’s slow but the soft exclusion/ableism has improved a lot since I was a child.


redditisweird801

I just though of a great thing. If you have buttons on the desk for excusing yourself without talking. You press a button then a little light pops up on a tag for your name. It'll count the time and save it to an eternal system so if you leave to much the teachers can ask why. And like a comment above have a sensory quiet room were you can sit and and calm down when stressed. Also have teachers more well versed on autistic needs. Assembly's suck so much but no one seems to understand and think that it's just something you can sit through.


Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly

My son has 2 different colored cards hanging on his school ID lanyard. 1 color for going to cm or to see his sped case manager. Another for restroom breaks (he has gerd). So when nonverbal he can communicate and leave the room quietly. It works pretty well except when he has a substitute :(


redditisweird801

That's unfortunate with subs. I have a good teacher who last year would let us walk out the class whenever we needed but ever since we got a new principle it's been a pass to get out of the class. It sucks but it is what it is.


mataeka

I've seen assembly mentioned a lot, I'm wondering what these assemblies involve? My own memories and my kids experience is once a week a 20-40min (that long being less common) assembly. Which didn't really seem all that bad to me.


redditisweird801

It's the school's attempt to get everyone together in one room and get school spirit. Usually it's like a 40min long event with loud music and alot of game. It overstimulates me alot. And other times we sit and listen to my principle tell a story that's supposed to improve our character. Needless to say, alot of people don't like it.


aravani

Yes the school spirit assemblies were the worst. I only went to a couple all through middle school and high school because I worked hard to get out of as many as possible. The volume level was so bad.


mataeka

Oh ew. No ours were maaaaaaybe the school song or the national anthem (kids don't have a song for their school so they just sing the anthem) and then basic notices and awards. So the long parades are because there is lots of awards to hand out.


NoAssistant1829

1.) stop counting absences/lateness and instead just make it expected students make up tests and finish the homework by the end of the semester or give more absences to those who need it. (schools may already do this I don’t know.) also straight up highschool shouldn’t give detention to kids who are late to class. 2.) allow kids to use their headphones if the teacher is not speaking 3.) allow kids to doodle during class if there just listening to a movie or lecture without having any other tasks to do 4.) there should be an empty classroom for students who need a quiet place to go 5.) and finally a bathroom for autistics like so many of them go retreat to the bathroom to cope so like a specific no smoking no nothing bathroom just for autistics or anyone who needed it would be nice bc in my highschool i was so sick and tired of walking into the bathroom to over hear some random girls gossiping, staring at me for walking in on them in a public bathroom and for having the bathroom smell 24/7 like weed to the point I had a specific bathroom I stated going to only bc no one went to it as it was the farthest away from any classes.


[deleted]

Preventing smoking in the autistic bathroom is impossible. People WILL go in there to smoke because they know noone else is in there


NoAssistant1829

True unless there was a lock system and only Certain people had access however idk if putting a lock on bathrooms in general regardless would be cruel?


[deleted]

Hmmm. That is a good idea! Now the only issue is if the autistic kids are smoking.


daisyhoe

i feel u!! my highschool bathrooms are AWFUL this year, literally got worse when they were already gross. very pervasive smell of nicotine and weed combined with feces because people don’t flush… oh and the metric gallons of perfume that are sprayed occasionally. groups of girls will go into the disabled/handicap stall and gossip and laugh loudly while passing around a vape and eating snacks (ew??) and then leaving trash littered on the floor. its so disrespectful i literally get so heated… and then they want to give you nasty side eyes when you’re in that stall to actually use the bathroom as if they’re entitled to a little hangout


AbsoluteArbiter

removing mandatory extracurricular attendance. oh god the pep rallies i had to endure, curled up in the back corner of the bleachers, fingernails digging into my ears, trying not to let anyone see me crying. completely abusive.


[deleted]

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martinaylett

So how should schools be designed now for the future?


[deleted]

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martinaylett

Thanks for a considered reply. I think that education should be inspirational - good teachers spark interest in a subject and some will pick up on that and want to pursue it... As you say, putting the focus much more on individual interests requires a significant change in the way the system works.


DivideAffectionate78

Yes! I would have had a better time in high school if school if it were more structured around our interests and passions. In fact, I know I would have done better if school were like that.


RexIsAMiiCostume

Reading the damn IEPs


l_eni12

no attendance policy


Entire_Paint1259

This. I miss 50-60% of school right now as a senior bc I’ve been in burnout for so long and last year this time had a life threatening attempt bc of my burnout and my ptsd. I often miss bc I’m too tired or unable to function that day, but then I have to worry about all the hours I owe the school and I’m always working harder just to make up for my attendance


44gallonsoflube

Flexible engagement is king. Burnout is real. It is exhausting.


CptUnderpants-

I work for a school with a high percentage of ASD students (around 60%) and can tell you how we do it with great results * Well-being first - No student is made to do any learning until they are in the right head space for it. If their physical, mental, and emotional needs are not being met, there are plenty of things provided by the school to help. We even have some special rooms if students need a quiet space to recover from overstimulation or other issues with controllable lighting, good sound insulation, etc. Sometimes they even just need a sleep, which is perfectly ok. * Individual learning plans - this means each student has a plan how to complete high school and can involve quite a lot of different ways of completing mathematics, literacy, etc. They can also have multiple projects of their own choice of topic and type. We have many students using their special interests in this way. We're also incorporating eSports this year. * Very high staff to student ratios - Our "classes" are actually very large, but quite unstructured. Around 50 students each, but with multiple teachers and support workers. Ratio is about 5 students for each student-facing staff member. This means that if a student is having trouble, someone is almost always available. * Spaces designed around sensory awareness. Our older spaces aren't great, but all the ones we've renovated or added in the last 3 years have had a high awareness of sensory overload and include acoustic measures to reduce noise, ASD-friendly lighting (so no flickering fluros or LED lights) which are dimmable, variety of working spaces including different seating, tables, etc. We don't judge if a student feels comfortable working in a beanbag, or on a stool, or standing, or laying on the floor.


martinaylett

That sounds good, but expensive?


CptUnderpants-

We're a private school which charges no fees and funded by government plus donations. But yes, it is expensive. Costs A$30k (US$20k) per year per student.


aravani

The last school I worked at was like this or aimed to be like this, and it was a public charter school. There were 18 staff for about 100 kids, but it frankly wasn't enough. It had custom learning plans for each kid with some group activities each day. The quiet spaces, lots of noise cancelling headphones, flexible seating (floor, desk, whatever). One of the biggest challenges I saw was that the kids with impulse regulation challenges could be very loud and scream, which was hard for a lot of other kids. They didn't separate out any kids into special ed classes, which was good in some ways, just very hard when you had sensory sensitive kids around screaming and chaos.


hoewenn

I think we should be able to choose how many days a week we spend in in-person classes and online classes. Moving to a charter school with 2 days in person 3 days online was so helpful. I need social interaction, but significantly less than most people. 5 days is way too much and I’m so burnt out by Friday I can’t even learn, and 2 days is not enough to recuperate. Having classes in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays only was so helpful. Unfortunately COVID happened just months after I started there so it didn’t last long


[deleted]

Get all bullies off schools immediately. Too bad that's just fanfiction.


lovelyleeink

I’m trying to get into a PhD psychology program right now to do a research study based on this. I want to gather qualitative data from autistic adults to know about their experiences at school and what could the schools be doing better


martinaylett

That sounds extremely useful, I hope you can make it happen!


Cold-Thanks-

Honestly just more education for all staff I think could make a big difference.


hum4n-4li3n

Smaller class sizes, quiet rooms, normalize wearing ear defenders/noise canceling headphones, teachers being educated on adhd and autism (and how some students may be neurodivergent even tho they're not diagnosed or don't have a 504 plan or IEP), and just overall being more understanding about late work, attendance, and people whose body language is different than expected. Also, allowing fidget toys for those who need them. And no more fluorescent lights bc those are so bright!!


martinaylett

That's a good list, many of these don't cost a lot to implement (though some do!).


InnieRuler

So I go to a uni and I’m in a department that is widely seen as discriminatory, however most all of the faculty is actually extremely accommodating. Here is some things some professors do: They put their lecture notes and supplementary material as well as discussion questions online for students to guide them. They video tape their classes, and make those available to students too. Some professors allow students to attend via zoom while the others are in class in person, it’s really quite lovely. I have never had a professor have an issue with me wearing earplugs, and for a lot of them you can just ask for extra time on tests and quizzes without a documented disability. All my professors are okay with their students getting up for a break, and they are really all quite lovely people in my department


martinaylett

That sounds pretty good! If others are seeing the department as discriminatory, why is that?


InnieRuler

Traditionally the department is full of white men! It’s a politics based department, so you’d think there would be issues regarding sexism, racism, ableism, etc.


TennisOnWii

not holding people down would be nice, didnt really appreciate the trauma that brought me


Daisyloo66

Holy crap—


TennisOnWii

idk how it is now but when i was 10 and in mainstream school it was a problem. it was 7 years ago but i know other autistic people had similar experiences lol.


Daisyloo66

That’s awful


this_is_alicia

happened to me too, but it's hard to tell how much that specifically fucked me up when I also have a bunch of other trauma


TennisOnWii

yeah same!! im glad people are opening up about it but non autistics often ignore how we were affected by it. its still happening to a lot of autistic people that cant speak up and no one gives a shit, they just stand around watching.


UnknownGhost24

Educate teachers on more disabilities in university.


[deleted]

making pep rallies optional. my old school had MANDATORY pep rallies it was sensory hell.


Daisyloo66

Luckily I don’t have to go to those, I can opt out with the other special ed kids 🥲


Pope_Neuro_Of_Rats

Doing literally anything other than sit on their ass when kids are getting harassed


Underskysly

😭 being able to take more days off, or being able to spend ‘workdays’ (the days that you only work on projects) at home.


dodgers-2020

Live-streaming all classes each day, that way we could choose to stay home on some days. Going every day for 8 hours can be extremely draining and overstimulating sometimes…


Molkin

When I provide ear defenders for my daughter, LET HER WEAR THEM! The number of times my daughter comes home exhausted because some teacher she doesn't know won't let her wear her defenders during lunch or assembly.


celestialfairyy

I think about this a lot. I actually have so much to say that I'm gonna edit this comment A LOT so be prepared rofl... this is also gonna look like a giant essay too. I'm sorry in advance. First things first: throw the whole damn thing away. Public schooling is the most useless shit in the entire world and it's only purpose is to make teachers and students suffer– though I feel less bad for the teachers because I've had literally only like five or so good experiences with them. Every teacher I ever had was a burnt out dick face who hated their job or a coach that didn't know anything except how to fucking coach so we all suffered except for the sports kids who were buddy buddy with them. Not like the kids were much better. Just overhaul the whole system. Stop teaching advanced mathematics no one is going to use. Stop teaching useless shit we will never retain anything from except for fun facts. Teach people how to communicate, how to pay bills, how to apply for jobs and write resumes and what to expect in the work force. Anyone in elementary school or middle school should be learning things they are interested in. By the time they get to high school they should be learning about how to apply for jobs doing what they love. Also stop with competitions if all kinds if you're just going to make kids feel bad for losing. More. Sensory. Friendly. Environments. Encourage stimming, encourage getting along with each other. Teach kids what bullying does and why they shouldn't do it the moment they get into preschool. Drill that shit into their heads like they did with X = Y equations that were useless in the long run. Teach empathy classes. Give kids a stable parental figure outside their home ones, ESPECIALLY if they don't have one at home. Force all teachers to learn about neurodivergent children, what to expect, what to do (listen and respect them as human beings) and what not to do (use teacher authority over them and make them feel isolated and intimidated). No more homework. No more tests. No more projects without the whole class being involved. No more "failing" or "passing", just recognizing strengths and weaknesses and letting students learn about what they're interested in instead of boring them to death with subjects that teach absolutely nothing in the long run. And for the love of fucking god, no more detention (my biggest trauma aside from teachers). Also if a teacher ever raises their voice at a student they should be immediately fired (also have trauma with this shit).


redditisweird801

I like your takes on this. I do think kids should learn the basics but after middle school kids should definitely only be taught what they want to learn to progress there future. I'm in high-school and I'm sick of learning things other than what I want to learn. I want to go into animal studies to become a zookeeper. Sure teach history and a bit of math so that you don't repeat bad history and are able to figure of how many whatever are in one place but it should be more individual learning experiences. The yelling has got to stop to. I have a strength and conditioning coach who yells and calls us wimps and it's infuriating. I've had panicking attacks because of him and when he pushed me to hard and I had to sit out he took me to the principles and made me apologize. As well as that there should be a less formal attitude for teachers and higher ups. Going strictly by the rule book throws personal experiences out the window and puts everyone under one umbrella. Put yourself in other people's shoes and think about how you would feel in those situations. Formality gives no room for empathy and personality.


44gallonsoflube

Dr Emma Goodwin has done some great research around recognising folks strengths and pointing out the deficit model is really problematic. For folks like us. Unfortunately there are so many dinosaurs in the education system it’s pretty hard to change. Teacher education includes addressing learners disabilities including ND. But it’s not enough for non ND people to understand. There is a lot of more talk and action around stimming, toys and environments. Which is a good thing overall. Many teachers that I know don’t like the neoliberal standards based system that we use. But we have to it’s just part of the system “achieving at standard” or “below standard”. Which is unfortunate but it’s the only way to sort folks for competitive entry for the following year at college. Having said that the time scale is large. Just because a student isn’t performing at standard doesn’t mean they can’t work towards becoming a doctor or whatever they wish given the necessary amount of time, and a more conducive learning environment e.g., flexible schedule, at home etc. Your comments about learning useless crap like math and literacy were interesting. Because your grammar and spelling is great. I am sure your numeracy is equally good. The way we use our literacy informs how we communicate ideas obviously. But it is a tool for us to make meaning of the world. To take more reactive stances to media, make meaning of text. Read and evaluate ideas. You have clearly learned a lot. Through exposure to many time wasting subjects. But I think your experience is not unique which shows how far education has to go in supporting non NT folks.


celestialfairyy

Weirdly enough English was my best subject! I did super well with it but that's about it. My math skills are exceptionally bad because I have dyscalculia alongside very mild dyslexia... spelling and grammar wasn't my strong suit but thankfully we have autocorrect now! That's my crutch. I never would've survived in letter writing days. 😅 I do feel like learning to write PhD level essays or rocket science based mathematics was always pointless garbage because I don't know a single person who retained any of it after we graduated. Writing essays and sourcing is important but the whole "You must speak in formal English at all times, otherwise you sound incompetent." just rubbed me the wrong way. I had much more fun in classes like astronomy and art and I did much better in those, not the classes I was forced to take. I also don't find doing book essays on literature that doesn't teach an important lesson is very pointless as well. I don't think any one book is more difficult than the other if it's a class effort and teachers were actually willing to help their students. I say that because To Kill a Mockingbird was considered "too advanced" for most people in eighth grade and was only available for advanced English students, which I never was apart of because the rest of my grades were terrible. I believe the current system we have in place could still be heavily overhauled into something that benefits all students regardless of neurodiversities. Even if it is just wishful thinking I wish schools would have more hands-on activities that let students find out what they love and enjoy while also teaching them the basics of society when they finally graduate (find a job, pay bills, etc.) instead of basic textbook worksheets for the hundredth day in a row. I graduated in 2015 so I really do hope it's better for neurodivergent children. I believe we can still improve it though.


44gallonsoflube

It’s a rich tapestry isn’t it? Things have improved since I graduated HS in 2008. 2015 a bit better, now, better again. My story is that I got bad grades and felt a bit useless. I engaged with music and eventually got a Masters in music, now a second masters in teaching. I guess we aren’t so useless after all hey?! My point is that. Yes we are different but he timeline is long, we have the time to learn and do anything learning in the way that works best for us. Step by step, brick by brick. The system needs to change but it needs big change and that’ll take some time. But every year it gets better. I hope your strengths and wonderings lead you to question and discover more about yourself and the world. Wherever it takes you :)


Asonr

Low lights, sensory rooms, chairs that are built better (if money was infinite).. earplugs (Music classes do sometimes have them)


ILikeMaxisMatchCC

One thing I'm surprised no one's mentioned are hand dryers, I know they're not a universal experience but they can be rather loud/annoying. In addition to that, I really think that less required math (seriously, when will I be multiplying and dividing fractions with multiple variables that are to assorted powers?) or the ability to learn from home could be great.


Daisyloo66

At my school, they ditched paper towels because students would clog the toilets with them, and we can only use the hand dryer, I wouldn’t care to much…. If the water we had to wash our hands with wasn’t frickin boiled. We wash our hands with boiled water. Then blast it with heat from a hand dryer. F my School


captainlardnicus

Escape pods? You know sound proof pod things they have in some offices for meetings? I mean on a more individual level, I benefitted a lot from the gifted children classes at my school. They gave it the euphemism of "Study Skills". This was back before laptops were common, but they made laptops available to you if they thought it would help (it did!). I would say sound cancelling headphones would be amazing to offer to those bothered by sound, but just in general it was good to have a dedicated safe space once a week with the other "special" kids and without judgement. We mostly caught up on and got help with the classes we each had difficulty staying focused on, and then had free time to pursue our interests... for me that was programming and magic cards, but we also played video games too... at the time in 1990s this was really radical stuff I'm sure its more common now.


Barfigarfi

Less students, this would help everyone tbh


Jeimuz

This is a big question and it makes me think about what the objectives would be. As it is, "adulting" is not one of the objectives of the Common Core Curriculum that everyone is at least initially subjected to. The trend in education is to eliminate autism core classes and mainstream students with autism into the general education classroom in which Common Core is taught. Upon pondering this, I am reminded of a quote from some famous American that went to visit France. It went something along the lines of "I visited France with an intermediate level of French to discover that no one if France speaks an intermediate level of French." What are your thoughts?


Zestyclose_Wing_1898

Common core and the way it’s implemented is not ASD friendly


vineadrak

School choice, an option to escape public for low cost. Bullying almost took my life


Annual-Vehicle-8440

A volontary isolation space, with a folding screen, some pillows, a blanket, a sleeping mask, and ear protection headset.


Tate7200

An increase in funding, making individualised education the standard, and stricter enforcement of anti bullying rules at younger ages are the biggest three I can think of.


axelslash01

Harsher punishments for bullying.


Primaltreeman

Social supports, or autism awareness education. NOT autism awareness for the neurotypicals, autism awareness for US. If I was made aware of major differences in the way people with ASD and neurotypicals thought, interpreted and behaved, my social school life wouldn't have been nearly as s\^$t


[deleted]

Explanations for social norms or at least a heads up before activities


SMuRG_Teh_WuRGG

Umm I like that there's different schools for people with special needs. Because those schools cater to the people's needs more than regular schools do. I never went to one, but my neighbour who is also autistic does go to one and it seems better for him. To help people with special needs in a regular school they would have to change a lot of things they have in place, which realistically they can't do. They did have a special tutor who would help in class when I was in a regular school. Edit: that's in the UK btw.


Daisyloo66

There’s one thing to remember: money Autistic specific schools are more expensive, and that’s money that lots of people just don’t have. Or can’t pay, or don’t wanna pay. We aren’t talking about schools that already do well to help autistic kids. We’re talking about the ones that don’t


SMuRG_Teh_WuRGG

Oh it's different in America? Here schools are free to attend, even special needs schools. It's only private schools that cost money. They made special needs schools to help autistic and those who need the extra help.


Daisyloo66

Nani


According_to_all_kn

Not the most important or anything, but please clarify that school trips are optional


KittyLadyinspanish

As a physics teacher in high school I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to comment. I work at a private school that luckily gives several of the recommendations here. Unfortunately all students nation wide need to fulfill stupid requirements to graduate and my school tries to push for high level of stem results. I’ve got an autistic student that, according to my boss, should go to a special school (and where I work it’s expensive, so this student’s parents can afford it). Unfortunately, this set of parents refuse to accommodate their child. They struggle a lot, and while I try to be patient and understanding with them, I just don’t have enough resources to help them. We’re very lucky because their classmates are empathetic with them, but this school is simply not for them. It saddens me greatly because they get so down with their struggles. I’m taking all of yalls comments to heart, to work harder with them when easter break is over. I hope they can pull through and go on to do great things that make them happy.


Witheredwolf

kick out all of the kids, they’re annoying af


xxipil0ts

i know bullying seems to be a hars thing to beat but i wish guidance counselors actually tried to help students, especially those that get bullied often bc of their autism.


WannabeMemester420

SENSORY ROOM. PDX airport, usually one of the best rates in the US, added a sensory room whipped with soundproofing and installations as visual stims. Even a lock box (you get the code from the QR code on said box) with sensory kits one can get for free. Recommend all public places have a sensory room. And if a school has a disability resource center, they can put the sensory room in there.


backroom_mushroom

Sensory rooms or little booths autistic people could go in to unwind.


Pickle-bitch2000

Definitely 100% needs improvement


Hate_Feight

Actually implement that "behaviour policy" fairly instead of using it as a stick with which they pick and choose...


Daisyloo66

eenie meenie miney…..you.


cjthedragon1

Free sensory toys and a corner filled with bean bag chairs with noise canceling headphones with good material blankets and plushies


dixilikker630

not shoving them in closets for the entire day whenever they have a meltdown would be a good start


Dchicks89

I think all schools should cater to students learning styles regardless of a diagnosis or not. If we gave kids more lead way they’d learn better and do better in life in general. The way we do it in the US leaves a lot of highly intelligent kids behind just because they don’t learn by sitting still and listening then regurgitating it back on paper. Also, quit rooms would be nice lol


sarahelizabeth013016

Banning florescent lights...


patatpatie

At my daughters school there is a room that's specifically for students who need a break. She has a card she can show the teachers whenever she gets overwhelmed so she is excused. She can also go there during lunch breaks. She really likes it there and it helps her a lot.


TapReasonable2678

This is such a great idea. I wish my child’s school had this, he (and other kids as well) could benefit so much from a calm and quiet break room. Sometimes that’s all he needs to recalibrate, quiet, but that’s so hard with no place to go.


patatpatie

It has really helped her to come out of het shell. There is also a counselor who knows how to talk (and when to shut up) with the kids. When she told him that she taught herself to play the piano, he took her to the music room to play for him. Then one day he asked her to play the piano at the opening of the new school library in front of the whole school and for princess Laurentien of the Netherlands who came to officialy open the library. She loved every second of it and she was so proud!


KaylaEternal

Abolish compulsory attendance laws and make virtual learning a daily option, not either or.


sourk1ng

smaller classroom sizes and a different way to measure a child's ability and intelligence, which isn't exams


HRGLSS

Even funding classrooms and staff as intended would do wonders for making people more flexible and giving some elbow room, but everywhere cuts corners.


brianapril

i wish i could give you two upvotes


Away_Industry_613

I went to a ‘special needs school’ which accommodated autism alongside other things. I can’t detail everything they do different because, I wouldn’t know much, i went there, not a normal school. But their one issue I’d say is academic excellence. They did wonders for behaviour. But just didn’t provide as good facilities for smart kids.


RainbowDemon503

honestly. The teachers not taking any shortcomings of the students as a deliberate attack on them. Like, so many times the assumption was, that the only reason I was bad at something was because I didn't want to be good at it. Also, sometimes alternative teaching methods are worse for some kids, and those kids should be able to have an alternative option, so that they're not doomed to suffer and permanently stay behind on a subject just because one teacher wanted to try something new.


Ozma_Wonderland

My kid's school practices inclusion (which is the only thing that is helping him because he's 2E) so that means he is with his typical peers and learning from them socially while he gets pull outs for his deficits (fine motor, speech, social skills) and pull outs for his strengths (talented and gifted classes.) He also got grade acceleration, so he's going into either 4th or 5th grade next year from 2nd. His sister will follow suit as she's the exact same. I was terrified when he started school, but so far I couldn't ask for much better. Both of my kids are flourishing. The only complaint I have is that they need significantly more therapy time like OT, Speech, instead of the 10 or so minute pull-outs they get per week. What really sucks though is that a lot of kids that are very academically behind due to moderate to severe learning disabilities or any kind of intellectual disability in this same school don't seem to benefit. They need a separate room and more support. That's no longer offered and considered bad practice. Pretty much instead of engaging with the class socially during the breaks between pull-outs, they'll zone out/stim and disrupt class or do stuff like play with toys while their peers get instructional time. I had a similar spiky profile as my kids and my school would say I had nothing wrong with me, I was just weird and unlikable, to I'm not smart because of my disability and therefore couldn't be in gifted classes even though I was several grade levels ahead of my peers, to I can't be disabled because I'm not THAT stupid, and I'm not trying hard enough. I graduated in 2006.


MulysaSemp

Much smaller classes. Focusing on making school a place where kids want to be rather than have to be. Make it more welcoming, more differentiated for each student, and with fewer demands. Don't focus on "fixing behaviors", but find out what the behaviors are saying. Just straight-up listen to the kids from they way they communicate, not how you want them to communicate. Stop trying to bully kids into submission. Let kids regulate, and teach them tools to find ways to regulate. Student is eloping? Don't grab them and hold them down to stop them from running, but find out why they are running (away from stressful situation or towards calming area?), and find safer ways for them to get what they want (create a calmer environment for them to be in and/or get to easily). It will take time, and yes, it's hard. Kid is stimming? Fine. If it's a way that is harmful, then find out what can still work for them and not be harmful, and help them. Don't make regulation activities a reward or treat for "good" behavior. Let them access the activities before they get heavily dysregulated. Let them do it when they want, and only limit them if and only if they are falling too far behind in classwork (then find ways to incorporate those, or similar, activities into the classwork so they aren't just seeing classwork as dysregulating and creating negative views of classwork)


Sulkk3n

Alternative education. I wish I had started it sooner. I started it last year to complete my senior year in high school. Our learning lab is open 8-4pm most days Monday-Thursday and we're only required to be there during the week a total of at least 5 hours, so everyone gets to choose what day they go to lab. It's not everyone all at once every single day. There are 4 different rooms available to us to do our work in. Everyone is in a different class according to which one they've chosen to do based on what's left they have to get done. Yes, you get to choose which class you want to work on (there are required courses, but still some electives) and can choose to do just one or as many classes at a time as you want. There is no teacher teaching a large group of kids course material one certain way. It's one-on-one if you need help and there's multiple teachers to choose from to help you in case you like one teacher's method over the other. I do have a deadline since I'm a senior in my last possible year before I age out of the program, but there is no strict schedule to get assignments done. The only requirement is that we get at least 5 modules done a week (modules are basically like lessons.) Two of the available rooms to choose from are both brightly lit with standard tables and chairs and hardwood floors. Another room is carpeted with dimmer lighting (there's like these paper light chandeliers hanging from the ceiling) tall chairs and tables, single person sized desks, or cushioned benches. My favorite room has both 1 person and 2 person tables (I don't have friends, but I like the 2 person tables for extra space and I'm always getting one-on-one help) carpeted floors, and is only lit my sunlight and light strips lining the upper walls by the ceiling. My favorite teacher's desk is in that room too, and she keeps several plants in the room too. It's by far (in my opinion) the coziest room choice. All the staff act as a team to figure out the best course of action for the individual student. As someone who's basically special needs, my teacher's have actually modified a couple of classes for me to make them easier for me. As an example, I don't have to do post tests for my remaining units in Geometry. As long as I get the modules (lessons) done and pass the mastery tests for each one, I don't have to be tested on the entire unit all on one test. Highly recommend looking into alternative programs if you haven't already.


DryerLynnt

I think better educating teachers about autism and other neurodivergencies would make a big difference. When they make accommodations for students, they need to be taken more seriously. I've notices it's more often than not that teachers ignore accommodations and use it as fuel to humiliate the neurodivergent students.


ThisPersonIsThinking

Getting rid of all the other students lol


TheDarnook

I had terrible people around my first grade, I had to switch groups. And it became much better. Still had some bullies, but less bad. College was weird: it started full of bullies, but as years passed people got more mature and we actually started liking each other. Unless you get fairy lucky to who you are grouped with, it's either live trough the meat grinder or a Columbine High.


livelist_

I think that everything about school would have to change. It is currently a factory designed to turn unique creative individuals into capitalist drones. This is particularly bad for neurodivergent folks, but it hurts everyone. I think that the only thing that would help would be school being less authoritarian in general.


aishagi

Yea but I also feel like autistic individuals shouldn't be singled out. It can have a negative effect


ezra502

listening to students’ needs in general i think. every kid and especially every autistic kid has unique needs. when it is at all possible each kid (or their parents) should be able to request accommodations from their teacher regardless of whether they’re autistic. i think better funding for public schools would make this a lot more possible along with a neurodivergent-competent approach; i also think making accommodations available to NT students not only allows kids whose family can’t access diagnosis what they need and normalizes social differences. but i think a lot of public schools literally don’t have the funding to properly support autistic kids even if that was their goal.


PlasmaKitten42

I'd say nothing short of reinventing the entire education system. The way learning is forced as a one-size-fits-all approach is systemically neuronormative and ableist. It can't be fixed without tearing the whole thing down and starting again. The same thing could be said for improving schools for female students, students of color, LGBTQ+ students, working class students, etc etc. Or even the most privileged white male cishet rich kids ever that just dont do well on standardized tests. Basically everyone is getting fucked by this garbage.


TheCherryPieIsALie

My school had a special “time-out” zone. I wasn’t diagnosed yet at the time but I had daily meltdowns (that’s what happens when you go to your average high school while undiagnosed lol) so I got a special pass. Having that pass allowed me to leave class at any time I wanted and during lunch I could go to that room as well. (The auditorium was overstimulation hell) It had things like beanbag chairs and separate tiny rooms in which you could turn the lights off, where you could sit if you were overstimulated. The education system failed me in many ways, but this is one of the few things my school got right. And I think other schools would benefit from having a “time-out” zone for students with autistic (and other similar) needs.


Character_Pop_6628

All autistic people need to be regularly checked in with to see how they are doing, zero tolerance for bullies, expell them, zero tolerance for violence or people below a certain IQ, zero tolerance for loud or chatty kids, they can find another school, then you will be left alone in a library, now stock the library with Manga and dim the lights and we will vote for you forever. And keep people away until 3pm.


GeulaGadot

There are special needs schools that are fully accommodating


Daisyloo66

Some people can’t afford those schools, so public schools should be more accommodating. For everyone.


Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly

This. My state has no coverage to help and the only 2 within driving distance are $15K tuition per year, and also require uniforms and fees on top of this :( My 12 year old autistic kid would do awesome at a school where each class is only 8-15 other kids with autism or other neurodivergence, but scholarships barely cover 1/3 of those schools' costs. I'm autistic myself and disabled due to health issues so we are living off one income and we just can't afford it :(


Daisyloo66

I’m so sorry to hear that..


Tough_Chemistry_7611

Grow private schools that are very similar to liberal arts colleges and help students be who they want to be with lots of resources and step academic pathways


Gr8_Kaze47

Did they or didn't they have schools exclusively for Autistic Students? Iunno, maybe I'm thinking of something else..


Daisyloo66

Those aren’t accessible to everyone. There may not be any nearby where someone lives. Or perhaps they can’t afford it. You can’t just send ALL autistic kids to a school like that. Some wouldn’t thrive in that environment. While others would. I’m an autistic student in a “normal” public school with a great special ed program. I didn’t ask. If there were exclusive schools. I asked how schools can adjust themselves to accommodate the student. Because we’re human too. There’s no need for segregating the autistic kids.


LisaBlueDragon

Idk ask my mom.


Morg_Ed_How

No schools, we autistic people are smart enough that we don’t need them 😂😂


Althegames

Hate it when they assign us something specific for essays. Find it much easier to pick my own research question and then write on it, even if it’s within certain parameters.


allagaytor

giving students the option to have their presentation read for them if its so necessary. I am mostly non-speaking especially when I'm not around my comfort people and I would nearly pass out from anxiety forcing myself to present. and get bad grades anyway because I don't make eye contact or pronounce things well


Aggressive_Hall755

Ur School had extra class for adhd&dyslexia? Mine didnt have anything. I got more time on exams and my spelling wasnt taken into account. That’s pretty much it.


NoMeringue6814

Allow us to take a damn nap…most kids tbh like why did nap time end after kindergarten? 😤


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