Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional What if the g/t teacher isn't trained in ASD?

My son has Asperger Syndrome/ASD and is in the g/t program in his elementary school. It's just a pull-out twice a week and not actually all that great. But still, it's better than nothing. However, the g/t teacher has made it very clear that she doesn't know anything about ASD. This leads to problems, because I think she resents the fact that she has to work with a kid who is "different" and sometimes acts a little goofy. My opinion is that a teacher should teach all children assigned to her class (my son tested into the program fair and square), not just the easiest, goody-two-shoes kids. Has anybody else dealt with a situation like this? Our school is weak on several levels, so this is just one more issue that we can't seem to resolve. What do you do if your child is highly gifted but the gifted teacher in your school doesn't want to work with him?!

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So I would try to educate the GT, but I would also look for others associated with the school as potential mentors for your son. Is there someone in charge of IT who would be willing to do an 'independent study' with your son? Or a Math teacher? What is the Media Specialist like?

Are there alternatives to the current school? Can you homeschool, or homeschool part time?

Best Wishes,
Grinity

Public school? If so, they don't get a choice of which kids to teach.

Our GT teacher had never had a special ed kid in some 30 years of teaching. That says to me: they're under-identifying the disabled gifted kids. I imagine this happens lots of places. Not surprising yours isn't experienced.

Our general strategy for teacher education (not just GT but any teacher):

--casually ask them how it's going, and when they complain offer them *one* useful strategy. Each time.

--offer them time with our private therapist to "share strategies", paid for by us, at their convenience

--get the special ed teacher to do his job of coordinating and leading the whole teacher team who deals with DS, and making sure all of them are following the IEP

--there is a person in the building who supervises the implementation of IEPs. Make sure this person learns of any issues you're having. This is a legal compliance/equal access issue, and they are supposed to fix it at once if it's affecting your DS in any tangible way.

--Get this person or the principal to send the GT teacher to continuing ed about autism and other special needs.

HTH
DeeDee

Hi DeeDee.

Thank you very much for sharing your approach. I feel like have pretty much tried everything (including involving the head of g/t for the entire district). The g/t teacher has received lots of tips and info, and was encouraged to attend a workshop on Asperger Syndrome, which she agreed to do. But in the end she did not show up. She was "too busy." So it seems very much that she does not want to know. My guess is she is hoping she can find enough reasons to have my son eventually removed from her g/t program.

I feel like this is a "top down" type problem in our school. The principal is not supportive or progressive and therefore neither are the teachers. Our special education teachers do not regularly work with gifted kids--there is probably no more than one child like my son in each individual elementary school here--so even they are untrained and of little help.

I feel that our IEP is not being followed. For example, the IEP states that my son is to receive paraprofessional support in the classroom. But when he is pulled for g/t, the para from the classroom does not go with him. Isn't that a violation of the IEP? Or does "classroom" in the IEP only refer to "general education classroom" and not things like art, music, g/t? Regardless, I'm not sure it makes much difference. The para is completely untrained as well.

Hi Grinity,

What is a "media specialist"? I don't think we have one of those in our school. In my research over the past several months I have concluded that different states offer totally different services to schoolchildren.

We have no alternatives to our current school (I wish!). There is a private school for the gifted, but they don't accept kids with special needs. There are private autism schools, but these are very expensive ABA-based places set up for kids who are on the more "severe" end of the autism spectrum. Homeschooling is out of the question because we cannot survive on one income. It's all just very depressing.

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Sorry to hear that there are not alternatives. In the long run, I think that the best option is to develop relationships with all the key Adults, and keep reminding everyone over and over that we all want what is in the child's best interests.

Love and More love,
Grinity

I know that I have had to train people on the concept of twice exceptional. It is misunderstood. I went in with so much info that I had> I also had to give info on misdiagnosis and the underachieving child. They seemed to educate themselves when they knew I was on top of things. Yes if the IEP says an aide goes with him to whereever then that should be happening regardless. this is from a sped teacher. If he is not succeeding in the pull out and there is no aide there for support then he should not be removed until given all accomadations and modifications as stated in his IEP.
As a little hint that you are unhappy ask for a recent copy of the IDEA book so that you can review your rights to due process. That will let them know there are issues with the IEP. Then follow through with the parental complaint if necessary. I am a sped teacher but know that sometimes people need a fire lit under their butts to make a change.

My best friend is a teacher (in another state) and she says our school here is a joke. I believe my only recourse now is to either move away (north!! get out of the south!!), or get a 50 page IEP where every little thing is spelled out very specifically. But they're already having trouble bothering to read and/or follow the IEP, so who knows if a really good one would make any difference at all.

If the IEP isn't being followed, the people who aren't following it could be personally liable for damages.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=20

I don't know if the teachers and administrators at your son's school are familiar with this case. It would be a shame if they had to find out at a due process hearing...

At least in Texas, the para goes to each class with the child (including pull-outs and electives).

This is the main reason I've chosen to homeschool my son. Many teachers turn their heads to kids that are not completely compliant in every way. This is why there are so many gifted children who fall through the cracks and end up not caring about school and/or dropping out.