How does having autism spectrum disorder effect your chances of gaining an education?

To start with, what is it like having autism?

My family, friends and clients who have autism tell me it feels normal. This is a true statement! This is a normal way of being. So, if we take an autistic view point on our community and culture, we can easily see it not set up for their “normal”. It is actually a “neuro-typical” or people without autisms “normal”. All of the parts of community you can think of – shopping centres, modes of transport, right down to furniture doesn’t really suit their normal.

One of the most important community integrations we have in our life is our education. Now think for a moment… who’s normal does that serve? People with autism or neuro-typical people? And for that matter does it really suit the neuro-typical population. In this I mean is the education system of Australia meeting the diverse range of learning styles, communication styles, developmental needs and sensory styles of the Australian population?

Is there a gap?

Have you heard parents talk about school and the national curriculum? A look of fear washes over their face and they then slump into a daunted despondence. In school pick lines and tuckshops everywhere, parents are discussing how on earth their children are going to complete their education with all the basics learnt and how are they going to keep up with the pace of learning and testing.

Now imagine your child had autism, they also might have ADHD or OCD. What does the national curriculum look like for them? Is it built around their normal, learning styles, sensory needs and developmental stage? Is there a gap?

What is the gap?

Are we teaching the important little things? Making sure everyone knows the alphabet and can read. Are we making sure that all learners have the regulation and knowledge of their emotions to complete the intended learning when the learning gets challenging? Or does it get skipped for the sake of keeping up with the run-away train we call the national curriculum?

Who falls down the gap?

Any child who displays diversity in going to fall down that gap. You know the old saying, it’s the square peg that won’t fit the round hole. How many of these square pegs do we have and who is helping them be the best version of themselves?

Steps to make a difference

Step 1, find out what kind of normal your child is. What do they excel at and what challenges them? Get a holistic picture of this, from family, friends, school, sports, use of technology and any other community engagement.

Step2, look at the small things, I hate that saying, sweat the small stuff but it is what will make the difference. Check out emotions and regulation, understanding of self and others and how your child manages the world and relates their normal to the world.

Step 3, make a plan. How will you help your child manage each space in a better way? How can they manage the demands of each community space in a way that makes being a community member a good thing in their life and world? How can you create balance, learning, growth and development in a child with diversity?

Make sure they haven’t missed the small stuff, the basics, the fundaments that systems and organisations miss or gloss over quickly and move on. Take time to check out the resources at Create skills for life. Created for the child that has diverse needs and needs lots of help with the small stuff, like feelings, emotions, communication and understanding.

Make that your next step!