Chamber and committees

Petitioner submission of 2 March 2022

PE1870/L - Ensure teachers of autistic pupils are appropriately qualified

Two recent articles have been produced in Aberdeen that directly relate to my petition.

Recently the Aberdeen Press and Journal highlighted teachers in Aberdeen being abused and physically assaulted. It stated almost half of the teachers after a survey by the Educational Institute of Scotland suggests almost a third of teachers had been physically assaulted by pupils in the 2021/22 season revealed the scale of the issue in Aberdeen.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is quoted as saying that “there should be zero tolerance of abuse against teachers”.

I feel that there is a bigger picture here and it is related to my petition. Many of the children who are unable to cope in a mainstream class have Autism. Some can become overwhelmed in the environment they are made to attend, without the right supports and strategies this can trigger extreme challenging behaviour.

Many teachers are not sufficiently trained to deal with children with autism who may also have co-occurring conditions such as a learning disability, ADHD, Sensory Issues, Anxiety, OCD, etc. Autism plus any of these conditions will result in complex support needs. Many may need an additional Co-ordinated Support Plan. This type of in-depth level of support is far greater than just the standard additional support needs. When the correct supports are not in place this can result in teachers being abused both verbally and physically.

Aberdeen Radio Original 106 (Monday 21st February 2022) also ran an article stating that:

“The joint EIS local association secretary Ron Constable states, the returns from our local survey of teachers in Aberdeen City makes for worrying reading. Teachers are experiencing high levels of physical and verbal abuse. It is also evident from the comments that teachers are concerned about the level of support which in many cases they feel simply isn’t there. The vast majority of teachers feel they are seeking to manage children presenting complex needs without the correct resources. It is also telling that almost 50 per cent of teachers have thoughts of leaving teaching as a career. The report is based on the views of 600 teachers across Aberdeen City who responded to a survey in October 2021.”

I remember a time when teachers were looked up to by parents for their educational knowledge and ability but now many parents and advocates have more knowledge about autism and learning than the teachers. They attend meetings with their child’s professionals, and it is evident that there is a wide lack of knowledge and expertise on autism. They find it hard to accept that their autistic child is included in the general ‘additional support needs’ when they can have so many more specific and complex needs (once instance only; the child being non-verbal as well as having a host of other autistic traits).

Some parents themselves have gone on to gain a Post Grad Cert in Autism and Learning in order to help understand their own child. Some complete the full six National Autistic Society certificate modules: Autism & Communication, Understanding Autism, Autism, Stress & Anxiety, Autism & Sensory, Supporting the Family. Some are doing the certificate in (BILD) Positive Behaviour Supports.

I feel this petition needs to consider the parents view’s as they feel that the teachers do not have sufficient training or experience of autism to teach their children.

I believe these articles have highlighted this and that the system at the moment is failing both the teachers and the children.

Children with autism should be given equal consideration as Deaf and Blind children. They should be singled out educationally the same as Blind and Deaf. Blind and Deaf children require “thoughtful and unique educational approaches in order to ensure that are given the opportunity to reach their full potential”, so should autistic children.

Children with autism can experience the world very differently to neurotypical children. They can be sensitive to physical touch; they can be non-verbal; they may have hearing or sight issues. They can have triggers that initiate a meltdown in class or when they get home. The autism community have been trying to highlight these issues as their children are the highest number of children excluded from schools. The office for statistics shows that autistic people are the least likely to be in work of any other disabled group. Just 21.7%. This all relates back to a failed education, and we must look at why they are failing.