Starting teaching

I will begin teaching come the start of March and today had my first student assessment. A mum met with me about her little boy, who she says is not talking to people. She has had him assessed by an educational therapist who diagnosed her young one with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but she didn't believe the report because the guy wasn't an MD. I gently told her that I agreed with his diagnosis and the specialist seemed to know what he was talking about, as all the right areas were covered in the report. It's a common occurrence here for parents to really have no idea of what is wrong with their children. And when doctors or specialists tell them, they don't understand because there is no follow up, no where for them to go for more information and of course, not many schools or centres for their children to attend, especially in a smallish town like this one.

I hope I can help her child. He was a bright, chatty (chatting to himself) little guy with a huge smile. He could use his imagination and he can follow instructions. A good start for someone with autism. I'm going to start his program using the principles of Floortime, a method of teaching autistic children that means you have to go down to their level and try to connect with them while playing. It's good I will have him for a few hours a week. Floor time takes time.

The saddest thing is that parents often come to me with the expectation that I can cure their child. I don't know why this is, but it means I have to tell them that I can only try my best. I hope my best is good enough for her to see some improvement. She asked is he bad (compared to other children). I told her I'd seen children who were worse and some that were better. But it doesn't really matter, because I can see his potential. I can see his personality and his abilities, not just his difficulties. I will build on his strengths and from there, hopefully get results.

I start teaching him in March and I'm looking forward to it. Wish me luck.