Asperger Syndrome Australian Information Centre

HIGH SCHOOL

HELPING YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER TO MANAGE AT HIGH SCHOOL - AND MAKING IT AS ENJOYABLE AND SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.

By Heather Lord

(originally published in the Aspergers Syndrome Support Network (Qld) newsletter in 2001)

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence and the years at secondary school can be difficult for all young people, but for our sons and daughters with Asperger's Syndrome (ASD), there are often many extra challenges and anxieties. Whilst every young student with ASD has different abilities and levels of coping from others, we know that there are many common issues for many of them and their families.

Our son completed Grade 12 in 2000. By sharing some of our experiences and strategies for working with him and the staff at his secondary school and knowledge of others' experiences, perhaps it will be helpful for other families. Teachers may also find these useful.

OUR STORY ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL.

K is our youngest child, the second of 2 boys. Knowing early that K would need a small, nurturing environment, we enrolled both boys at a small, coeducational, independent, church affiliated high school with a strong focus on acceptance of the individual, cooperation and balance in life and learning. Whilst K had lived with many difficulties and had significant interventions all his life we did not gain his diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome until Grade 9. We were not to know the levels of support that he would need to cope at high school and in meeting the requirements of the state's academic education system.

The success of this turned out to be the school's cooperation in working with us, and the staff's readiness to meet K's needs when we highlighted what was required. Small schools do not necessarily have the resources for large special support units and additional teacher aide time. We developed a close relationship with the special needs support teacher(s), and worked with her in representing K's needs to his subject teachers and the school administration team. We received great understanding from the school Principal and administration, and from many staff members, and worked to create understanding with a number of others.

K is a quiet, intelligent young man with good verbal skills and whose world revolves around computers and computer programming. Other interests are in science and the maths that relates to computer programming. We are fortunate that K has not displayed significant behaviour problems at school or elsewhere. However, this tends to hide how hard it has been for him to cope. He has significant processing and organisational difficulties, is greatly unsettled by change of any sort and can suffer from considerable anxiety. These combine to immobilise him regarding doing new things, going out, initiating anything, managing homework and study on his own and doing assignment work. He also has a great need for personal space and time alone.

K made some friends around his interests in science and computer games in Grade 8, and overall this initial friendship group remained through school. However, he did not always understand the repartee, jokes and cynicism of his teenage friends and was often the object of the group's humour. In Grade 10 and 11 changes in the structure of the group, as friends sought alternate associations and developed different interests, were also very distressing for him. His difficulty in initiating social contact also made him dependent on one or two special friends and on the computer interest groups we could organise on weekends. Whilst not needing lots of social contact, the confusion and hurt about social dynamics at school caused significant trauma and anxiety especially in Grades 10 and 11.

K finds interactions with lots of people very draining and finds change very difficult. Whilst he would appear to cope at school, if absent mindedly, he would come home totally exhausted and needing to retreat from all interactions and changes in the day, to the isolation of his computer interests.

To return to the demands of homework and assignments in the evenings and on weekends was often traumatic for K and for us all. There was a need for lots of parent support to help him start, deal with anxiety and blockages, keep on track and to manage an appropriate workload. Without help and encouragement, he would not have managed much homework and few assignments would have got done. Being an intelligent person increased his expectations of achieving well, but this heightened his anxiety and made his procrastination and avoidance worse. The degree of his processing difficulties also made production slow and in Senior years homework and assignments dominated the evenings and weekends.

It was difficult for some of the staff at school to understand the degree of K's problems because he could work within the structure of a classroom setting, with set tasks during the day when he was not too tired, he appeared to have a friendship group and could achieve well. It took considerable and constant communication with the school to ensure that the real picture was understood, and that appropriate special considerations were made around his academic assessment and expectations of him in school life.

Like all teenagers K matured greatly at age 16-17 or so, even though his general level of coping, independence and self-organisation lagged behind. In Grade 12, with support and enormous courage, he went to the School Formal and on some of the hiking expedition, managed the demands of the assessment process (with special considerations), was invited and went to some teenage parties, and survived the close crowds at the end of school Graduation dinner and celebrations – and enjoyed most of them! He also met his goals academically, so as to go on with his desired computer studies.

It was a very demanding time, as parents, but worth all the effort. Our ASD children are often not well understood by all staff or by their peers, and the assessment system is demanding for any high school student, let alone these young people. As parents, we can help enormously by representing our children's needs clearly to the school, forming partnerships with staff, gaining the support of medical and other specialists, insisting on changes when needed—and never giving up!!!

I found it useful to keep in mind that anything that was frustrating and difficult for us was so much more difficult for our son!

ISSUES FOR ASD STUDENTS AT HIGH SCHOOL

Most of these are issues identified by K as things that teachers should be told, as well as issues based on our experience and our knowledge of his and other ASD children's issues. We found that as K got older, he could tell us so much more of what was difficult or different for him, and this made it easier to understand him and to represent his needs to others.

THE DIFFICULTIES OF CHANGE.

The high school day has many changes – different classrooms and teachers for each subject, different ways each teacher does things and expects students to do things, a different timetable each day etc. For students with ASD this can be unsettling (initially at least) and exhausting. It can take a lot of extra concentration and emotion just to cope with the day, let alone doing work in class and remembering everything.

Changes in teachers and having relief teachers, (which regularly happens in high schools when teachers are at meetings, on excursions with their other classes or are sick) can be extremely unsettling for these students - enough to upset the whole day.

EXHAUSTION FROM A DAY AT SCHOOL.

The multiple interactions of the day, with teachers, friends, other students, admin staff, bus drivers etc, and the concentration involved in responding appropriately, can be totally exhausting. After getting home the student may need lots of personal space. This can also be a time when the tensions of the day are released – in the security of his/her home, where no-one will judge it to be weird, childish or inappropriate. Some ASD students learn to hold themselves together at school (most of the time), to avoid the embarrassment of being distressed, or angry etc in front of their peers, and the family can help by catching the emotional overflow at home. Computer games can also be a very helpful way of releasing pent up anger (wipe out the enemy!), gaining a feeling of success if lots of things have gone wrong that day, while being left alone. Pets can also give wonderful comfort.

HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENTS.

Homework can be incredibly hard to face in the evenings and on weekends. ASD students are often genuinely exhausted, and have already tried so hard during the day at school that it is almost too much to bear.

This is one of the most important things for parents to help balance with the school. What is necessary to do to help the student keep up with the work and meet assessment requirements, but balanced with his/ her levels of enjoyment of learning, coping and stress? Often what the ASD student can really manage is different to what the teacher plans for the class. In addition, many ASD students grasp concepts quickly, and may also have photographic memories. If this is the case they may not need to learn by repetitive homework. Revision for tests can be a highly irritating process.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND FRIENDS.

Social aspects of school can be hard for ASD students, and this can be accentuated in adolescence. They do not always understand the innuendo, and humour of their peers, e.g. 'kidding around' behaviour, cynical or negative jokes, comments made light heartedly at other's expense. They may feel embarrassed, naïve, laughed at, traumatised, and harassed, for their lack of understanding or inappropriate responses. This may lead to anxiety and /or depression.

With so many changes, things to remember and to do, the student may be quite slow in learning the names of people around him/her. Even in Senior years it may take a long while to know all the teachers' names and those of everyone in each class. This can be embarrassing, especially if asked to do a task for the class. It gives ammunition for teasing by those who do not understand. ASD students also may need time alone at breaks in order to cope with the next block of classes. This can also be misunderstood by peers, who are usually quite social, and may also lead to taunts and teasing.

If friends make moves to spend time with other groups, or as friends develop interests in having girlfriends or boyfriends, the ASD student may feel lost, deserted and isolated. The normal rapid changes in adolescent relationships and in levels of maturity in his/her peers and friends may not be the same as his/hers, and this can be difficult. The ASD student may not know what to do or say as things have changed. His/her dependence on a narrow interest area may leave him/her out of step with others. However keeping up social contact around common interests with friends, or finding a person/group with the ASD student's interest seems the best way of getting through this stage.

THINGS ABOUT THE ASD STUDENT'S WAY OF THINKING THAT TEACHERS (AND TRUSTED FRIENDS) NEED TO KNOW:

ASD students may find criticism (even constructive and mild comments) very negative, personal, pointed and hurtful. It is hard for some students to tell the difference between helpful comments and the negative. This can effect the way the student feels supported or understood by teachers and peers, often only hearing negative messages when they are not intended as such. This reduces self-esteem and compounds feelings of not managing, or being good at anything.

Depending on the way in which the student understands the social rules in his/her world and his /her degree of rigidity with these, a negative experience such as a perceived criticism or getting into trouble, may govern his/her interactions with that teacher or peer group for a long time. The student may believe that the person(s) continues with that attitude or issue way after it is all over. This can cause worry or inappropriate responses to people, e.g. being too scared to ask a teacher a question or for help or to approach a group of peers.

Most ASD students take spoken communication quite literally and personally, and this may be so even if the teacher is talking to a group. If the group is being reprimanded the ASD student might feel greatly accused for something that he/she was not involved in. If it is a pep talk about trying harder to do one's best, it may be taken as extra pressure personally to do better – which is stressful when one is trying one's hardest already!

Friends and teachers can be helped to be more aware of the effects of their language, and encouraged to think how their words and sentences would be understood when taken literally. In secure company, and only if the ASD student can cope, this can provide some mutual humour as well as increased understanding of a person with very different thought processes.

Understanding the real meaning of an ASD student's logical statements, and his/her social inappropriateness.

ASD students often state things that are logical and obvious – but sometimes it is not socially appropriate to do this, especially to a teacher. These students can get into trouble when they are not meaning to be rude or difficult. This is doubly upsetting when they are really commenting on something that is stressful for them, e.g. "Well how do you think anyone can work with all that building noise outside!" and it is all further misunderstood.

Other students can also misunderstand this apparent bluntness. They do not know that the ASD student does not appreciate the subtleties of language nor know how to read the communication style and social dynamics of the group. Some ASD students do have some insight into these matters, but have to learn or be taught the appropriate ways both to interpret communication and to respond.

A STUDENT'S COPING MECHANISM WITH NOISE.

Noise affects everyone differently, but often greatly disturbs those with ASD. Sharp, loud, unexpected noises, or the general noise of a classroom, can cause irritability, frustrated behaviour and outbursts, or the student may shut everything out by focussing on one thing only. The latter means that the student misses a lot of what is said by the teacher, or misses the communication between peers and the consequent group learning around him/her.

SUPPORTING THE STUDENT'S INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.

ASD students gain self esteem from their achievements and knowledge base in their area(s)of special interest. As teenagers they are often aware that they are not really competent with the social side of school, and need to have their intellectual and interest areas extended and supported. "If you take away, discourage, or scorn the interest or talent, there is nothing left" Teachers can be encouraged to use this interest as a vehicle for learning more about the student, for the student's own learning and expression in the classroom and in the life of the school.

SINGULAR FOCUS.

If the ASD student manages tasks in a linear manner, one thing at a time, and if he/she tries to focus fully on the task at hand (these students often also have attention deficits) he/she is likely to be slower than others overall, and also will miss things. For example, if concentrating on copying down the set homework, other instructions from the teacher may be missed – for instance, often at the end of class students have to collect handouts about the homework or an assignment.

Secondary school, as with regular adult life, runs faster and in a more demanding way, than primary school. Most people can hear a number of requests or know they need to do a series of things without concern. However this can be very stressful for those with ASD if they can really only cope with thinking of and doing one thing at a time.

The structure of the high school day is based on multiples – in Grades 8,9,and 10 there may be up to10 different subjects across the week, with 5-8 classes each day, and in Grades 11 and 12 most students take 5 or 6 subjects. This is just the background to the multiple requirements for each.

An advantage of the separate subjects at high school though, is that it compartmentalizes things and ASD students may enjoy this structure, as well as the nature of certain subjects, e.g. science or manual arts.

ORGANISATIONAL DIFFICULTIES.

These can be considerable with some ASD students and without help a student can really flounder at high school. Teachers will nurse all students through initially in Grade 8, making sure they have things, understand what to do and can proceed. However there is an expectation that teenagers can increasingly manage to be told what to do and get on with it themselves, in high school, which may not be the case with ASD students.

This is another area where parents need to work constantly with the school, keeping up with due dates, knowing if tasks have been set and given out, and what is expected. It is impossible for a student to start an assignment without the task sheet, and he/she may not even know it was to be collected! Similarly, he/she may not remember that there is to be an excursion and may turn up unprepared, without the permission slip and in the wrong clothes etc. This is embarrassing, especially in senior years, quite apart from the lost learning time. (A great deal of class work and assignment work in all subjects is now based on real life experiences, and it is desirable that the student be involved in these to know how to follow on with the work and to have the relevance in the learning.)

High school teachers naturally work to enhance the maturity and independence of students, and soon expect a lot of self-organisation. Most students gradually manage this, even though some are forgetful and disorganised. However, most teachers will not understand the degree of this problem for an ASD student and the other associated difficulties, unless they are clearly told and instructed how to help.

For example, it may not be reasonable to expect the Grade 9 ASD student to go to the staff room at lunchtime to get the forgotten instruction sheet, whilst it is for most students. The teacher needs to be aware of the difficulty that the student will have in changing his/her lunchtime routine, remembering the extra thing to do and the anxiety of having to interrupt teachers in the staff room. Similarly the teacher needs to know that it is also not helpful to ask the student to come back to the staff room after class, as that will make the student late for the next class, and why that is a problem. Better that the teacher simply remembers to take a sheet to the next class and quietly gives it to the student! However, by Grade 11 or12, with assistance, the student quite possibly could do this even if reminders about it are needed.

OUTDOOR PROGRAMS, CAMPS, HIKING EXPEDITIONS AND EXCURSIONS.

For some ASD students these activities may be great and much more fun than regular school times. However, for others, they might be the most traumatic experiences in life.

High schools often incorporate these activities into their subjects as 'hands on' learning experiences, which are great for most students. For example, a few days away learning about rural life, art camps studying natural form, and biology camps studying marine life. Day excursions are also common. There are also personal development programmes involving outdoor activities such as hikes, canoeing, abseilling, swimming, rope courses and camps etc.

For some ASD students, the change of routine and the unknown destination of an excursion may cause anxiety, and lots of preparation may be needed to help him/her go. Similarly leaving home to go away to camp to a strange place with unfamiliar others, can be a horrendous experience for some ASD students.

There is a need to help staff understand these difficulties and to plan ahead for the student's inclusion in some or all of the activity, or for the staff to understand the reasons why the student cannot participate. Ultimately, parents and specialists will seek to protect the ASD student's emotional wellbeing and a firm stand may need to be made if these sorts of activities cause too much vulnerability or trauma.

There can be times when everything becomes too much for an ASD student, causing his/her emotions to wind up and overflow. This may be caused by sensory overload, anxiety, frustration, anger, embarrassment, or confusion, and can be displayed by crying, aggressive language or behaviour, rage, fleeing from the scene or other anxiety responses. It can happen for obvious reasons or be 'out of the blue'. Teasing and bullying, or misunderstanding the 'rough and tough' of the interactions of adolescent peers are obvious triggers. Being placed in crowded or strange environments, or having things go wrong in class are some of many other reasons.

It is important that these students have a place of retreat in the school where there is privacy and also people who will understand, without the need for immediate explanation. Outbursts and distress, and the consequent embarrassment (and ridicule), can be avoided if the student can leave the scene in time, and have the right environment and/or support to calm down. Sometimes these students can be aware that things are going wrong but do not know what it is. They need a trusted person to go to who will recognise immediately that there is a 'crisis', give him/her time to settle in the most appropriate way for that student, and then help work out the problem or explain the reasons for the confusion or anxiety.

The special needs support area is an obvious place, but the right place and people should be worked out with the student and support staff, and parents if needed. These students can usually be very clear about where and with whom they feel 'safe'.

NEED FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION REGARDING ASSESSMENT.

A basic principle of inclusion of people with special needs is the establishment of 'an even playing field'. It is therefore reasonable to expect the school to make appropriate allowances for the ASD student with assessment work, so that he/she has an equal chance of showing his/her understanding of the subject.

Schools however, also have responsibilities to offer and demonstrate equity to all students. It is therefore reasonable for them to require specialist verification or recommendation of the ASD student's need for special consideration, e.g. from a psychologist, psychiatrist, pediatrician, GP, recommendations from the results of psychometric testing and so on. The school may require updating of this verification (e.g. a letter from the specialist) each year; certainly in the Senior years and for the Queensland Core Skills Test in Grade 12. Verification of the diagnosis 'Asperger's Syndrome' (or another condition, or set of difficulties) might be all that is needed.

Once this is done, the particular requirements can be established, such as extensions to deadlines, sitting in a separate, quiet area for tests, extra time for tests, use of a computer instead of writing longhand in tests, doing less questions on a test, modifying the assignment task etc. This can be quite a continuous task for parents throughout the high school years, depending on the student's ability or willingness to work this out with Special Learning Support staff and teachers.

INDEPENDENCE AT SCHOOL

Even if at a different rate from his/her peers, and with a range of different strengths and weaknesses, the ASD student matures and seeks and needs independence. For parents who understand their son or daughter so well, keeping the balance between advocating for and assisting the student, and letting the student learn by mistakes, consequences and the normal "knocks' in life, can be hard.

Parents can be accused of being over-protective, or having too much personal involvement in their son's or daughter's schooling and lives. Other people may commend them for being proactive. A constant attempt at a balanced approach, is the way to go!

The ASD teenager needs independence from parents and certainly will not want them constantly visible at school. His/her ideas and views are important in guiding how and when the parent responds as the student has to be comfortable in his/her own school environment.

Nevertheless, regular, reasonable contact with the school by parents does help enhance the staff's understanding of the student, since so much that is different is not always obvious with Asperger's Syndrome. Appointments at the school when students are in class, phone calls, emails and letters are good ways to communicate whilst respecting the student's need for privacy at school and to avoid causing him/her embarrassment.

SOME STRATEGIES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL

BE INVOLVED!

This is vital if your son's or daughter's particular needs are to be understood at high school.

Do this considerately (your child is not the only one in the school with special needs!), but constantly.

Be a help to staff in working with your child, rather than demanding things, or giving information and expecting them to know how to use it. Give lots of relevant information and make gentle suggestions if necessary. Ask how you can assist.

Remember that many high school teachers do not have any training in special needs and may not have heard of Asperger's Syndrome. They are also very busy meeting the varied needs of all students in their classes. Let them know that you understand this.

If you have time, become involved in some way in the life of the school. (E.g. with tuckshop, uniforms, a P&F committee, library volunteer etc). This participation and interest is known to be beneficial for any student, and you will be involved as any parent is, rather than just as the parent of a student with special needs. It is also a way to feel that you belong, and helps you know more about the school

STARTING OFF.

You will have chosen the school with your child's needs in mind and will probably have some initial knowledge about how it runs.

When your child starts there, get to know the school personalities and routines quickly. Who are the key figures in your child's school life? e.g. home class teacher, special learning support staff, subject teachers, the Principal, the library staff, the person who oversees medication, the person you go to when you are sick or late etc.

If your child finds it hard to remember the names, phone and find out who everyone is.

WORK WITH KEY LEARNING SUPPORT STAFF.

Get to know the key learning support staff, or whoever will be the best link to all of your child's teachers.

Provide these key support staff, from the start, with detailed information about your child, and his/her particular special needs.

If they are not very familiar or experienced with Asperger's Syndrome, provide some information and refer them to good resources and contacts.

They will probably ask for a copy of any reports or referrals from specialists about your son or daughter.

Letters from specialists, especially with recommendations, are helpful to the school. They provide the professional advice that is required, and also give credence to your information as parents.

Don't allow room for assumptions from a general diagnosis – they may not apply to your child. Tell the school staff how your child's diagnosis specifically effects him/her.

If you do not have a set diagnosis, provide all the information you can from professional sources and your own knowledge of your child. The support staff may be helpful in making further referrals, if needed.

Over time, develop cooperative and regular links with these staff. They may greatly appreciate your support and assistance, as they have a difficult and demanding job in the school. They are the advocates for students who are not always the easiest in a class, and often have to deal with difficult situations. Not all staff are prepared to make the adjustments needed for these students, and the support staff can have an uphill job in gaining good outcomes for students and teachers, and the whole class.

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WITH STAFF.

Work out, with the support staff or team, how best you should communicate with the school and the teachers:

· How do you contact different staff at the school? (Do you go through the main school phone number or are there different phone numbers for different sections of the school?)

· When is the best time to call staff? Find out when each teacher and the support staff have spare lessons during the week, so you do not feel that you have to interrupt them in the staff room during their morning tea or lunch breaks. (Administration will have the details of each teacher's classroom times). The timetables can change each semester so you may need to this more than once in each year.

· If you are dropping a note in to a staff member, what is the fastest way to get it to him/her? (We cannot always rely on our teenagers to do this, and sometimes the matter needs a guaranteed delivery or may not be appropriate to leave in the student's hands).

· Are there any times in the week in which you can have regular contact with the support staff?

· Will teachers regularly look in a homework or communication book that the student takes from class to class? This can be a helpful day to day method of communicating about homework, and reminding the student and parents of things. Parents, students and teachers should write in it, so that it is a helpful and positive tool. As they get older though, students may need more privacy and a sense of independence with such a book.

A LETTER TO THE TEACHERS AND ALL SUPPORT STAFF.

One of the greatest difficulties at high school, for parents, is the number of people who need to be informed about the student's particular needs, and any developments along the way. There simply is not time to talk to them all individually.

A GENERAL LETTER is a very effective way of providing the same information to everyone concerned. This can help put your mind at ease, that, at least you have informed all staff of the basic issues.

It is usually helpful to provide such a letter at the beginning of each year, but you may wish to update it in second semester, or if something dramatic occurs.

Make copies of it and provide one to each person. Don't forget to also provide copies for the Principal and other senior staff members, the sports teachers, the outdoor education staff, the librarians and any other people who will take an active role with your child. In the Senior years, the relevant Subject Coordinators, whether your child's teachers or not, need to understand everything, as they are key people in approving special consideration for assessment.

Usually give the letter first to the learning support staff, so that they can respond to any queries from teachers. If you are working cooperatively with them, it can be beneficial if the support teacher(s) gives the letters to the other staff. They may wish to add extra information (e.g. about teaching strategies or assessment implications). It also reinforces to everyone that the parents and support staff are working together.

Set out the letter so that it is easy to read. Use of paragraph headings and a report style is a good way of making it readable. This also helps you organise your thoughts when there is so much you could write.

· Asperger's Syndrome – a brief description of what it is (or attach a pamphlet);

· Professional support - briefly mention the sort of outside assistance your child receives;

· Medication – mention this if it is relevant to school, concentration, behaviour etc

- Whether your child is sensitive about being seen to have special considerations and needing help.

· Homework and assignments – indicate if there are difficulties and how this happens at home and state that you will be in regular contact about this;

- Indicators of acute anxiety or frustration, and what to do to prevent or manage these or difficult behaviour

- Tips for handling your child's conversations or responses in class when they are 'off on a tangent', or go on too long

NB. When writing such a letter, be mindful of the privacy of your child and your family. This is not always easy when trying to give full, useful information, and there is a lot to tell. However, consider your child's dignity and privacy, with the content that you write down. Some things, if important, might be better said to staff you can trust to be discreet with the information, and to pass on professionally.

Also, in some cases, it might be better to give a general statement in the letter rather than be too specific, again to maintain the dignity of your child. E.g. that you and the specialists have reason to be concerned for the student's emotional wellbeing at present - rather than writing the exact detail of this.

SPECIALISTS CAN ASSIST.

The assistance and support of the specialists who work with your child is invaluable.

Teachers will often relate to their advice, more easily than to that of the parents - at least initially.

Some specialists may come to the school to talk to staff, which is really useful, especially if parents also attend and usually also the student. It is good to tape such a meeting (with participants' permission) so that other teachers can listen later, or a transcript can be made. (The parent should expect to pay for the specialist's time, unless the school engages him/her to assist with professional development).

Support letters from specialists regarding behaviour management and the need for special consideration with assessment tasks and in exams, is also invaluable. This makes it easier for the teaching staff, having a professional recommendation; and takes some pressure off parents who can feel embarrassed at constantly asking for considerations of one sort or another. The specialist may write a letter of general recommendation each year, or semester, which the school should accept. Naturally they cannot do this every time there is a test or assignment.

Ask your specialist to make specific recommendations and the reasons for these, as well as give general advice about your child. Examples of this re assessment are: use of laptop computer in tests requiring answers of a paragraph or more due to handwriting fatigue and processing problems, or extra time in tests due to concentration and processing difficulties, or doing tests in a separate quiet area, due to attention deficit. Recommendations about behaviour management help teachers' confidence in working with students who may display odd or challenging behaviour. By giving teachers assistance with a range of strategies, punitive or other inappropriate measures might be avoided.

LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THE 'SYSTEM' OF EDUCATION AND ASSESSMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL.

This is something that parents of all students must do if they are to support their children in high school, but again, is essential for parents of students with special needs. The only way to work with the system, ensuring that there is no disadvantage to your child, is to know it very well!

You will often have to be aware of what is coming up, and not be waiting to hear about it.

A. The general system across all Queensland schools.

Schools run information sessions about this. Go to them all if you can. They are typically about choosing subjects at each stage, how different year levels work, vocational guidance, the assessment systems of each level and even on how to help students with these.

In the Senior years, there is a lot for students and parents to learn. There are the requirements for a Senior Certificate, and for an OP (Overall Position used for entrance into tertiary courses), the Queensland Core Skills Test, the linkages to TAFE courses in the school system and mapping out pathways towards post school training, employment or tertiary courses.

There is also the moderation process used to check comparable students' work from different schools. When and how this happens is important to know if your child has extensions on work, and if his/her work is needed to be taken to a moderation meeting.

Education Queensland can provide further information and booklets, if the school does not have all you need.

B. Specific information about your school.

It is important to know, ahead of time, how the term or semester is planned, so you can anticipate if there will be any adjustments required for your son/daughter. Many high schools now release a semester or year school calendar, which has all of the major events, camp times, excursions, and Senior block exam times etc marked on. If students do not receive this, all teachers would have something like this and the learning support or administration staff may understand why it is useful for you to have a copy.

Many schools, especially for Senior years, also give students an Assessment Guide which details all of the work that will be required for the semester in each subject and the due dates and exam sessions. Once again, if this does not happen at your school, ask for assistance in gaining this information, explaining why you need such an overview and to be able to plan ahead. For example, starting a project early may help allow enough time to avoid the student having to manage 2 assignments at the one time. Or, having seen that 3 subjects will have work due in one week, you may be able to help your child negotiate some changes before it all becomes unmanageable.

However, nothing is ever simple, and all good planning can be changed! Teachers will quite often change from a written plan, so it is important to be talking to your child, and if necessary the subject teacher or the support staff to know what is actually happening or expected.

It may not be enough to ask teachers to (please!) make sure your son/daughter knows what is required each night/week etc. Teachers have many classes and are busy and forget. They also may think your child has heard/understood when they really have not. And then there are also often the teenagers who do not want to know!

Whatever the reason, it is good to generally be aware and help your child keep up as best he/she can.

It is very helpful to know the names and phone numbers of an understanding friend or classmate from each subject class. At 8pm, when your child cannot remember what the English teacher said to write a paragraph about, or which Maths examples to do, a quick phone call can solve the problem easily, avoiding anxiety or the student falling behind. If your child does not know names and where people live, once again staff at school should be able to help make these links, if you explain your reasons.

MONITOR THE LOAD OF HOMEWORK.

The amount of homework that your child can do may be quite different to what is set, and may vary according to the subject, or the state of your child's tiredness, stress levels or learning/processing difficulties.

Often students with learning or processing problems are overwhelmed by a seemingly large task, but can manage it if it is broken into small parts. A page of maths or science questions could easily cause the student to give up, but if you cover all except the first it seems OK. Proceed by completing one part, and move to the next.

Other tasks may involve too much for your son/daughter. Help him/her decide (or you decide) how much will cover the work even if not in the depth that was set. For example: in Graphics, draw 4 designs rather than 8; or complete only parts (a) and (b) of the 6 Maths questions, and not (c), (d), and (e) of each; or write one paragraph rather than two. Remember that some ASD students grasp a concept quickly and do not need lots of repetition to learn. This can actually infuriate them and be counter productive.

There are occasionally other tasks that you will know are not worth the stress and distress. Perhaps something else can be done in its place so that the student learns that there are alternate ways to tackle things, e.g. rather than colour and label a map, find information on the internet about one of the landmarks that was to be labeled. Otherwise, help your child take responsibility and understand why this task can be left undone.

In all or any of these cases support your son/daughter by writing a note to the teacher in the homework book, or by attaching it to the piece of work. Explain that you are aware of the homework achieved and why it was hard to do more, or why it has not been done. If your child has tried hard or worked for a long time, regardless of the amount there is to show for it, communicate this too. Often there is little to see for the hard work and time spent at the task. These students will be more willing to try if they know their efforts are recognised and if they know that they will not be in trouble for incomplete work.

Some schools run homework assistance programs involving extra time at school, or more punitive homework detentions, as ways of assisting students to keep up with their work. These may not be appropriate for your child even if homework is incomplete. Again this is another reason for all staff to understand your child, and for parents to be proactive in the prevention of the difficulties such things could cause.

ADVOCATE ALTERNATIVES THAT SUIT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING STYLE IF NEEDED.

Work with the learning support staff and teachers to understand the best ways for your child to learn and to demonstrate this. Assignment writing might present mental blocks and anxiety, whilst speaking into a cassette recorder, or answering questions on tape may not present problems. The spoken tape might be accepted in some cases for part or all of an assignment.

Sometimes a task might be impossible for your child due to the way he/she thinks or can cope. The usual processes of doing research or doing the task may also not be possible for your child, due to his/her processing and sequencing difficulties, the need to go to strange places, libraries being threatening places due to the degree of choice involved, etc. Working in certain groups may be difficult or linking with others to do group projects may need extra assistance.

Tasks and processes may need to be modified so they are possible for your child and also demonstrate the skills and knowledge required by the assessment system.

Learning support staff are skilled in this area. However, unless they are closely involved with your child's work and classes or if they do not know him/her well, they may not understand what is required. This is where parents and learning support staff and/or subject teachers can work together to help the student, so the expectations and processes are realistic, learning and self esteem are achieved for the child and the outcome also meets any assessment requirements.

Don't be shy about helping your child in ways that are not usual at high school.

For example, if he/she cannot get started when writing something you may need to help compose the initial sentences or paragraph. You may even have your child speak his/her ideas while you write them down, and then help him/her make adjustments to make it as more like the student's writing style. You may have to go to the library to get books etc, help with the organisation of information for an assignment, or work one to one with your child in making a handmade article of some sort. Keep a strong focus on facilitating or enabling your child to produce or get started in his/her work, and know where that differs from 'doing it for him/her'.

Tell the staff everything you do in helping. This overcomes the concern of helping too much, or even of 'cheating'. Teachers will appreciate this, as they can assess that assistance has been given. It builds trust and develops a sense of partnership in helping your child. Teachers will also better understand both your child's difficulties and abilities through this process, and be able to more accurately assess his/her work.

There are many electronic devices that can be really useful for ASD students, depending on their learning styles. Use a dictaphone or cassette recorder rather than trying to write notes, or in place of some writing. Word processing on a computer may be easier than longhand writing if this is a problem, and really assists with organisation of ideas. The internet is a wonderful means of researching without leaving school, home or one's computer, so long as the student has assistance in locating useful information and avoiding being swamped by too much.

There are some great computer software packages, such as 'Mind Map', which help organise ideas and produce these into lists or reports. This is often a great way to get started on a task. Computer graphics software can make possible tasks that may be otherwise impossible for your student. Our technological 'whizkids' usually identify readily with computers and their use can help overcome other difficulties. Find out what the school has, and encourage them to acquire appropriate software. If possible have some at home too.

By high school, parents will have worked out individual ways to help their child with personal organisation. A very useful item for these teenagers is a watch which has both a memory bank (for recording people's names and phone numbers and other important data) and alarms. Unfortunately most watches with memory banks have only one alarm, but Casio currently has one with five alarms. The alarms are exceptionally helpful for time management and reminding the student of things to do or remember, both at school and at home.