AutistiCat
K.J. ElphinstoneI've got a lot of friends and colleagues who are struggling with their children 'school refusing'.
I say, I don't call it 'refusing' and when they look puzzled I say, 'I call it voting with their feet'
Stray Autistic Cat@KatyElphinstone What is school refusing exactly? When I was a kid, that's what I did, and how I felt about school. I found the school atmosphere oppressive and scary, and didn't want to be there.
@obrerx It's when children stop going to school and their parents can't make them.
I think it was less common in the past because methods like dragging your children to school by the hair were considered more acceptable then.
@KatyElphinstone Well, I'm old enough to remember how that was, but I defied it anyway. I'd somehow actually make myself sick with actual sore throats and all the signs and symptoms. I had a terrible attendance record.
Stimpunks Foundation@KatyElphinstone @obrerx “school-induced anxiety” is a reframing of school refusal. We have more on this page:
Education Access: We’ve Turned Classrooms Into a Hell for Neurodivergence
We have autistic children who need us to support them as architects of their own liberation against the schools and clinicians and institutions and police and prosecutors who would crush and destroy them. AUTISTIC HOYA: THE NEURODIVERSITY MOVEMENTS NEEDS ITS SHOES OFF, AND FISTS UP. The picture shows a school classroom as I see it, […]
Jae Erwin@KatyElphinstone This is exactly what I said to the 'learning-support' (yeah, right) teacher when one of my sons didn't turn up for a review meeting many years ago, now.
@Jae_Erwin Aha I am not alone.
@KatyElphinstone my kid does this from time to time. The first few times we thought he just would rather be home with his moms' so we tried to make him go through punishment and incentive like no TV if you stay home but new toys and TV if you go. That only worked for a short time. As he got older and as I learned more about the WHY of school refusal I started to talk with my kid more about what's going on at school.
@KatyElphinstone Now a days when a bout of refusal comes up we just let him stay home and we spend a few days problem solving on bullies, sensory issues, mean teachers he's avoiding etc. Then when we have a plan he willingly returns to see if our problem is solved. It's a really great opportunity for kids to learn life skills when we stop forcing compliance.
@AutisticCat I love this - thank you!! Yes, I found the same with mine (I learned the hard way with my son)
@AutisticCat Is your son ND as well?
@KatyElphinstone he's on a few wait lists for assessment. However he is doing grade 8 math (he's in grade 2) he can multiply two double digit numbers in his head acurately and explain how he got there/not rote. He has sensory meltdowns from noise, and this 👇 is his favorite way to play with cars. So he's a bit of a stereotype. School is often boring as he already knows most of it except art and gym which are struggles do to motor control difficulties.
@AutisticCat These cars are fabulous 😍 Looking at this I realise my son used to make his look like that too lol
(You know, I didn't actually notice*, and I only found out more about autism when he wasn't playing with cars anymore - so I didn't realise till this moment!)
*I was utterly clueless about kids till I had some.
@KatyElphinstone he does it every day. I photograph the ones I find particularly beautiful like a work of art. I'm glad you enjoyed this piece. I didn't know j was Autistic until I worked teaching an Autistic child who insisted I stim with him on our breaks. I realized it was helping me be less stressed out at work. Autistic kiddo saved me from what would have been a Second burn out.
@AutisticCat Autistic kids rock 😍 🎉
Mine literally changed my life. he also changed his sibling's life because by that time I had learned so much.