Fynh (inaktiv)Dec 4, 2022
OT Expert

Message to all educators....

If there's a student (child or adult) who is often late attending their classes, or getting to school...

Please don't tell them off and punish or ridicule them as a knee-jerk reaction.

Dig deeper

The fact that they've turned up at all will usually be a strong indication that they've tried very hard to get there.

They could have difficulties with:

- Some of their executive functions (organising, planning, time management, prioritisating, working memory)
- Anxiety about certain aspects of attending school/college/uni (bullying, social interaction with students/teachers who don't understand their communication differences, differences in learning styles)
- Difficulties at home
- Poor sleep
- Difficulties with home environment
- Poverty

Please be curious, gentle and explore their reasons why they're late and work with them.

We often don't see the immense effort the person, and their families go through, just to get them there 5 or 10 minutes late.

To sum up....

Be kind, aporoachable and non-judgemental....both to the student and their caregivers.

To paraphrase Dr Ross Greene,

A person does well if they can.
-
#OccupationalTherapy
#Teachers
#SEND
#Education
#School
#Autistic
#ADHD
#Dyspraxia
#Dyslexia
#Neurodivergent
#Poverty
#HumanRights
#ReasonableAdjustments
#Disability
#DisabilityRights

Dec 2, 2022 at 9:14amWeb
Show threadOutOfExile_IDR § Unseen®™️Dec 2, 2022

@OT_Expert
Wonderful sound advice. Accommodation wisdom.
Thanks OT-E. Good read and great education advocacy .

@OutOfExile_IDR

Show threadOT ExpertDec 2, 2022
@OutOfExile_IDR @OutOfExile_IDR Thank you ❤️
Show threadOutOfExile_IDR § Unseen®™️Dec 2, 2022
@OT_Expert @OutOfExile_IDR
I calls 'em as I sees 'em 😀
Anytime, my friend.
Show threadWebfeline Sou Dec 2, 2022

@OT_Expert I wish mandatory attendance wasn't a thing. Lectures drain my spoons so hard I literally force myself to wake up and get there with tragic consequences to my health. To the point I almost faint and dye my exam papers or notebooks with blood.

There's no way to take a break because attendance lower than 50% in my facility (even if excused) means you're getting expelled.

Of course nobody fucking cares about the wellbeing of students, they only want good grades, perfect attendance and health.

Education in its current state is a slaughterhouse for many.

Show threadOT ExpertDec 3, 2022
@sozou I'm so sorry to hear that ❤️ the education system here, in the US and probably many other countries is failing so many neurodivergent and disabled students
Show threadAphrodite (recharging)Dec 2, 2022

@OT_Expert

One of my HS teachers damn near failed me because I was late every morning.

I had no idea at the time I had ADHD and autism and trauma disorders and deprexity though I did deal with bullying that was incessant for the first 10+ years of school.

It feels to this day he had specific antipathy for me.

I need to pass that class, and I had a damned teacher bullying powerless me that was invisibly struggling.

Ironically, at university, half of my degree was in his subject, history.

Show threadslothsauceDec 2, 2022
@Aphrodite @OT_Expert god, this hit me in the unexpected feels. Teachers could really make me feel like less than a person. Especially as a *child* who couldn’t control any of those circumstances.
Show threadAphrodite (recharging)Dec 2, 2022

@slothsauce @OT_Expert

At the same time there are teachers that radically improved my life.

A 6th grade teacher that talked about intersexuality in bio class lead me to logically deduce what my identity issue was even if it took a long time to resolve it.

A psych teacher that talked about his technique for quitting cigarette smoking allowed me to feel comfortable about simulating that process since without the cig you’re just doing deep breathing exercises.

Show threadslothsauceDec 2, 2022
@Aphrodite @OT_Expert Oh, for sure. That tended to happen much more for me in college, but every semester or year, there are at least 2 people really lifting me and others up. I never forget them.
Show threadOT ExpertDec 3, 2022
@Aphrodite @slothsauce I'm pleased you had some positive experiences of teachers too. There are definitely some amazing educators out there
Show threadOT ExpertDec 3, 2022
@slothsauce @Aphrodite ❤️ Teachers are in such a powerful and privileged position, and those who abuse that position should not be allowed to continue in that role
Show threadOT ExpertDec 3, 2022
@Aphrodite I'm really sorry you had to go through though experiences, I hope you're in a better place now ❤️
Show threadAphrodite (recharging)Dec 3, 2022

@OT_Expert

In every way but financially, I am. :)

Show threadOT_CarersUniteDec 4, 2022
@OT_Expert the strain is profound for the cypf. Threats of prosecution do not help :-(
Show threadOT ExpertDec 4, 2022
@OT_CarersUnite Agreed :( It's terrible
Show threadOT_CarersUniteDec 4, 2022
@OT_Expert as a #ParentCarer I have experienced the negativity caused by a lack of understanding resulting in my lo getting undressed as fast as I dressed her; hiding my keys, phone, purse, shoes; hiding her shoes; getting out of the car before I could get in; stripping and throwing her uniform at me whilst I drove to school; running off down the street; refusing to get out of bed, eat, drink and more due to school(s) . Eventually I home educated.... some teachers do more harm than good. Thankfully ot saved us and provided video evidence of school vs home ed and the differences in my child :-)
Show threadOT ExpertDec 4, 2022
@OT_CarersUnite I'm sorry you both went through those expereinces. School is such a damaging environment for so many children, yet society often sees it as the only real and best solution. Home educating can be a real saviour. The whole schooling sytem needs to be completely overhauled