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Did you have a 1-2-1 classroom assistant when you were at school?

Todd Gilbey

Todd Gilbey

Active Member
First thread on here, looks like an awesome place to air your thoughts to here goes; did any of you have a "helper" when you were at school? I'm interested to hear how it made you feel and how it shaped you as an adult?

I had an assistant up until I was 16-years-old. In one way it was great, she did everything for me to the point where the only reason I was actually at school was because I legally had to be there. In other ways where was a big question mark over head as to why there seemed to be a piece of string attached to me, tethered to this woman at the other end. It was embarrassing in some says.

So feel free to air your thoughts and view points here.
 
Nope. I'm a "closeted" aspie at my school, which is kinda funny, because I'm an out queer kid.
So, I can't really get an assistant without getting VERY funny looks.
 
I would have loved to have been a "closeted" aspie, unfortunately my mother made sure that didn't happen! I'm now 30 and I've just learned how to make my own decisions without royally screwing up. I never had to make any decisions before - my "staff" did all that for me growing up. Anyhow, thanks for your contribution and you get out there and be the Sassy Queen you'll be good at being - oh and forget everyone else's opinion as well :) Take care.
 
I did, even though I wasn't diagnosed Aspie till I was 23 (about 7 and half years after I left school)., in some ways it was good, in others, not so.

They all thought I was "special" because I needed the extra help, a label I've always hated.
 
Todd Gilbey said:
First thread on here, looks like an awesome place to air your thoughts to here goes; did any of you have a "helper" when you were at school? I'm interested to hear how it made you feel and how it shaped you as an adult?

I had an assistant up until I was 16-years-old. In one way it was great, she did everything for me to the point where the only reason I was actually at school was because I legally had to be there. In other ways where was a big question mark over head as to why there seemed to be a piece of string attached to me, tethered to this woman at the other end. It was embarrassing in some says.

So feel free to air your thoughts and view points here.
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No it didn't exist ,I received remedial tuition for a few months with a small group in the 1970s ,there was no autism education for aspies in the uk
And I wasn't diagnosed til I was nearly 46 so I'm being changed by ha Shem(g~d )and teaching myself
 
Rich Allen said:
I did, even though I wasn't diagnosed Aspie till I was 23 (about 7 and half years after I left school)., in some ways it was good, in others, not so.

They all thought I was "special" because I needed the extra help, a label I've always hated.
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Don't even get me started on that bollox, I remember one time at school when I was taken out of an activity the class was doing, I knew the exact reason as to why, but to test my teacher I asked her why, she replied "Because you're the specialist person in the school" So patronising.
 
I didn't understand what you meant by the title since it is in a foreign language.:D

The US is not big on having attendants for kids like the UK is. That mostly happens if a person can't even steer a battery wheelchair, here.

I visited the UK when I was using a power wheelchair and it took me a while to understand why people kept asking me where my "attendant" was. In the US even quadraplegics see no particular reason why they should need an attendant around all the time.
 
Alaska said:
I didn't understand what you meant by the title since it is in a foreign language.:D

The US is not big on having attendants for kids like the UK is. That mostly happens if a person can't even steer a battery wheelchair, here.

I visited the UK when I was using a power wheelchair and it took me a while to understand why people kept asking me where my "attendant" was. In the US even quadraplegics see no particular reason why they should need an attendant around all the time.
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There weren't attendants in my day in the UK ,there are specific schools for the disabled ,a school for people on the autism spectrum is being built in my town ,we only have classroom assistants because the government don't want to pay for teachers- it's only ever one to some of the classrooms in a primary school
 
When I was in school, my problems weren't bad enough for that. The low functioning autie in my class and more severe special Ed kids usually got help. However I did get sent to the spec Ed room a lot, and in later grades there was usually one person to watch what I was doing. I think it made me paranoid of someone constantly watching me, and get angry when I'm being monitored. It also made me feel bad about my disability (I only started questioning the possibility of aspergers this year) and do everything I could to cover it up so the other kids would pick on me less.
 
No. I wasn't diagnosed with anything until after school. I think if I'd have been diagnosed with dyscalculia in school, the extra help I could have had would have been immensely helpful. I did end up getting my GCSE in maths (third attempt) only after some intensive help from one particular maths teacher. If I'd have had the diagnosis of AS I would have potentially received some help too, which would have been great.
 
I did the most amazing thing for me. I reckon without my TAs I would never have learned and wouldn't be doing anything with my life.

My TAs helped learn social skills, English, telling the time...

The helped me during melt downs, acted as a scribe, helped me get more point across, as well as all the other things imvolved with my physical and heart problems.

Some of my TAs really got on my nerves as they were either spoke really patronining and thought I couldn't do the work or the thought because I was academic (kind off) I didn't need support.

The lessons I didn't have support for whatever reason I was more anxious and didn't do as well.

I had some awesome TAs who went above and beyond for example one took me to cafes and sorted out all prewritreb notes in case she won't in.
 
xudo said:
No. I wasn't diagnosed with anything until after school. I think if I'd have been diagnosed with dyscalculia in school, the extra help I could have had would have been immensely helpful. I did end up getting my GCSE in maths (third attempt) only after some intensive help from one particular maths teacher. If I'd have had the diagnosis of AS I would have potentially received some help too, which would have been great.
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Yeah, I failed everything except typing (and I got an E for that as I recall) at GCSE level.

They did get me the extra time as they said I needed it because I was a "special case" (WTF?! Contrary to popular opinion I am NOT retarded, I get questions right on the Wednesday night quiz nearly every week!).
 
Rich Allen said:
Yeah, I failed everything except typing (and I got an E for that as I recall) at GCSE level.

They did get me the extra time as they said I needed it because I was a "special case" (WTF?! Contrary to popular opinion I am NOT retarded, I get questions right on the Wednesday night quiz nearly every week!).
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My husband used to get extra time, because he's registered blind. Although they neglected to ever give him stuff printed on yellow paper, which he was supposed to have. They also blew things up larger for him, which worked well....except when they blew up diagrams for the maths exam...meaning he had trouble working them out as they were out of proportion for the questions :rolleyes:
 
xudo said:
My husband used to get extra time, because he's registered blind. Although they neglected to ever give him stuff printed on yellow paper, which he was supposed to have. They also blew things up larger for him, which worked well....except when they blew up diagrams for the maths exam...meaning he had trouble working them out as they were out of proportion for the questions :rolleyes:
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At least now the blown up ones from the exam boards here I have modefis diagrams and stuff. One of the office ladies only copied half onto yellow paper and refused to do the other half. About her teacher did even though it was her break so I could actually do the exam.
 
I had an aide in primary school who helped me with social skill stuff, I just thought it was embarrassing and was frustrated by it because the other students all thought it was weird and made fun of me and called me "mentally retarded." :( I remember one particular boy got so focused on making fun of me about the aide, that was like all he ever talked about. It made me so mad.
I didn't have an aide in high school and I won't be needing one in college (I don't think that's even an option at university level?).
I am a very different person now than I was when I was a kid. I'm still certainly not anything like an NT and obviously never will be, though I have matured and learned a lot. I am in the process of learning how to "blend in" socially.
 
I did, though only up until fourth grade. I don't remember them (there were a few different woman, depending on the program I was in), but I'm sure I owe them a great deal. I had a journal that was just for them and my mom to write back and forth to (usually just about my mood that day, if I had a meltdown or needed a timeout), which I still have today.

They helped keep me focused, kept me from bothering the other students, from leaving the classroom, helped with school work, and helped a bit with my social skills and boundaries.
 
Jet Weiss said:
I had an aide in primary school who helped me with social skill stuff, I just thought it was embarrassing and was frustrated by it because the other students all thought it was weird and made fun of me and called me "mentally retarded." :( I remember one particular boy got so focused on making fun of me about the aide, that was like all he ever talked about. It made me so mad.
I didn't have an aide in high school and I won't be needing one in college (I don't think that's even an option at university level?).
I am a very different person now than I was when I was a kid. I'm still certainly not anything like an NT and obviously never will be, though I have matured and learned a lot. I am in the process of learning how to "blend in" socially.
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Aww i'm sorry about the picking on them people need a reality check. Can you have TAs at collage i i but their not called TAs.
 
I am a substitute teacher's classroom assistant. My assignments often take me to inside a special education classroom. Other assignments are special ed but in general ed classrooms where I am subbing for one of those 1-2-1 classroom assistants. This threat is enlightening to me. I wondered many a time how the student felt having an adult with him either constantly or periodically throughout the school day. Since I don't know the child on sight when I walk in the classroom, I have to ask the teacher. Some will point but others will whisper the child is the "one with the red shirt...." Since I have a problem with verbal instructions, there is always the fear that I'll be watching over the wrong student. The other kids are smart enough to know whether or not the teacher points or whispers who I am in there for.

My heart goes out to the kids on the Spectrum who are in general ed. They know why they have something the other kids in the classroom don't have. Some struggle so hard to keep up and I think some just stop trying to. I would imagine it's like being in a room of experts on some particular subject that you don't know diddly-squat about.

I empathize because I am on the Spectrum too, but I didn't know that until late last year at 58 years of age. A child told me I was on the autism spectrum. A child who was on the spectrum herself; just not at the same spot. A child told me without saying one word since it’s not possible yet for her to hold up her end of a conversation. A child told me by just doing what she normally does — talking and pacing in a world of her own imagination. I had been there, done that, and I still do. That was the lightbulb moment that set me down the path of discovery.

Helping these fellow young travelers on the Spectrum is the best therapy for me. I have an empathy I wouldn't otherwise have. I will keep these postings in mind when I sub for the 1 2 1 classroom assistant.
 
I was mostly in special education schools. My school from grades 4-6 there was one adult per two students. My later schools had about one adult per five students. The aides were helpful at times. I didn't stand out since they were there for everyone.
 
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