I guess we still have some work to do....

I have a good friend who is a special education teacher in an autism classroom.  She works at a school district here in the Valley.  Recently, she shared something with me that just had me shaking my head.  An aide came in to her classroom with a child in tow; the child was one of her students with autism.  The aide looked at her and asked, "Do you know where the artistic class is?"  My friend was horrified.  She looked at the aide, pointed out the door to the ART classroom down the hall, and said, "The art class is THAT way."  The aide shakes her head and replies, "NO, the ARTISTIC class," to which my friend replies, "Yes, I just told you, the ARTISTIC class is down the hall." My friend the teacher is losing her patience.  She and the clueless aide go through this ridiculous "Who's on First?" conversation (think old school: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello)  for another minute or so. Before my friend imparts serious physical harm on the clueless aide, she gently takes the child by the hand, turns to the aide and tells her, "Go figure out where you are supposed to be.  Get out of my room!"

This is an aide working with students in special education.  Hmm...is something wrong with this picture?  If the people that are being paid to work one-on-one with our children do not even know the proper name for their diagnoses, is there really a chance this type of employee will have the proper training to do the job?  No, I didn't think so, either.  It is very frustrating, indeed.

To the aides and teachers that strive to understand our children and do a terrific job, THANK YOU!! To the aides and teachers like this particular clueless aide mentioned above, could you get some proper training...um, please...??

Always try to keep your sense of humor about you (particularly if you have lost your wits)....