Autistic Children & Incorporating them in your setting

[SammyL]

Hi,

I have had a lady approach me today & ask me abot having her 2 sons - one is 11 & one is 12. She would like me to have them after school & in the school holidays.

I've never looked after anyone with Autism & as all of my mindees bar 1 are under 5 I was wondering if it could have a big impact on them mainly due to them being so much older.
One of the children is non-verbal.

She is having a really tough time & I really want to help her.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks

xx

[loocyloo]

good luck, and how lovely you are to want to help.

i would have a big think about it though, as having older children in your setting can be hard work, and doubly so if they have additional needs.

if you have a DO, give them a call and ask to speak to your local SENCO officer. if you don't have a DO, ask at the childrens centre, or FIS.

i know there are childminders on the forum whose own child has autism, plus those who care for autistic children. i'm sure someone will be along with experience to help you.

xx

[CLL]

Is she just having a tuff time because she can not find care for them or is she finding their needs too demanding? If it is the latter then I would question how you would be able to give them the attention they need and look after the little ones. Do you have any training in looking after autistic children? The spectrum is really wide and each child's needs varies greatly. Why don't you invite them around to your house and see how they cope with the environment and the other children. Will you have to do the school run for them or are they provided with a taxi? I hope you find you can help this parent but I feel it would be worse to take them on and then realise you can not manage than be honest at the start if you feel it is too much.

[vals]

I care for an autistic child, though he is younger than that. It does depend on how severe it is - there is a big range. The boy I have can speak but not well and doesn't have great understanding. Having him does restrict what we can do and where we can go. He has no road sense, so if he walks he has to be on reins. if he gets upset its harder to calm him down than most other children, and he sometimes pushes children to get them to play with him and if they don't he starts to hit them. Personally I wouldn't want to still be looking after him when he is much older. Having said that, I have helped out a different family with a boy with autism and it was no different to caring for any other child. I think you will have to guage it on when you meet him and find out what he is able to do and understand. don't feel obligated to have him if you don't think you will cope - he could have quite an impact on the other children.

[clareelizabeth1]

I don't think I would nothing to do with autism but my experience of school children. I have found that my setting is focused to much on the under 5's and I just do not have enough age appropriate resources for children over 8.

I have also found that those over 8 do impact on the care I give to little ones as they need so much attention them selfs. I was very glad to get rid of school children lovely kids but needed constant supervision to be able spend more than 40 seconds not fighting. I could not even wee when they were their.

Sorry to be so negative it just from my experience I will no longer be offering care to school children.

[lizduncan72]

I don't think I would nothing to do with autism but my experience of school children. I have found that my setting is focused to much on the under 5's and I just do not have enough age appropriate resources for children over 8.

I have also found that those over 8 do impact on the care I give to little ones as they need so much attention them selfs. I was very glad to get rid of school children lovely kids but needed constant supervision to be able spend more than 40 seconds not fighting. I could not even wee when they were their.

Sorry to be so negative it just from my experience I will no longer be offering care to school children.

I'd feel the same, kids that age are so much harder than little ones and that's without the added issue of autism. Good on you if you decide to take them on, I just know I couldn't have older kids again!!