How #Autistic students can get a raw deal at school - a thread taken from my talk at the National Autistic Society conference. Please share widely if you can. /1

#Autistic students often arrive at school with their 'stress-tank' close to overflowing already, thanks to a morning of intense exposure to stressors. Too often this isn't appreciated. /2

They will have been unable to explore their favourite interest, instead being forced by time pressure to get ready for school. They will have had unavoidable social time with other children whose interactions may be bewildering to them. They'll be in uncomfortable uniform. /3

Time on the walk to school or on the bus will have been dominated, perhaps, by a fear of ridicule, bullying, mockery, ostracision. This is exhausting in itself. /4 #autism

So our #autistic person has arrived at school already struggling to stay calm and in control, potentially. Then they're met by the Rules.

The Rules can break them. The Rules can get them pitched out of the whole education system. /5

Everything about hyper-consistent, unbending, stringent behaviour policies seem designed to totally ruin an #autistic child's chance of coping at school. They turn school into the most hostile of environments. /6

They haven't eaten as they were too nervous, so they're hungry and grumpy. They've got headphones in to try to drown out the noise. They forget to take them out and their phone is confiscated for a week. /7 #autism

If someone took my phone I'd be fucking bereft. I'd kick up such an almighty shitstorm you wouldn't believe. This is because my phone is my security blanket, my window to the world and often the only source of solace I have. I'm not alone in this. /8 #autism

So we take an #autistic child's phone (it happens a lot) and expect them to cope. If we know anything about #autistic minds and fears then we'll know just how foolish a proposition this *might* be. Note I'm using this as an example of punitive policy. /9

They may now be terrified all day of not being able to contact home. They may miss a vital update on a game at breaktime. They may need an app to help keep them calm when stressed. Thing is *you* - the confiscator - know none of this. /10

But that child's day may have just gone from untenable to impossible, as far as they're concerned. And it's only 9am. /11 #autism

Already I have people saying its not the end of the world, that no one needs a phone.

This is a misunderstanding of what I'm saying here. I'm saying that #autistic students find novel sources of comfort in a hostile world and taking these away will add to the stress. /12

#autistic students often come to school with SO FEW spoons that frankly it's amazing they've managed to make it in at all (many don't, of course). Punitive behaviour policies can be the straw that breaks the camels back, as it were. /13

They get challenged for not wearing their tie properly. You any idea how hard they might have tried with that tie? How desperate they are at the fact they can't do it themselves? How ashamed? Then this added layer of problem can blow up. /14 #autism

And how do #autistic students handle what they view as petty, irrelevant criticism (ie, 'I'm here aren't I? Why does my tie matter?!)

Not well, is the obvious answer to that question. Not because they're childish tantrum-mongers, but because they're legitimately outraged./15

But often any form of challenge, especially in schools that pride themselves in their discipline, is taboo.

This effectively condemns a large proportion of #autistic children who are *guaranteed* to challenge authority. You may as well just kick 'em out now. /16

So these children are put in isolation (they'll probably quite like that), or excluded (they'll probably love that).

And as #autistic people can be pretty slow at changing behaviour patterns, this can continue for a long time. /17

Before long, permanent exclusion is on thd cards, for behaviour that stems directly from a lack of understanding of typical #autistic traits and behaviours. No reasonable adjustments. No compassion. /18

I'm trying to explain how easy it is for #autistic students to get crushed under the wheels of warm-strict behaviour policy, as it seems to now be called (used to be referred to as zero-tolerance until the negative connotations were finally recognised). /19

So anyway, news this week that policies of a warm-strict nature were going to become hugely pushed by government got my back up and made me fearful for the #autistic children in the community. /20

If you made it this far, these threads are hard work and I'm always appreciative of any appreciation thrown my way thank you for reading. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/UfTVnRY