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Asperger's and the UK SEN system

Lydia

New Member
Hi guys,
Some of you may have seen my post regarding looking for people with Asperger's to interview for a research project I hope to publish about school experiences, looking really at how the school system could be made better for those with Asperger's..thought I'd post it here too as relevant to this topic! Would love to hear from you if interested - particularly if from the UK and started school after 1981 - though not exclusively so please be in touch:)

Rationale
I am keen to research and publish a paper on the experiences of people with Asperger's as they travelled through education. There is not much research out there that listens to the voice of people with Apserger's themselves. This is a mistake and my aim is to highlight (through themes that come up from your responses) areas of the current school system that are troublesome, any that are good, and highlight areas that need to change. I am also keen to explore whether you felt identification in childhood would have been beneficial to your experience at school and for those of you who were identified as a child (if any?) your experiences of education as a result.

The SEN system, introduced in 1981, I argue is not specific enough to needs and there seems very little provision for (or understanding of) children with more 'hidden' differences such as Aspergers , ADHD etc. I am therefore particularly interested in those of you who went to school after 1981.

In short the aim of the research is to look at
-the impact of having Asperger's at school and in adult life
-whether the current SEN approach of support and identification is working for Aspies

What would it involve?
The research will be carried out though the University of Nottingham, as part of my Master's program, and will have full ethical approval.
The research would involve a Skype interview with myself (lasting approx. 45 min. I would send you a copy of the questions in advance, including an information sheet and a consent form. You would be free to pull out at any time (no obligations) and your contribution will remain anonymous.The interview would be 'semi-structured', meaning that there is room for you to add personal views and opinions about additional areas that the questions may not cover.

Why research?

Research helps to inform practice - at least eventually. Research also potentially inspires other and more large scale research . It is therefore a potential force for change. I feel that this is a valuable project to be a part of, in that it aims to listen to the voice and experiences of people who have travelled education before, in the hope that we can make things better for children who will in the future.

Any questions just ask on this forum or email me at [email protected]

Regards
Lydia
 
I'd be interested in participating, however, I am Dutch so I'm not sure how much I could help you. But if you could send me the questions you intend to ask I think I'll have a better idea :)
 
30 years ago in September I was sent to a mainstream school with a Special Needs "Unit", and hated every minute of it.

I wasn't diagnosed as Aspie back then, but if I had been, I would've probably been better off going to a better school, although I would've, and still do, hate the term "Special" when discussing Aspies or other people with Autism, as contrary to what morons on the Internet say, we are NOT "retarded" or otherwise mentally incompetent, on the contrary, most of us are of average or above average intelligence.
 
30 years ago in September I was sent to a mainstream school with a Special Needs "Unit", and hated every minute of it.

I wasn't diagnosed as Aspie back then, but if I had been, I would've probably been better off going to a better school, although I would've, and still do, hate the term "Special" when discussing Aspies or other people with Autism, as contrary to what morons on the Internet say, we are NOT "retarded" or otherwise mentally incompetent, on the contrary, most of us are of average or above average intelligence.
Hi Rich,
Really valuable comments, and I suspect you are not alone in this experience. May I ask would you be interested in taking part?
Lydia
 
Lydia,

I am from the US. I have HFA and so does my son. I have had to fight for his education. I am glad I was diagnosed after I was put of school. If you would like someone from the US who is obviously HFA and it was not caught, I can help you there.
 
Hi Rich,
Really valuable comments, and I suspect you are not alone in this experience. May I ask would you be interested in taking part?
Lydia

PM me a link to your survey :)

Or contact me on Facebook (link in my signature)
 
Lydia,

I am from the US. I have HFA and so does my son. I have had to fight for his education. I am glad I was diagnosed after I was put of school. If you would like someone from the US who is obviously HFA and it was not caught, I can help you there.
Hi Merahj,
Yes would love to hear your experiences and views, may we arrange a Skype appointment for next week? I will PM you a copy of the interview questions in the next couple of days,
Thanks so much for your interest,
Lydia
 

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