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

To be honest , I think I have some of the best memories of my life from this. I have has an assistant throughout my whole 12 years of school and , honestly , They were amazing. Now , when I was in Arizona , I only had one "escort" who would just walk with me to the next classroom , as I used to not be very good at navigating. But a few years ago , I moved to Pennsylvania(about 7th grade)and the school thought it would be a good idea for me to have an aid with me all day. So , I had a morning and an afternoon aid. These people were some of the nicest and coolest people I knew. We got along great. They had more respect for me than basically ANYONE had before at that point. They would help me when I needed it and mostly just kind of go along with me when I was doing things on my own(most of the time)but sometimes I actually couldn't due to seizures. These people were very respectful and understanding and in no way overbearing. They were less like aids and more like really good friends.
 
In secondary school I had a CCA (Child Care Attendant) called Mrs Naylor, she was quite fit and very attractive, but obviously too old for 14 year old me back in 1990, she was also married.
 
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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They did not have this sort of thing when I grew up 1960s/70s. I don’t understand what you mean here. If your “assistant did everything,” how did you learn, do homework, etc? What part of learning did you participate in? Education is a two-way process. It sounds totally boring if someone else “did everything.” I have always wanted to ask this question, but never had the opportunity.

Love your graduation avatar! Congratulations! Obviously you learned in spite of it all! :)
 
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I didn’t have any assistance in school, wasn’t diagnosed until well into adulthood.
 
I wasn't diagnosed until my 40s, so I didn't have a teaching or special ed assistant. However, at one point in middle school I was doing really badly, and the school decided I needed remedial teaching and wanted to put me in a slow learners's class. My parents objected to that and insisted that I stay where I was. Instead, I had a private remedial teacher for a while and my parents made me sit and do tests every day after school.
 
Yes, and I didn’t need them. I did fine in school without one, but when I was diagnosed in junior high, they suddenly decided that I needed to be in special ed and have a person by my side in the classroom every day. They were always asking me if I needed help, and I think my first one became hurt because I kept telling her that I didn’t need her help.
 
Sort of, but no.

I was 7, when there was a question of my intelligence and so, I was tested to see which next school I would be attending ie a "normal" school or one for moderate learning difficulties. I failed the test, because I was not able to even write out my name etc.

I went to this special school from that age, to 16 and it was awful.
 
Yes. She was a very young, pretty and stupid girl. I remember I liked her but I felt second hand embarrassment around her because I was just a small child and much more intelligent than she was.

I recall arguing with a boy about the spelling of spaghetti (he did not believe there was an H in the word, and she agreed with the boy)
I was never rude to her about it though. It's nice that she wanted to help kids.

This was in a special ed class though, she was the teachers assistant or something
 
No, because I wasn't diagnosed back then. Also I went to a private school so I don't know if there would have been any obligation to cater towards SEN pupils. Although I did know of some dyslexic pupils who had extra time in their exams.
 
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At my school, there were some kids with various issues, but I don't think that any of them had a diagnosis. They wee expected to cope and manage on their own.

If it was a serious issue, then they would need to go to a 'special school'.
 
Progster said:
At my school, there were some kids with various issues, but I don't think that any of them had a diagnosis. They wee expected to cope and manage on their own.

If it was a serious issue, then they would need to go to a 'special school'.
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A "special" school because they had problems? Ugh, 30 years ago I was sent to one of those places and hated all 5 years of it.
 
Mr Allen said:
A "special" school because they had problems? Ugh, 30 years ago I was sent to one of those places and hated all 5 years of it.
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If you had mild learning difficulties, I think they put you in a 'slow learners' class, but I'm not sure. If you had moderate to severe learning difficulties, they recommended that you attend a 'special school'. They wanted to put me in the slow learners group at one point, but my parents insisted that I stay in mainstream class because they didn't think that a special school was right for me, nor did they consider me to be a 'slow learner'.
 
I probably could have used one.

I was in the gifted program due to my ability in standardized testing. However, when I started failing my normal school they decided I wasn't trying hard enough and kicked me out of gifted as punishment. That was about all the help the school offered for, what probably should have been, an obvious learning disability.

Me and schools simply never mixed. I still enjoy standardized testing and do practice ones of various types for fun. (Yep, I live an exciting life)
 
Progster said:
If you had mild learning difficulties, I think they put you in a 'slow learners' class, but I'm not sure. If you had moderate to severe learning difficulties, they recommended that you attend a 'special school'. They wanted to put me in the slow learners group at one point, but my parents insisted that I stay in mainstream class because they didn't think that a special school was right for me, nor did they consider me to be a 'slow learner'.
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Indeed, like I keep saying, contrary to popular opinion I am NOT retarded, but back then they all thought I was "special" (I hate that word!) so for the secondary years I was sent to a special needs school, and to put it bluntly I hated all 5 years of it.
 
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