26/07/10

Hi,

My daughter is 15 years old and was diagnosed in Feb 10 with Aspergers Syndrome.  Her whole school life has been a struggle and now we have answers to a lot of our questions, however she really requires assistance in the classroom. She is in mainstream schooling and it has been recommended that she remain in mainstream for the rest of her schooling.

We have submitted our application for assistance but have been informed assistance possible won’t be available (if approved) until next school year.

From the reading I have done since my daughter’s diagnosis, it appears Autism Spectrum Disorders are not as uncommon as many may think.

I believe having a trained counsellor in the school system where there are several cases reported would greatly assist the children’s teachers improve their knowledge about these disorders and also with strategies to support these students.  I am finding that the main barrier is the teacher may not understand the syndrome and treats the children as if they have behaviour issues or learning disabilities.

Best regards
KG