A 10-year-old child with Asperger syndrome threatens to assault staff. You don't want to exclude him but he is known for carrying out his threats. An education adviser to a National Autistic Society school explains his dilemma.
I was working as a line manager and adviser to the principal in a National Autistic Society school. One of our pupils was a charming and academically very able boy with Asperger syndrome.
He was of at least average intelligence but had difficulties in understanding and being aware of others' needs and feelings.
He saw the world only on his terms - he believed it was right to strike and hurt others if he wanted, but not for them to challenge him.
He didn't want to leave the school. Typically of children with Asperger syndrome, he wanted things to stay the same. But he was of an age where the school couldn't keep him.
He blamed two members of senior staff for this and wanted to hurt and punish them.
At one point he said: "It's your fault and I'm going to get you." He described what he was going to do in very specific detail. He always kept his promises so we knew he meant it.
We knew it would place massive pressure on his family if we were to send him back to live with them, and we didn't want him to end up with a record for being excluded.
We literally had teachers watching him all the time. But in the end he was too quick for them.
Ten days before he left, he was finding it difficult to stay calm. Despite being closely monitored he darted forward and grabbed one of the teachers he had threatened by the hair. He hurt her in exactly the way he said he would.
We knew he would be intent on carrying out the next attack. Yet both the threatened members of staff argued for him not to go home or to be excluded but to stay at school.
I had to overrule the principal. I said that my advice was that the boy be sent home, but how and under what circumstances was up to the principal.
We sent him home for the last week of term but staff visited him at home to work with him. We made sure he had the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends at school so that he would get "closure".
It was a very tough call. But the transition package was the only way to guarantee everyone's safety.
- Have you ever faced a tough professional choice? Call Stovin Hayter on 020 8267 4767 or email stovin.hayter@haynet.com.
