7yr old dislikes a certain School rule

[Tyler]

My 7yr old daughter has Autism and really gets uptight/upset at a certain rule at School.

The rule is; on days that it is raining, windy and during ALL of winter months, children of that School must wear their waterproof jacket (which is supplied as part of uniform) fully tied up (zipped and velcroed up to the chin), hats on/hood up, scarf and gloves on (both just for Winter months).

My daughter has sensory issues though, which School know about, yet they still insist on her following rule which upsets dd.

She would wear it tied just above halfway but, again, School not so keen on that.

What can me or dd do regarding issue?

 

[aj]

My 7yr old daughter has Autism and really gets uptight/upset at a certain rule at School.

The rule is; on days that it is raining, windy and during ALL of winter months, children of that School must wear their waterproof jacket (which is supplied as part of uniform) fully tied up (zipped and velcroed up to the chin), hats on/hood up, scarf and gloves on (both just for Winter months).

My daughter has sensory issues though, which School know about, yet they still insist on her following rule which upsets dd.

She would wear it tied just above halfway but, again, School not so keen on that.

What can me or dd do regarding issue?

If it was my child i would say to the teacher/headmaster, dont force my child to dress in a way that makes her Uncomfterable. I can understand where my child is coming from and i am unhappy with you forcing it on her. I understand she has to have her coat zipped up but not to her chin if it makes her uncomfterble. (Id show them how i would prefer it) if they dont like it or they tell me they cant allow that then that would boil me. I would probably get expelled lol

 

[Suzanne]

The school recognise the name, but are ignorant of the facts.

You will have a huge tantrum on your hands if you force her, so I would go to the head of the school explain that it is not about a child being difficult and thus, she must learn a lesson and ask respectfully that she wear the same jacket but with different closers.


Is there any other school you can send her to, which cater to the specific needs of autistic children?

Probably why they are not yielding to this change is because they see that if they bend the rule for one, they will have a ton of parents demanding the same treatment for their children.

If non compliant then perhaps you could speak with the other parents and work from that angle.

You cannot force your little girl to bend for it will be disastrous.

 

[Kari Suttle]

I'll be blunt but...if they're being this uptight over a school uniform jacket/hat/gloves set, how uptight and unwilling to compromise do you think they will be over bigger autism related issues? Perhaps, if continued talks with the school officials don't work, this isn't the school for your child.

Though i will ask - how bad is your child's sensory issue with the jacket set? Is it something that can be worked on and she can adjust to or is this something she simply cannot compromise on? Because even if she has autism she will need to learn to deal with her sensory issues as best she can as she grows up. A school will cater to a child, but a job as an adult will likely not. I have had to do this with my job with my sensory issues with sound.

 

[Progster]

Perhaps you could get your doctor/psychologist/psychiatrist to write a letter to the headmaster explaining the issue and asking for her to be exempt from this rule. Schools often just brush off parents - they are more likely to take notice if it comes from a doctor or specialist.

 

[AsheSkyler]

If she's is fully diagnosed, I'd probably get a note from the doctor confirming the sensory issues make this an unrealistic rule. I can tell ye from when I was a kid, schools have absolutely no respect for parents, and get pretty rude with kids who try to obey their parents. You're going to have to go over their heads if you want to get anything done.

 

[Judge]

Just keep in mind that the origin of such "rules" often lies in containment of the school's legal liability first and foremost compared to legitimate concerns for the health and welfare of students. Regardless of individual needs of individual students. Rules and their contractual compliance ultimately overseen by insurance underwriters.

In the US, schools of any kind (and any other risk involving children) are up to their eyeballs in liability exposures...whether they pose serious risk or not. Reflecting an extreme vulnerability to aggressive litigation in general.

School administrators can always look the other way to accommodate students or parents, but in doing so they may be putting themselves at odds with insurers as well as local government. Potentially a very bad idea if they are caught. (I was once one of those underwriters.)