Chapter Eight
Lessons
Charles loved
learning new things and was always enthusiastic about going to school. He
embraced most subjects he took, including history, science, math, cooking,
music, drama and geography were just a few. He even enjoyed French and Spanish
but as the work got harder he fell behind so he had to give these subjects up.
He had one-to-one in certain key subjects, especially if they were practical
lessons, science being one of them. He would get so excited about experiments
and without listening fully to instructions would start messing with the Bunsen
burner and mixing chemicals. This obviously worried the staff in case he set
fire to the room. At one stage they said they may have to consider taking him
out of science, but once Mrs Allen, his class room assistant, had had a word
with him the school gave him another chance. It was the same with cooking; he’d
become so excited about the lesson and wanted to add his own ingredients to
recipes or pick something so extravagant it would be too complicated to do in school time. It’s these cooking lessons that
led him into thinking he wanted to become a chef. Well, that was until he got
bored with the theory side of things. He
didn’t like the idea of rules and regulations! A chef was only part of his
career list; he’d gone from wanting to be an astronaut, to a doctor, a chef, a
comedian, a lorry driver, to studying palaeontology and last but not least a life
coach! Which has made it quite hard for
him to choose which subjects to study.
Drama helped him with social situations and
expressing himself. He often added a few words of his own into the script which
always threw the rest of the cast. It was his way or the high way. He found
English hard until year nine and then he began enjoying that too, especially
studying ‘Of Mice and Men.’ He would read passages out in class to the point of
the other students wanting him to read it out loud as he read it with great
gusto. But for all his highs, lows, outbursts and misunderstandings, he enjoyed
going to school. I never had a morning where he refused to go, even when things
got difficult for him.
After the incident
in PE mentioned in the last chapter, he had to complete a booklet about social
boundaries. It covered social behaviour on a scale from 1 to 5 and how certain
behaviours can make other people feel. 1, was informal behaviour; 2,
reasonable; 3, odd; 4 scary; and five being physically hurtful or threatening,
5 being against the law. They called this booklet’ the book of the hidden
curriculum’ and it was written by Kari Dunn Buron. It was really helpful and
gave me something to work from. Charles was hoping there might have been a
booklet for rules on relationships; if only!
Charles was given
school passes which he could show in class and round school when he felt the
need to escape. He had certain places he could go and sit if things got too
much for him. The more anxious he got, the louder he would become. He didn’t
like being crowded round by people when he felt like this because it made him
feel claustrophobic. He trusted Mrs Allen 100% and would go to her if he needed
guidance and support. She also helped other members of staff who may have been
struggling with Charles. I called her our guardian angel.
Charles
desperately wanted to fit in and be liked by everyone and he certainly cheered
staff up as they often said that he was a joy to teach.
Charles had to learn everything including
emotions, rules, expressions and sarcasm. Even the smallest of things that come
naturally to us he had to figure out and think it through. He loved making
people laugh and he took it to extremes at times. I explained to him that there
was a difference between making people laugh and being laughed at. We still
struggle with that one on occasions. He was
very tactile and loved touching girls’ hair and continued to hug Mrs Allen. He
was a very sensitive child and some children took advantage of that. Thankfully
there were the few who accepted Charles for who he was and would report other
children for getting Charles to do and say things he shouldn’t. One scenario
was where a girl had said to Charles, ‘If you show me yours I’ll show you
mine’. Luckily another child overheard and seen there was quite a crowd
gathering and ran to inform a member of staff. Mrs Allen managed to stop it
before it got started. Thank you to that child.
Charles complained that year eight was his
worst year for bullying. He struggled to recognise true friendships and he
found it hard understanding what was expected of him. Some children were okay
with him, until they mixed with crowds that didn’t get on so well with Charles.
That’s when the taunting started. Charles wanted to fit in and he would put up
with anything to try and gain their friendship. Thankfully those types of
friends didn’t stay around for long. His true friends stuck by him and were
concerned for Charles, saying that his feelings did matter and it wasn’t all
about making other people happy. Mrs Allen always told him to take a deep
breath and to think things through. If things got stressful for him then he was
to come and find her. If he was in trouble or got a detention he would go and
find her to sort it out. The conversation, or so I’ve been told, would go like
this: ‘Miss, I got a bit of a problem.’ Then he would tell her very fast what
the problem was, then finish with…‘but on the positive side’, to try to detract
from what he’d done. He was always
honest and became anxious and loud when he knew he’d done wrong. In one meeting
Mrs Allen commented that Charles had explosions of thoughts, which I thought
was a lovely expression about him. She
said Charles had also commented that she was now sufficient for requirement!
It wasn’t all
roses, though; he was made aware of the consequences of his actions and
together they would come up with a solution or plan. He was always leaving
notes behind in class, forgetting homework and sometimes forgetting to do it at
all. Every child was given a planner in class to remind them of rooms, homework
and dates. Charles very rarely wrote in his, or if he did he would forget to
look at it. He lost quite a few as well; I know this because I was supposed to
sign it each week and he could never find it.
Without actually
being in school with Charles I couldn’t keep a check on everything but by
reading some of his work it certainly gave me a clue. This particular piece of
work he wrote made me feel sad.
My Teenage years
and autism.
Hello, I’m not
much of a writer but decided to tell my teenage perspective to you.
I am not much of a
talker about puberty, I just let it drift by and that I don’t exactly notice it
much say for a couple of spots and a want for exercise and a moustache. My
social life always seems rickety. I have two sets of friends but they seem like
they’re about to break at any second. For example, my friend who shall not be
named always acts as though one false move and he hates me forever. One other
friend who also won’t be named is always around the people who despise me so
it’s awkward for me. The end.
It’s been hard for
Charles navigating his way through a school day. He’s had to think through
every new experience. I know for a fact he was exhausted when he got home and I
made sure he kept homework at school, spending extra time at school to complete
it as once home I knew we would struggle to complete it. The first thing he
would do when he did get home was strip off and put his dressing gown on.
Playing computer games and eating was relaxing for him and in no time at all he
would be skipping and humming across the landing again.
We had regular IEP
(Individual Education Plan) meetings with Mrs McCarthy, Mrs Allen, Mrs Dunkley
and a few others to discuss Charles’s achievements and to put strategies in
place for him. I felt these people really cared for Charles and we both felt
supported.
This is one of
Charles’s Health care plan statements in 2014 which led him onto the
independence he has today.
SECTION A: Charles and Mr and Mrs Cornfield’s parent
views, interests, Hopes and Aspirations.
My Story
Charles Cornfield
What people like about me and what I can do well.
I have a good
sense of humour and I am happy and honest. My Mom and Dad think I am kind and
caring. I am well motivated, intelligent, loving, considerate, funny and very
sensitive. My teachers at school say I am friendly, polite, have a thirst for
knowledge. I am conscientious and a hard worker. Mrs Allen says I am an
inspiration to others and a credit to my family and her.
What’s important to me now and in the future?
My exams and being
able to revise are important to me now, as well as getting a girlfriend. In the
future I would like to get into sixth form, have a girlfriend and more freedom.
My mum thinks my
hobbies and clubs I attend such as the Mac and the youth club are important to
me now. The fact that I enjoy art animation, baking and computer games but also
being able to relax is important now. In the future, my Mum feels a good
education is important to lead to a job I want to do. For me to have more
self-esteem and get my grades in exams also to become more independent and
fulfil my ambitions.
School and the CAT
team think having more focus and concentration is important to me now to
achieve well in my exams, also knowing how to revise for my exams and to have
options for post 16. My friends are also important to me know. In the future,
school says I will need transition to my next phase, more help to become
independent and develop more meaningful relationships and positive social
interaction, particularly with girls.
How best to support and communicate with me
I would like more
support from both home and school to become more independent. In particular I
would like to be able to travel more independently, therefore I need support
with road safety awareness and to become more familiar with my surrounding. My
parents agree with this and also feel I need more support with taking more
responsibility with my personal hygiene.
School and CAT say
I will need support with transition to sixth form, life skills and
understanding social and personal relationships in order to stay safe. ‘
Leading up to
Charles exams he found revision hard. It took him along time to get started and
stay focus at times. He was given extra time in his exams and had one on one as
he required prompting.
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