Tutor: nurse or аутистовед?

Tutors for children with autism in Belarus are not present, but all look for them. Including I – for Timur.

In May my son has finished primary education in the integrated class of comprehensive school. And over our head threat of nadomny training has again hung: on a plan of authors of the program «with difficulties in training», at an average step the child should outgrow the difficulties and join the general stream.

Our stream – 27 active sociable teenagers – just not against Timur, messmates have accepted long ago my unusual boy. A problem that children with autism to the fifth class do not outgrow the features. And to the sixth, the seventh, the eighth will not outgrow.

My offer to include in educational process of the tutor teachers have apprehended watchfully:

– During a lesson he will wait for your boy in a corridor, how the nurse? – our teacher has assumed.

Хм … some time ago from the specialist of National institute of education I heard more proud definition of the tutor – «аутистовед».

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Yuliana Pyankova

So who such tutor – the nurse or аутистовед? Where prepare these experts to that teach and it is possible to wait for what results from their work?

Some simple questions of a tyyutorstvo are answered by the professional tutor of the child first in Belarus with Yulian Pyankova’s autism

– Yuliana, so after all nurse or аутистовед?

– Neither that nor another. The tutor is a link, the intermediary, the expert in individual adaptation.

To a huge regret, a situation in Belarus the comical: in connection with steps on inclusion of children with autistichesky frustration on general educational Wednesday there was a huge demand for tutors, and professions such is not present.

In today’s realities the tutor is a small salary and modest record in labour – «the assistant to the tutor».

– Why in Belarus still there is no such speciality?

– I long thought over this question. For certain there are very important reasons why in the presence of sharp social inquiry, and also the people, wishing to be tutors, and children vitally needing it, still are not present such speciality.

But me these important reasons are not known.

– It turns out, the speciality is not present, the system of preparation is not present, and experts are? How you have come to a professional tyyutorstvo?

– By the first education I am a musicologist, the teacher of solfeggio and musical literature. On the second the teacher-psychologist. To a subject of autism has come for soul, as the volunteer: in free time came to the families which are bringing up children with autism, was engaged in development of game activity.

Then AVA therapist Victoria Sidorovich (unfortunately for parents, now Victoria lives in other country) has got acquainted with the only thing at that time Belarusian and began to conduct children as the therapist, to work according to programs individually developed by Victoria. In August of last year was trained at the fortnight training seminar practical work organised “School – skhodinka” (Kiev, Julius Presnyakov’s lecturer) – “Base principles of a method behavioural the analysis in application to children from RACES”.

Now I study on the certificated course according to the behavioural analysis at the Moscow institute of psychoanalysis, on Anna Hismyatullina’s course. Has passed resident supervizirovanny instruction to ABLLS testing in Moscow. I visit conferences, trainings, webinars …

– Whether your work of the ward and what gives the grounds to assume has changed, what these changes have occurred not in itself?

– With the ward I have started to work a year ago in the summer as the therapist. By then the boy has ended the first class without the tutor.

Results of its training were failure: in the 8 years the child did not know letters, considered hardly to three, confused colours. Practically did not use speech, there were big gaps in social communication, it is a lot of stereotipiya and problem behaviour. Though in respect of skills of self-service could give odds to any ordinary boy of his age: it is a huge merit of parents.

We have begun the intensive program on preparation for school, have entered zhetonny system, have defined that can become for the child encouragement, have entered visual support and the schedule. I have involved the son as to – the therapist for working off of imitation, role-playing and board games.

Parents have asked me to continue work as the tutor. I have agreed, and I can tell with confidence that everything has turned out!

We have got to the integrated class to the remarkable teacher-defektologu who has supported us and has allowed to use a behavioural approach in training. Following the results of 2 classes my ward has completely mastered the school program, has learnt to read, fluently writes written letters, plays board games with children, tells verses, sings songs, understands the turned speech and can support simple dialogue.

It is result of command work of the teacher-defektologa, privately involved psychologist which was engaged with the boy on days off, the tutor and, of course, a family. All of us adhered to one strategy.

It was first heavy, the school has accepted not at once the child. We together with parents have gone on the psikhologo-pedagogical commission before the beginning of academic year, have asked to enter support in recommendations. When have come with it to the principal, he did not understand, who I am, why I here, and why all this to school. Has warned that will watch us, and God forbid, we will strike at the rights of other children.

In the characteristic of the child following the results of a year it is noted that first teachers doubted a right choice of an educational route, but now doubts are not present.

My purpose – to make so that I as the tutor was not necessary to the ward. Always it I remember. But, on the other hand, at me there is so much all in the head in that I can train it that would be desirable to give all this. Therefore I "release" the ward gradually – at some lessons I already sit not near it, and at distance. Next year two days in a month I at all will not be at this school: I will carry out a role of the adviser in the resource integrated class for children with autism. Let’s look, as this period of discharge will go at us.

Now – Aypad, then – a lesson

– At the same time with you, since September, 2013, work was started by three tutors of the resource class first in Belarus for children with autism – at the Minsk school No. 5. They work on other model?

– Yes, options of support of children with autism can be different. In the countries which in correction of autism have promoted further us, for children with autism with difficulties in behaviour the model of the structured school training which will be organised in resource classes is used.

In such model the tutor is the person, had training the special preparation, being a part of team which consists of the supervisor, the ABA adviser and tutors-therapists. Activity of the tutor is accurately regulated by the individual program of the child in which all steps on formation of skills and target behaviour are registered. From the tutor accurate following to instructions of the adviser, timely filling the check sheets (monitoring of assimilation of skills) is required.

Such model is a work in private at the table, support of the child at the general lessons and training out of the structural environment (change, various school actions). It was taken as a basis by projects of the Moscow classes on Kashenkin and Kiev, and we try to create at the Minsk school No. 5.

There are support options when activity of the tutor is not supervised by skilled experts, the directions of its work are caused by inquiries of parents. I work exactly so, without the curator, being guided by inquiries of parents and a problem of the child which I independently define when testing. Periodically we take a superviziya.

Team to – the therapists, actively involved for work (son Nikita and nephew Kolya)

– Whether it is possible to speak already about results of training of children in a resource class on the basis of school No. 5?

– I often there happen, I advise and I help both to the teacher of a class, and tutors. I see, how many arises questions on a work course as it is difficult to orient in a situation, to make the right decision.

The first year of training has left on formation of educational behaviour at children, on structuring the environment, forming of the relations with staff of school and in class collective. We did not place emphasis on work with the academic skills, worked over adaptation and environment change. And, under laws of the behavioural analysis, also children wonderfully changed.

Now we test children on ABLLS, it will be possible to judge results of work only at repeated testing. So while has the right to share purely subjective opinion.

I can tell that at the beginning of a year these children did not sit, did not listen, did not carry out instructions. Now I sit down opposite to the child, I give the instruction, and it carries out it. Over quality of performance we should work still for a long time, but at least the child hears me and perceives as the teacher.

The team of school No. 5 is the teacher-defektolog, three tutors and, of course, parents. It is supposed that next academic year the psychologist will join them. Parents have found possibility to train tutors, having paid a series of webinars of the Moscow experts.

Though to say that in a resource class all how should be, early. We while have no supervisor: work of such expert is very expensive. There should be an adviser who develops individual programs for children. In an amicable way, on ethical standards of the behavioural analyst, I cannot be an adviser, yet have not passed a full course of training. I can be only AVA therapist. But, unfortunately, there is nobody to assume consultation therefore as it has already been told, from next academic year two days in a month I will work at school No. 5 more.

– My son the only child with autism at the school so a resource class us not to see. And as you unique AVA therapist in Belarus, too it is not necessary to count on «the personal trainer». Or after all to look for the competent accompanying?

– I do not want to mislead parents of other children that if they will find the tutor, their children can and to be successful at usual school. No.

I simply possess a certain knowledge. I am not the "correct" tutor as I adapt the school program under the child, I develop ways of formation of skills, constantly it I test. So should not be! It is a school task, instead of privately employed expert. And the teacher, even the most flexible and benevolent in relation to children with autism, has no corresponding knowledge.

Next academic year at once at several schools of Minsk the integrated classes for children with autism will open. Parents of children from school No. 5 were the first, to them it was heavy. But they have created good conditions for the children, train experts. It is the correct model of training of children with autism.

– Why the question of a tyyutorstvo so persistently sounds in connection with training of children with autism? Support is more necessary to our children, than someone else?

– No, tyyutorsky support is necessary for all children. I with the great pleasure would support introduction of a tyyutorsky position in each usual class.

To children with autism the tutor is vital – however, as well as to children with cerebral spastic infantile paralysis, with a Down syndrome, visually impaired and many other.

Support of children with autism demands a certain knowledge of behaviour laws. To help it is not enough one desire.

– Tell honest, it is interesting work? Monetary, or it is more as a hobby?

– For me it was and remains enormous practical experience – I would not receive it neither from one book, nor from one theoretical course.

At the same time, working, I could pay independently the training in Moscow, buy didactic materials, go on conferences and trainings.

One more bonus – a convenient operating schedule, employment 4 hours in day. For me as for mother of the first former it there was an ideal option. It too one of bonuses of the tutor.

«My workplace at school looks exactly so: didactic materials always near at hand, as well as the computer with the Internet. If it is necessary to find quickly the photo or the picture to a topic of the lesson, very much helps out. Always nearby a set of pooshchritel which I constantly test before lessons. My assistant Numikon – big help at a mathematics lesson».

The work which is carried out with soul, brings in sooner or later the income. Or turns into a hobby. I know that many parents, besides financial motivation, are ready to train independently tutors for the children. That is advantages it is available: you are just young specialist, but receive enormous experience, and parents are ready to invest in you.