978-1572305441

Ernest 149
Ernest is nonverbal and so has a difficult time communicating; he
says nothing and never has. Some children who are unable to speak can
compensate for their lack of words by signing, gesturing, or nodding
and shaking their head. Ernest doesn’t use any of these forms of communication
except to point at objects nearby. He’s quite independent
and does not require his parents’ help for many of his needs. He can
turn on the computer and the TV by himself and can get his own food
from the refrigerator. He has little desire to communicate over and
above his immediate needs and wants and, for the most part, is quite
content with his life. If he is denied something important, he will cry
and protest and rarely, if he is extremely frustrated (like when the river
freezes over), he will bite his hand. His understanding of language is
also quite delayed. He does not understand, for example, why he cannot
have ten Popsicles, one after another, and will have a minor temper tantrum
if his intake is limited.
Ernest is enrolled in the local elementary school. He has a teacher’s
assistant who spends all her time just working with him under the supervision
of the classroom teacher. Unfortunately they have little understanding
of ASD and no experience in dealing with someone like Ernest.
In spite of the fact that Ernest came to school with a diagnosis of
ASD, no individual treatment or educational plan designed specifically
for his needs was in place. The current plan is based on special needs
children in general and says nothing about autism. This is not an uncommon
occurrence; all too often schools are ill prepared to deal with
the challenges of a child with ASD. As a result, Ernest is expected to follow
the standard classroom routines, like sitting quietly in circle time,
moving easily from activity to activity, and listening to his teacher’s
commands. The problem is that Ernest has a hard time sitting still (as
his parents can testify and tried to tell his teachers), and he so loves the
sandbox that he refuses to leave it and share it with another child. As a
result, if he is not forcibly removed, he will monopolize the sandbox all
day, not allowing any other child to share it and refusing to go on to
other activities. If he is led away by the hand, he will hit the teacher and
protest loudly. The other children look on in amazement, not understanding
why he is so badly behaved.
One day Ernest bopped the teacher in the nose. Well, to be truthful,
he broke her nose. It all started when he wanted to go outside. After
all, it was a lovely day, one of the first days of spring, and he was keen to
go on the swings. The door to the yard was locked. He started to cry and
bang on the door. His teacher went over to him and tried to reason with