If a child with ASD needs individual support to attend school, it is possible to be accompanied by an integration specialist/school assistant. The necessity is always checked by the cost unit on a case-by-case basis. While the need for an integration specialist for children with ASD and with obvious challenging behaviors cannot be doubted, the need for children with ASD in the high-functioning range must regularly be well justified to the responsible clerk. For children with ASD in the high-functioning range, the focus of support is regularly within the translation to and from social situations and the establishment of visualization and structuring aids and the application of these. In some cases, children with ASD do not need the support of an integrative specialist, as they are able to cope with everyday school life on their own. Generally, it is advisable to consult a responsible employee of the autism counseling service of the respective school authorities (in most German federal states often located at the district government) when applying for support. If the child has already been connected to therapy, a statement from the responsible professional can also be supportive.
The need for school assistance is usually determined by a school doctor’s or medical officer’s report and can be applied for at the local youth welfare or social welfare office within the framework of integration assistance. It is helpful if the parents formulate their child’s need for support as specifically as possible when submitting the application.
In order to ensure adequate support for the child, it is important to select a school assistant who already has knowledge in the area of ASD and autism-specific support. Since this is not always possible, the integration assistant should always be given special training in advance.
The specific activities of a school assistant are always based on the individual needs of the child, but may include the following areas:
- Encourage social interaction (e.g., support in interacting with classmates, especially during breaks or partner & group work).
- Help with practical life skills (e.g. help with personal hygiene, spatial orientation, accompaniment on the way to school).
- Support in class (e.g. directing attention, clarifying work assignments, motivation, etc.).
- Support in dealing with autism-specific behaviors (e.g., dealing with stereotypical behavior, creating opportunities for retreat, avoiding sensory overload).
- Exchange of information between school and parents.
However, the objective of school support should always be to promote the child’s independence in order to gradually achieve the greatest possible independence from the support. The basic rule is: “As much support as necessary – as little as possible”.
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