teacher assistant for children with autism

[Guest guest]

This is bugging me lately, so I am venting. I am a substitute for

our school district. A few months ago, I substituted for an

elementary school secretary and was paid $14/hr. I now work with 4th

and 5th graders helping them with math and reading for approx.

$10/hr. A few weeks ago, I substituted in the intensive support

program (where some of the children with autism are) and was paid

$11/hr. I noticed that the aides were not very well trained. They

basically allowed the kids to do what they wanted, whether that was

run around in circles or play in a corner with little plastic bears.

My son is at a different school and has a very well trained aide. He

loves to go to school because he is challenged and his aide is very

consistent, he's one of the lucky ones.

Now THIS is my complaint. Where are the aides supposed to be

educated and WHO is to ensure they know enough to be taking care of

our children?! In the state of Washington, a teacher needs to attend

a teaching certification program that can take 18 months (even if

they have a bachelors degree) to teach typical children, but these

aides who are with our children day in and day out aren't required to

have anything...and even if they were, there isn't really any

education program out there for them! All the autism certificate

programs are post-baccellaurate, and the other classes either are not

in-depth and don't lead to anything or are from questionable, never-

heard-of-before fly-by-night companies.

It just makes me angry that people in these positions who are taking

care of our children make less than school secretaries and don't have

the opportunity to get " certified " or continually educated by some

reputable organization....okay, I'm done ranting and raving.