Substitute Teachers - What a Hassle!

Yesterday my son had a substitute teacher at school. You would think that he would have gotten used to this, after all, this is his seventh year in school and he has had many substitute teachers. After he entered the classroom, noticed that a "strange" teacher was there, he turned around and left, seeking his best friend in the hallways because he didn't want to cope with this unexpected situation by himself.

This is much better behaviour than I expected from my son. I clearly remember the first time he encountered a substitute teacher. It was in Kindergarten and I had not thought to discuss the issue, or warn him of the possibility ahead of time. When he realized that the teacher at the head of the line wasn't his teacher, he pitched a fit that was just incredible! He cried, argued, got very obnoxious and nothing I could say or do would persuade him to walk into that classroom where a "stranger" was lurking.

The fall out from this first encounter with a substitute teacher lasted for days. He never wanted to go to school again, in case his teacher wasn't there. I had to explain all the reasons why his teacher might not be there, and then we had this long (totally logical on his part) argument about the fact that the "not talking to strangers" rule does not apply when he has a substitute teacher at school. In fact, my son became so rigid about not going to school when his teacher wasn't there that as soon as I saw that someone different was greeting the kindergarten children, I turned around and took him home.

In hindsight, now that I know he has Asperger's Syndrome, I would have handled the situation differently. He has come a long way in seven years, but when he sees a different face at the head of the classroom, he sure doesn't like it. If you have a child like mine, who resists change, I would suggest the following tips:

1. Prepare him for substitute teachers by telling him that some days the teacher misses a day of school for one reason or another.

2. Praise him for getting though a day of change. After all, substitute teachers do not have the same relationship with your child, don't keep the same order throughout the day and don't know what to do when your child has a meltdown.

3. Be aware that at the end of the day your child will be mentally tired out from the stress of dealing with the situation. Don't try to take him shopping or out and about.

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