"The teachers in the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) classrooms are already full with 5 students. How are they going to increase the ratio if their work is exhausting?" asks Janniffer Flores, mother of a child with autism in the public school. Calvo Sotelo from the Tablas neighborhood of Madrid. To which he immediately adds: "I hope I am understood correctly. It is not that families with autistic children do not want more students to enter those classrooms, but our objective is to increase the number of teachers because the help for our children the first years of his life is vital. His evolution is impressive," he points out.
In the same way as Jannifer, thousands of families were found in the Community of Madrid at the end of last week, when a resolution was announced that described the changes that were going to occur in the region led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso in this matter. Basically, the ratio of ASD students in classrooms increases from 5 to 7 students without increasing the professional staff; But when reading the fine print there are more changes, such as, for example, the conditions are modified to remove autistic boys and girls from these classes from this specific support, when before a psycho-pedagogical report was needed.
Usually in these classes there are two teachers, a therapeutic pedagogy teacher or another hearing and language teacher and a senior social integration technician. With the changes, the latter "could dedicate himself to other activities in schools, such as changing diapers or helping in the dining room," say well-informed sources.
Miriam Martínez-Muñoz, mother of 4 children and two of whom are in a TEA classroom, in two different schools, one in the Arcadia charter school in Villanueva de la Cañada and another in the Carpe Diem public school in Villanueva del Pardillo, does not know. I could believe it Thursday night. As vice president of the TEA Awareness Association, she created several groups last Friday on Instagram and WhatsApp, which filled up in less than 24 hours. She also opened the petition for signatures on change.org, which has already been joined by almost 20,000 people.
"Last year we met with José Ignacio Martín Blasco, deputy minister of educational policy in the Community of Madrid in this legislature, and we asked him for a work table because from the offices they do not know how to work in those classrooms," explains Miriam Martínez -Muñoz. In her opinion, instead of opening a debate with experts, "Madrid comes out with the modifications without consulting anyone."
The objective of adults with autism, families with children with this problem and teachers is for "the resolution to be overturned," defends Martín-Muñoz, "since it violates the rights of the students who are already in those classrooms." In his opinion, the great support that these online mobilizations have had responds to "that we have united families affected by autism, as well as adults who in their day already suffered bullying at school due to lack of resources, support..." .
CCOO has called a demonstration for next November 15 in Madrid to protest the lack of teachers in these classes. Meanwhile, those affected are preparing canvases for that day and posters to distribute in schools during these weeks.
From the Ministry of Education, Science and Universities of the Community of Madrid they argue to La Vanguardia.com that "in no case will more than five students be served in the TEA classrooms; rather, the resolution states that the centers may enroll up to two students. more for each TEA classroom if there are siblings enrolled in the center to promote family conciliation; in the case of districts or localities in which all centers already have five students enrolled in school, five students per authorized classroom or when some exceptional circumstance occurs that , at the discretion of the director, justifies that need.
Furthermore, the Ministry clarifies, "the resolution at no time gives instructions on coverage for sick leave or on attention to students who do not have special educational needs."
Currently, there are 850 classrooms of this type in 700 centers. In the current academic year, 55 TEA classrooms have been created in 35 centers. According to the Ayuso Government, in the last 10 years there has been an increase from 135 TEA classrooms to the current 855, in which 1,700 professionals work.
