Just a weep about feeling stuck and helpless

[Stradbroke]

I have just had my DD's report from school. She is in year 2 and in the last year (so comparing the report from autumn year 1) she has made the following progress:
Writing from P5 to P6
Reading from P7 to P8
Maths from P8 to 1B

So in one year at school she has moved one sub level. She has a statement. Full time 1:1 support. They have tried everything.

She seems to be too high functioning for special school, but clearly is not making progress. I don't know what to do.

What do I do for her? I have a brick wall in front of me.

[Stradbroke]

I have been to see them. There is one which may be suitable. I am waiting to hear about an outreach visit from them where I will ask what they think.

Do you think that level of (non) movement is OK?

[Stradbroke]

For the most part yes. She has friends and has actually made really good social progress since September. She does enjoy school yes and she joins in etc.

I just want to see her learning.

[Stradbroke]

Do you have any suggestions for apps?

She is doing action words at school now for reading as she was getting no where with phonics.

She loves the ipad so would like to work on that. In fact she uses that at school for writing.

[PandasRock]

My dd (just started secondary, so a bit older) is still on P levels (for the most part, with occasional level 1s) on paper.

She can also read well (reading chapter books now), type whole paragraphs, use maths enough to work out simple shopping budgets.

The academic representation doesn't always translate into not functioning in life.

And I agree, there is no such thing as 'to high functioning for special school'. Did has full time 1:1, at a highly specialised school. This is what has enabled her to compete in a sport at a National championships, pass several ASDAN levels, and participate in a scout group (for social reasons and to gain further useful skills) and has supported her to be as high functioning as she appears. It is also the reason why those P levels haven't held her back in life - her school is working within that to ensure she has the skills she needs.

[Stradbroke]

Pandas - what you describe is exactly what I want for my DD.

I have long accepted that she will not keep up with her peers academically. That is not what I expect for her. But she is bright and does have skills and could/can do well. But then every term I get a report home which tells me time and time again that she is not progressing. There is no space to tell me where she is doing well, where she has made progress, skills she has acquired. So frustrating.

I want her to be somewhere where she is seen to be making progress and where she is being taught the skills she needs for her life.

I will go and see the special school again with DH to see what he thinks.

[Stradbroke]

p.s. thanks everyone for the replies. I really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel so alone and like the only person floundering through this.

[PandasRock]

Thanks, Polter. Yes, I'm too! I did have an indulgent end-of-primary thread (which I think you posted on ), but I'm not around here as much as I used to be - too busy running after ds (he starts reception next September, now that is !) and sorting out appointments etc for him - he has his ADOS in a couple of weeks - I have a feeling it's going to be a hattrick in the Panda household

I agree with zzzzz - iPads are worth (more than) their weight in gold. Dd1 would be lost without hers, and has learned so much from it. She's had one since she was 6, and has learned to read, spell, type, and so much more, all thanks to apps.

Stradbroke, don't despair. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and back in yr1/2, I would never have been able to predict where dd1 would be not that she is in year 7. In fact, when she was in year 1, her school (a different school, which we removed her from smart-ish) told us we would have to accept that dd1 may we'll never learn anything measurable. Your dd has the best thing that any child could have - an interested parent, motivated to help.

Dd1's shopping budget means she works out what she needs for a simple recipe, and at school works out the cost of those ingredients (usually only 2 or 3 items). At the shop, she still needs to pay for the items individually to be able to count out the money (she can recognise the coins, but can't add up in money beyond about £1.20), but then, she's only 11. Plenty of time to be working on that .