Dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, asd and NO SUPPORT at ALL at school?

[DopeyDawg]

Posted this in Primary Ed, then suddenly realised it would be sensible to put it here:

After a long battle my LEA have finally accepted that my 11 year old ds has Dyslexia. The private report also lists dysgraphia and dyspraxia.

We also have a 3 year old private ASD assessment which they do not accept (or rather, they simply ignore).

As they accept the Dyslexia assessment I thought we might finally get some support for his learning needs (he is also assessed as gifted in some areas).
Today I had confirmation from the LEA that he will not receive any formal support for learning this year (he has had less than 10 hours over the last 3 years).
The schools own figures show that he has 'gone backwards' over the last 3 years in terms of performance on some of their tests.

Apparently, he doesn't even need an individual learning plan.
Some of the 'strategies' they suggest are 'having a go' at spelling on pieces of scrap paper, marked by peers (there has been a lot of bullying).
Other suggestion have been that he struggles with his work due to his 'English accent' (!)

Can anyone who knows the Curriculum for Excellence tell me if this is acceptable, under this regime, please?

[TheIggorcist]

I don't know much about the legal side - he certainly should have rights there with a formal diagnosis. I teach children with IEPs, ASPs and also those simply flagged up as having difficulty learning. Some get formal time with learning support, but all of them get treated appropriately by me even without support - so copied notes to stick in instead of writing down, large size worksheets, support with structuring writing, repeating instructions etc. that's not a very good list I'm just making the point that teachers should be responding to your child's needs even if they don't have an IEP. It seems a strange reluctance not to move forward with this - do you know what experiences other children with additional learning needs have there?
I think it's the additional support for learning act (Scotland) that will support you. Sorry things are so difficult.

[DopeyDawg]

The area we are in is very poor indeed for SEN support.
(it is poor all round, tbh).

Despite my best efforts ds went in y'day without a pencil (he took it out and 'lost it' despite it being named).
He was told by his teacher that there were 'no school pencils available this year' and he could either 'borrow one or just sit there'.
this is the teacher who is 'aware of his SEN and trained to respond' apparently.

I will look at the ASL Act but do you know of any charities / bodies who might be able to advise (sorry for further 'ask')

[Skedaddled]

Enquire are a charity who should be able to advise you. Not sure how to link but look at enquire.org.uk

[DopeyDawg]

Thank you.x

[tabulahrasa]

Enquire are good...

There may well be local voluntary organisations that could help as well. Some areas have things like advocacy services, where someone can advise you and support you at meetings. (Actually some LAs offer this as well, but finding out who they are and contacting them is like some sort of Herculean challenge)

The LEA will have have an ASN team, someone will be responsible for an area of schools including yours - they're usually pretty good at going in and telling schools what they should actually be doing.

The LA by law have to provide independent mediation if it's needed, that again can be hugely useful if you're just going in circles with a school.

You also have the right to request a co-ordinated support plan and the LA have to respond, it will with those difficulties be refused, but, getting someone in to review the situation often kick starts the school into providing support.

[blaeberry]

You won't get a co-ordinated support plan unless another agency is significantly involved - for example weekly OT and SALT.

[tabulahrasa]

It's not that he'd get a CSP, it's that the process of requesting one means that someone from the LA is looking over the (lack of) support while refusing it and that sometimes means that they tell the school that although they're refusing the CSP, there should be an IEP in place and why isn't there?

[Charis1]

the ASD assessment is of no value with regards to the school, because it is private, and dyslexia isn't a condition that automatically leads to any support.

Is your child changing school this year?

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

Dyslexia Scotland have a network of local support groups across Scotland. They can also offer advice on what support you should expect and how to access it.

[blaeberry]

Hmm.. tabula you must live in a different LA to mine. I wouldn't have any confidence in my LA flagging up the lack of IEP. Nor would I have much confidence in any IEP produced by a reluctant school. I don't know what to suggest though as apart from a CSP there seems to be nothing but woolly words and no way to enforce a school to meet a child's needs.

[tabulahrasa]

blaeberry - it's not so much that LAs suddenly realise that a school isn't doing something they should as much as they realise that the parent knows this and is prepared to kick up a fuss. It wouldn't be the first thing I'd try, but it's relatively straightforward to do and worth a try if you're not getting anywhere after contacting the LA ASN team directly.


Independent mediation, adjudication and the ASN tribunal are much more involved, so you'd save those for after you'd tried the easier things.

[blaeberry]

I have been there, tabula, including going to tribunal (LA conceded at final evidence deadline). I would agree that making a fuss can be helpful - though a fuss in the sense of being polite and determined and not going away. But if met with intransigence there doesn't seem much you can do. Education only needs to be 'adequate' not even good!

[tabulahrasa]

Oh yes, I meant a fuss as in, knowing what your DCs rights are and trying to ensure they receive them, not actually causing a fracas, lol.

Yep the system does allow some schools and LAs to get away with quite a lot, sadly, but sometimes being determined does get you somewhere.

[Charis1]

Wrong. Education Scotland have it down as an additional support need. A diagnosis of dyslexia should be accompanied by a HWB plan or whatever they're called setting out strategies to support the child.

Maybe in Scotland, certainly not here in London.

[WhyBeHappyWhenYouCouldBeNormal]

Charis, dyslexia is covered by the equalities act and is a disability... its just LEA's like to save money...

[Charis1]

Whybe, dyslexia isn't even a term that is used or recognised here any more.

[WhyBeHappyWhenYouCouldBeNormal]

I'm sorry, what? Who says? Access to work grants and disabled students allowance spend thousands supporting people with dyslexia... I feel like its just schools who ignore it, hoping children will grow out of their neurodiversity...

[WhyBeHappyWhenYouCouldBeNormal]

I'm really baffled about you saying that dyslexia isn't a term used or recognised, perhaps we move in different circles...

[Charis1]

of curse dyslexia is still used. I am dyslexic myself, and frequently say so. What I meant is that it is not a term ever officially used or recognised the an educational settings I work in.

This is because it has no particular meaning.

I use it to describe myself in general chat, for example, and people get that I mean I have some brain damage. However, officially I would have to describe the exact difficulties in perception and expression that my specific damage causes.

You can't just say "dyslexic" to a SEN department or exam board, because the term has been stretched and stretched and stretched until it has no specific definition at all.

A SEN assessment that I receive would not use the term at all, but would instead contain a specific description of the neurological difficulties faced by a specific pupil.

[Charis1]

Dyspraxia ia also a highly suspect term, with some people using it exclusively to describe autistic spectrum disorders, where as many people who were previously called dyspraxic have no asd related problems at all. I am also dyspraxic, by the old definition, but no longer say so, as it is taken to mean autistic, which I am not. I just say "serious coordination difficulties"

But all this is irrelevant, as the op is describing PRIVATE assessments, which we would automatically disregard here anyway, as unfortunately there are private assessors around who are so unreliable that we only use assessments done within the state education system, to ensure reliability.

[WhyBeHappyWhenYouCouldBeNormal]

charis1 I am now reassured you are talking absolute rubbish. There are very clear and set ways to diagnose dyslexia and dyspraxia... and both are classed as disabilities and clear support structures should be in place.

Actually, Op had had both lea and private assessment...

[Charis1]

fine, have it your own way.

I am telling you how it is here.

You don't want to accept that, basically that's up to you, but it is your loss, not mine, because you are continuing in ignorance.