Advice Please

[bitsnbobs]

I would really appreciate some advice for my Ds aged 9.

He had speech delay and recieved some help via Portage. When he started school he seemed to be getting on fine but when school report time came around I was told he was behind his peers and was put on an IEP.

Fast forward to now, he has continued to be in the low group at school. I spoke to the SEN at school and was told it might be dyslexia for which they tested him (one came back high the other in the normal category so they put this aside). I went to see the Dr and got him referred for help and he was given some memory tests by the speech therapy team. I have been told he has short term memory problems. They found he has an extensive vocabulary and is intelligent but cannot understand what is asked of him by the teacher. His teacher said he was doing okay for his group at school (i.e the low one) but when school report time came he has declined drastically from last year and is getting low in everything.

I spoke to the Speech Therapist who suggested going to the Drs again, the Dr said the school needed to refer him. I am stuck as to which route to follow and how do I request a FULL assessment to find what the issue might be.

[Vinniesbisqwits]

see a different GP as its your right to ask to be refered to the child development paed .
write a list of concerns including home and school and demand to be refered, take reports you have so far , the school do not have to refer him in fact my dcs school although backed us told me the oposite that its not their place to do so your the parent .
also sounds like he needs more support at school if hes doing worseget someone to help you write a letter to the LEA asking for an assesment for a statement its always better comming from the parent rather than the school.

[bitsnbobs]

Thanks, I will see a different GP. He is getting all the support the school can give him they have told me, which amounts to two extra sessions with a group of other children and the TA.

[dolfrog]

bitsnbobs

Your DS may have Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) or a listening disability, not being able to process all of the sound based information you hear.
APD can cause speech delay as those who have APD tend to need to be able to first process the whole sound of a word and then reprocess the whole sound of that word in the form of their own speech. This is due to problems processing the gaps between sounds that can make up a word, and even the gaps between words in rapid speech. This can cause problems following conversations, and following multiple verbal instructions.
Vocabulary is stored in the long term memory.
Those who have APD need to develop and run alternative cognitive skills and abilities , coping strategies, to compensate for their cognitive deficit. Coping strategies have to be run in the working memory, short term memory. Working memory is like the RAM of a computer, where we run the programs we need to perform all our daily activities, and like RAM working memory has a limited capacity. We priorities how we use our working memories subconsciously, and to run our coping strategies other programs have to make way, usually our self organisational programs. And on the same note, our coping strategies take second palce to coping with issues such as stress or illness. Because working memory is controlled subconsciously we are not able to switch or coping strategies "on" and "off" when we need them, highly inconvenient lol.

Due not being able to process what is being said in a classroom or lesson, many children who have APD can loose the plot as to what is being discussed. Mainly because the information is not being presented in a format they can access more easily. many who have APD are or become visual learners and use visual cues and visual aides (lip reading, reading body language, pictures, charts, diagrams, mind maps) to best guess the bits of auditory information they miss.

You may find the Auditory Processing Disorder in the UK (APDUK) web site has more detailed information

[bitsnbobs]

That is really interesting, thank you! He was given a mock test at school and did very badly so I requested that someone read the questions to him and he got more than half right this time. He is brilliant at remembering countries and flags as you said the visual cues help him. I will definately look at the website you suggested.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

I don't think he has a Statement of SEN, then? If he's getting some small group work with a TA and IEPs he's on school action or school action plus. If he's failing to make adequate progress and the school are doing everything they can (as they have told you) then you really should request Statutory Assessment for a statement. If the LA agree to assess he will be seen by an educational psychologist and other professionals. Have a look for the SEN code of practice as it describes the process. At the end of a long process he should finally get some more support, maybe 1:1 help. LAs often refuse to assess initially but his reports sound like he's failing to make any progress.

Keep up with the medical route to assessment as well, as another GP for a referral to a developmental Paed, as one assessment should support the other, hopefully. Keep asking for advice on here.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

Link to SEN Code of Practice

[bitsnbobs]

No he doesn't have a statement. I have been asking the school repeatedly if he should have an assessment and they have always said he is fine just on the IEP which I find hard to believe and to be honest I don't think it made any beneficial difference that he is on one. The teacher does not set the targets that regularly and I have to go in and remind them, then when a new year starts I have to go through the whole things again with a new teacher! I always feel like i'm constantly mithering them.

I will def come back for advice when the wheels are hopefully in progress,

Thanks for the advice and link to SEN

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

You can bypass the school and request Statutory Assessment yourself. In fact, your rights to appeal are stronger than if the school applies. Good luck.