Portage

[fairydust]

DD has a lady that comes once a month - she brings toys to check developnet etc - talks to me about schooling - and basically everything and anything is she a portage worker??

If not what is a portage worker.

[fairydust]

bump please

[mogwai]

a portage worker, in my experience, is a trained teacher who no longer works in schools but is employed to help children who have additional needs. In the past, before many SEN children were mainstreamed, portage workers used to work mainly with "borderline" children in my district, ie those children who might be able to cope with mainstream. The portage worker would have achecklist of development and work on any areas that she found problematic in the hope of getting the child "up to scratch" for reception year.

Things may have changed - the remit might be different, but I'm only going back about 5 years or so.

I'm astonished she hasn't told you who she is. Can't you ask her?

[fairydust]

she is a trained teacher - and when she first introduced her self she said she was from the physical impairment department.

[mogwai]

fairy - she might be an outreach teacher. Does she also work in a school?

When children were mainstreamed, some schools sent their teachers out into homes to work with the kids, or into mainstream schools as outreach from SEN schools as well as continuing their ordinary job

depends on your local area. What does it say on her ID badge?

[fairydust]

no she doesn't work in a school - she just visit's kids at school and home.

[mogwai]

well she might be portage and might not. Impossible to say. I'd say your best bet is to phone the education department and ask them or ask her to clarify her role.

Worth adding, check she IS wearing an ID badge, for obvious reasons...

[Fio2]

who sent her to you? or did she just turn up and say "Hello, Im Anne I have come to play with your daughter"

[coppertop]

How old is dd? (sorry, I keep forgetting ) If she's pre-school age then this person could be from portage but usually they tell you this.

[fairydust]

erm i think her specialist refered dd to her.

But anyone that comes to my door and offers to play with dd for a couple of hrs is always welcomed

dd is 3yrs old.

[lou33]

have you asked her what her professional title is?