To think this is a really awful thing to say? Tw

We don’t use SEN where we are in Scotland, it’s ASN, additional support needs.

Yeah, do people realise they're insulting the professionals and experts as well?

Mind boggling.....

That’s awful.
Honestly people who think getting support for their SEND children is easy (financial or otherwise) have obviously never had to navigate the system on behalf of their child.

I fully agree with you and here's an example.

My adult autistic son lives in a "supported living" building. There are staff there and he has a key worker.
He was placed there by the authorities. He pays towards the cost from his PIP

His PIP was suddenly stopped without warning because DWP said he "didn't need support"
With a fight and the help of an MP, we managed to get the PIP back.
But not without great distress and anxiety for my son and upset and worry for his family.

THAT'S how difficult it is to get PIP/DLA.
The DWP will even go against the authorities, diagnoses, medical reports.

They will even state in writing that someone does not need support when they're living in a supported building!!!!

Oh well, if a mum online said it it must be true!

Firstly they won't all get the diagnosis. Secondly a fraction of those who get a diagnosis get any kind of money for it.

I agree with you.
Where's the inclusivity in that? Really doesn't make sense.

That seems to be actively causing division. I wouldn't be happy with that and I have an autistic son myself.

Strange!

Exactly this. I also wonder why some people think that assessors are so untrained and unprofessional that they’re regularly diagnosing conditions that people don’t actually have.

As someone who is trained to assess ADHD I can say that ‘most people’ aren’t trying to get their children assessed for financial gain. To me this just sounds like another part of the benefit scrounger narrative which is toxic and ableist.

Well is what it is re £750, if you want to claim it claim it

You don’t choose how much to claim. You tell them what your child’s difficulties and challenges are, again WITH PROOF, and they calculate how much support you’re eligible for.

Well is what it is re £750, if you want to claim it claim it. All I was saying is that a lot of people are trying to get their kids assessed for it for financial purposes. Shame as it’s problem blocking up the system for those who genuinely need it.

But coming back to the ‘normal’ children comment, when schools arrange a trip that any child can go on which is called the SEN school trip it starts segmenting children which leads to the ‘normal’ children being excluded. Think it just was just lazy, unthought through speech. I wouldn’t be offended personally as I am educated enough to know we are all different and some people just don’t get it, bigger things to worry about. Move on…

And did you not consider, even for a moment, that it might be a slight exaggeration? There are a lot of people out there that say ADHD is not real. Should we take them at face value too?

what a surprise. the OP posted once and never came back,

i have three DC with ASD, and one with ASD +ADHD. Have avoided using the word normal around them for many years because they're not "abnormal". I tend to use neurotypical or just typical, but I don't get triggered by other people saying normal. I do get frustrated with people claiming their NT child is exactly the same because they had a tantrum once. Or that everyone is on the spectrum. FFS.

I wasn’t talking about the trip, I was talking about the fact that people obviously aren’t getting £750 a month just because they have taken their kid along for an ADHD diagnosis just for the cash.
As I said, my non verbal, doubly incontinent autistic child, who goes to a specialist school doesn’t get £750 a month, so why do you think they would?

Not sure about the same page but as someone with late diagnosed adhd. What I can tell you from my younger days is that I would have hated going on Sen trips and been separated from my friends and it would have made me feel very different to everyone else. I would have loved to have been taught about adhd and why I think differently to other people and why some people just don’t get me, about how easy it is to self medicate through alcohol, drugs etc. the list goes on and on…… I just hope the younger generations are getting the right treatment and knowledge they need for life to help them.

£750 a month for filling out some forms isn’t that hard

If you’ve filled out the forms yourself, you will of course know that to get higher rate DLA and mobility you would have to show, with proof, that your child has such severe difficulties that they are entitled to this rate. And therefore you will know that no parent is getting £750 a month for their child just by taking them for an ADHD diagnosis for the extra cash. Fab, glad we’re both on the same page there.

I understand I’ve filled out those adhd forms for myself and it was heart breaking for myself to realise all these things, let alone have to do it for my child! As an adult there are no benefits, £750 a month for filling out some forms isn’t that hard. Don’t get me wrong a lot I am sure are genuine as it’s highly under diagnosed. But I think when a school trip for Sen children is arranged it needs to be something that helps them understand their condition and educate them to help themselves going forward and build their self esteem and knowledge etc. not separate them from their friends as if they are different.

This thread is really depressing. My daughter is neurodivergent; specifically, autistic. My son is neurotypical. I don't like the word "normal" because what's the alternative? My daughter's abnormal? Absolutely not. Her brain just works a bit differently and she has struggles that my son does not. We don't claim DLA but life absolutely costs more as I can't work outside of school hours because she can't cope with outside childcare/staying later at school; she needs private swimming lessons due to finding it hard to concentrate when the pool is busy etc. The attitudes of some posters on this thread towards SEN children makes my blood run cold and I pray she encounters more compassion in her life as things are hard enough for her as it is. Shameful.

You would only get £750 a month if you can show, with proof, that your child has such severe difficulties that they are eligible for both higher rate DLA and higher rate mobility. My non verbal, doubly incontinent autistic child doesn’t get £750 a month.
You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

Yep that’s the word she used. £750 a month when you have 3 kids with adhd is a lot of money.

If they haven’t got ADHD, they won’t be diagnosed with ADHD and won’t get ‘a lot of money’.
The forms for DLA are long and arduous. You have to go into great detail about the challenges your child has, how that affects their day to day life and what the additional cost to the family is due to those challenges. I put off filling them out for a year because quite honestly it was heartbreaking detailing all the reasons my child can’t live a normal life. You don’t just say ‘my child has ADHD’ and get sent ‘a lot of money’. Doesn’t work like that.

Everyone? Really?

They do!

I am in the nd online community and I was talking to a mum who said everyone at their child’s school is going for adhd assessment as it will give them a lot of money. The mums even said this to her as she has nd children and was horrified this is happening.

Honestly gobsmacked that so many parents begrudge children with SEND getting what they perceive as ‘perks’, when those children are likely to face lifelong challenges.
And not only begrudge it, but actually admit to it out loud! Truly shocking.

Also majority of the parents thought the whole thing was odd as any child could have gone and it wasn’t Sen focused, it didn’t make any sense. Anyway a lot of the parents complained and it won’t be happening again. It wasn't begrudging Sen children it just didn’t make sense to anyone, even the school couldn't justify it. Btw I wasn’t even one of the ones who even complained to school. I just thought at the time how strange actually dividing groups of children in this way when they are all about inclusivity. Also half the school went on the school trip which just shows there a lot of Sen children and it’s a great school that really helps Sen children and accepts all children disability, ethnicity etc. it was just strange it went against what they promote.