To think I was put in an unacceptable situation regarding SEN students toileting needs?

I wouldn’t even go back, seriously. Imagine if a parent made a complaint that you’d touched their child inappropriately. It could haunt you forever and it’s not worth it in my opinion.

So when are severely learning disabled people allowed to have an education. You are saying never.

Mine trained at 9 and it took months with lots of help from school and the learning disabillity team.

My non verbal DS toilet trained normally at 3. He just sort of got it and was fully trained including at night within a week. I must have been lucky.

Didn’t blame parents, I blamed the system for clearly not having enough specialist provision. Teaching staff shouldn’t be cleaning up poo.

They’re treating you as a TA not a TA apprentice. That’s unacceptable and they’re going it to save money.

In my experience not many parents
‘choose’ mainstream school for their SEN children. It’s very hard and can be a difficult process to get a place in a SEN school, even when the child is completely unsuited to mainstream.

Schools aren't allowed to do that.

Though in my experience, very few parents insist on mainstream. They are begging for special school and it is the LA that insists on mainstream.

I know someone who having battled for special school since Reception for her child has finally been accepted and her child is now in Year 3 and has had to be in mainstream all this time. This child is also non verbal and not potty trained. That's how long it can take.

If a parent has the right to choose a mainstream school knowing that their child really should be in a SEN school, ie non verbal and soiling thrmselves etc then they should be made to come in to the school and clean up their child. It is not fair on the child, other children or teachers.

I would say my LA is better than most
We have two special needs primary schools
One for childfren with moderate to severe learning disabillies and one for childften with severe to profound learning disabillities
And two special needs high schools for the same
All four have doubled in capacity over the past ten years
Due to the growing needs of children
We allso have several primay and secondary schools with autism hubs.

Indeed. Mainstream is now the default option. I follow Camilla Thurlow from love island on insta and she has been charting her daughter’s autism journey. She is non verbal, diagnosed at two with clear learning delays. They started the EHCP process very early…. And she has been placed in mainstream reception. 🤷‍♀️

It sounds like the teacher over estimated your experience based on the fact that you've worked in an SEN school, albeit on a voluntary basis. You need to speak to your line manager about what happened and that you need a) training b) proper ppe and supplies like wipes etc and c) a behaviour management plan for the child if they have sensory issues with clothes and challenging behaviours when distressed.

Unfortunately it is quite normal now for TAs to have to deal with toileting difficulties with SEN children, every TA I know would describe this as a normal part of their duties. Often the children are in a mainstream school because there isn't a place available for them in a special school so it's a case of trying to accommodate their needs until a place becomes available. It's not really fair on the school staff or the child when the school isn't able to meet their learning needs so school effectively becomes a babysitting service until an appropriate placement can be found 😞

Poor child.

🙄

Yes mainstream is probably the wrong environment but due to pushes for inclusion these children are being placed in mainstream. I work at a school where last years reception cohort included a child who was non verbal, had to be fed in a high chair and changed on a changing table. This is the new reality.

I am thinking this is poor safeguarding and non existent training. Run for the hills.

No one needs to acknowledge it, it's not relevant to the position OP finds herself in.

What is your experience of toilet training a non verbal child ?

God, I know.
My brother is currently battling for his severely disabled child. They will be allocated a specialist provision but suitability is another matter.
It’s a huge issue that the government needs to take on. Having children in the wrong provision for them helps nobody to thrive.

Hi OP Im a retired Sendco. For what it is worth I would say send provision in schools is trending towards having extremely impacted children in mainstream. This may well be what the role is going to be like. I appreciate that you are doing this because of the job market but this is a poorly paid job and that is very unlikely to change, and as you have seen the conditions and work itself are not easy.
I think you should consider very carefully other routes into careers and jobs. There are support jobs in schools which are better but working in schools is always difficult. It did my head in!
I took a job as a lifeguard when I left University they only qualification was being able to swim quite well. It is still a better paid job than TA.

I do acknowledge it my own child has always gone to a special school
But SEN provision across the UK is very hit and miss
Also a parent has the right to choose a mainstream school if they wish.

Sounds typical. I was in my first NQT teaching job, 6 or 7 SEN kids in the class and no specific training. Schools are a shit show. I quit. You should too.

Lucky private schools. I saw a tiktoker state that the private school that she is sending her four year old doesn't take children with EHCPs.

It is easy to acknowledge that it might be the wrong school but nearly impossible to get into an SEN school.

I don't think one person on this thread hasn't acknowledged that it is likely the wrong environment.

Just that parents can't click their fingers and suddenly their child is in a special school, it is far from easy.

and some children like my son may be incontinent but are largely not 'disabled enough' for special school.