Why is there a separate section for special needs in Education?

This may be a complete aside, and if so forgive me, but I really wanted to add my POV, I use the SN sections and find them supportive and informative, I don't always agree with posts and posters and I know some hold very different views to me about the disabilities and needs which my ds has, but I have never felt dismissed or belittled, and i have always been listened to and supported, personally it is the rest of MN that I don't 'fit' with, and I don't feel the need to engage with... but for me (as a mum of a ds with SEN/SN, as the carer for a dh who is physically disabled, and as a professional working in Health and social care) MN SN has been amazing and truly inspirational, and I woulf hate anyone to feel they couldn't pop in and check out what is on offer to see if it would be useful, or if they had anything to contribute.

I would urge those who have some kind of issue with a board and have evidence of your 'unwelcomeness' or bullying to post a link here so that it can be a)proven and b)if found to be true, addressed.

'So I know I am unwelcome in SN section'

That's ridiculous. I'm sorry but it is. You can't possibly 'know' that. I don't know of anyone who is unwelcome on the SN board, unless your opinions are disablist.

The 'group think' extends only as far as a general acknowledgement that parent's want reasonable outcomes for their children. There is no consensus as to how to do it, or even what those outcomes should be.

I think the closest to consensus I have seen is a general agreement that to treat people equally you do not treat them the same. And even that is sometimes debated in terms of what it might look like.

I dread the SN section, I don't belong there, They have their own group think which is not how I think. They wouldn't like 85% of my opinions and would flame me for having them.
But I do have a child who is sporadically on the SEN register & is "High profile" (for all the wrong reasons) at school.
So I know I am unwelcome in SN section but sometimes I feel safe to ask something in the education->SEN section. So I would like to keep it as is.

But wouldn't you just ask on the education board for that information, rather than SN IN Education?

I know I would, as that is rather generic education information.

Posting in SN Children doesn't mean you can't post anywhere else on the board.

I dont need help with duty of care or the law. He does not gave social or behavioural problems.
The questions i ask are best answered by teachers who know about exams he is taking or at present ucas application advise.

'Also, I found that ds often had friends who were on the spectrum, but their parents often commented to me that I didn't have the same struggles that they did because my ds didn't have an official SN.'

I find that pretty horrible tbh. Apart from anything else, due to the spikey profile children on the spectrum often display, there is often a greater difference between them than between NT children.

If your child has an 'obvious' requirement for help, it does make things easier often. But most SEN and SN's are outside the training and experience of the average teacher and SENCO, in terms of strategies and duty of care.

Teachers often think they know what is expected of them but this is often down to cultural-bias and inadequate and often inappropriate training from LAs encouraging schools to keep children in the cheapest provision rather than adequate provision.

SEN is not just about law. I have had no problems accessing or getting help for my DS. Both primary have always been helpful giving him one to one or getting him extra time for exams. Its pretty obvious he is very very bright, just behind the rest of "himself" mainly in writing.

My experience has been that society/schools/medical professionals make a distinction between SN and SEN and therefore in order to get the best help for my children, I have to use those terms. For example, my ds struggled in elementary school because of his learning differences. He also struggled because he was sick all the time and missed weeks to months of every school year because of his mitochondrial disease (not yet officially recognized as a disability). I could never get the help or support that I need from the school or gp because as far as they were concerned he didn't have any official SN's and his SEN's were not serious enough to pay attention to (their words, not mine). Ironically, 2 weeks before the end of elementary school, they finally gave him an IEP for speech therapy because he had developed a strong lisp (a symptom of his mitochondrial disease), and I used that as an opportunity to write in all the extra support he needed because of his SEN's.

Also, I found that ds often had friends who were on the spectrum, but their parents often commented to me that I didn't have the same struggles that they did because my ds didn't have an official SN.

'What i did mean to say, any queries are better off answered by teachers or SENCOs'

That's an interesting idea. Though in reality I think it is a rare teacher or SENCO that actually knows the laws regarding SEN. Those that do tend to post on the SN board either because they do, or as a consequence of doing so.

My DS has spld that is purely educational. The only way it affects his day to day life is lack of organisation and a bad sense of time. He is 18 and very independent.

What i did mean to say, any queries are better off answered by teachers or SENCOs which tend to be found on the schools boards rather than the SN boards

It wasnt actually on the SN board at the time, but it was the users of the SN board that were bullying other parents of children with SN.

OP wanted to know why some people wanted to use SEN board rather than SN.

My DS has spld that is purely educational. The only way it affects his day to day life is lack of organisation and a bad sense of time. He is 18 and very independent.

As I said his allergies are better dealt with on the Allergies Boards

My experience is that those on the MNSN boards are more tolerant of 'differences' whether they be opinion or anything else.

I have had some experiences too of MNSN 'friends' pulling me up sharply when I have posted something that might be taken wrongly by someone or even rightly but that they consider it inappropriate.

But that isn't bullying.

We coukd moose, but I've been on MN for 7years and as you know a daily poster on the SN boards and yesterday was the first day I learned of the SN IN Education topic.

Well, I started out venturing into SNinE when I first had concerns about my eldest ds. Yes, it was quiet, but I was listened to, advised and ultimately directed to the SNChildren board - which is where I suddenly found immeasurable support and understanding.

The folks on the SN boards have helped me navigate both the assesment and educational sides of identifying what the issue was with ds and from there helped carry me through making sure he is properly supported.

He is another one who doesn't struggle academically, in fact he is extremely capable academically, but without additional support he simply wouldn't be able to access the curriculum and achieve what he is capable of.

Conversely, a year or so ago I discovered ds2 had a disability that we had been unaware of, but increasingly causes him lot of pain and distress. Again, the folks on the SN boards helped me work out what the problem was and seek out the right referrals for a formal dx to be made.

Ds2 is not on the SEN register at school, but, he does have a care plan and the school keeps some of his medication to administer when necessary. He has also had medical professionals visit the school to advise staff on things like appropriate seating and equipment. Without that equipment (albeit fairly minor in the big scheme of things) and his needs being taken into account on a daily basis he would struggle to achieve - in fact his grades rapidly improved once his disability was identified and properly supported. Yet for some reason he is not considered to have SEN or SN according to school records, but is dealt with under a different heading, so-to-speak.

So I have both a child who has a neurological condition that requires a lot of support in order for him to meet his potential and another who has a physical disability, also requiring support and consideration by the school.

Essentially they both have a disability and they both have SNs, by my reckoning, based on the fact they both need support to access learning effectively they both also have SENs - apparently the educational system disagrees though.

Personally, I think the system we have works - it did for me. For those who are only just starting to realise their child may have issues (regardless of what they are) that need education support the SNinEducation board is probably where they would head first. If they're anything like I was, they might not be ready to jump headlong into the acceptance of their child's condition that comes with opting into the SN boards. The SNinEducation board is quiet, perhaps that's where we could make a difference, if we all made a bit more effort to check the board and reply to some of the threads, especially as we would then be more able to help gently redirect some of the posters to the SN boards if needs be.

As for the comments re bullying and cliqueyness on the SNBoards, it's something I have never experienced, having been on there for several years now. There will always be differences of opinions on every board and by it's very nature, the SN Board has a lot of exhausted, stressed parents on there who at one time or another may be feeling very sensitive, so it's never going to be plain sailing. I have to say though, that the vast majority of posters are genuinely lovely, caring people who give up their (often extremely precious) time to support others. Newcomers are always welcomed and whilst many of us have different beliefs and approaches to the care of our dcs, that doesn't get in the way of the genuine support on offer.

I would hate to think that someone might read one of the posts accusing the board of being cliquey and bullying and choose not to post, thereby missing out on such a wealth of knowledge, advice and support and would encourage anyone with any concerns about their dc/s to give it a try. I have never regretted it for a second.

Bruffin, the SN board doesn't have a party or a party line. All views, perspectives are challenged regularly which is what most people think is it's main value.

The only vague 'party line' I can think of is that it is assumed that each poster is seeking the most effective strategies for their child, their family and their relationship with their child's school or LA, which is WHY whatever your stance you will face alternative perspectives.

I agree with SNinE being renamed "Additional needs in education" and with KatyMacs list, and then keeping SEN separate, but linked to in ANinE :)