If someone you knew was a TA posted this ...

[consideringadoption84]

Sorry, this is my first AIBU. I hope I'm doing it right!?

I saw this on my facebook feed just now. The person who has posted it is a teaching assistant. I feel like messaging her because:
a) It's really inoffensive and inappropriate
b) I don't want someone to see it and inform her school rather than her because I wouldn't be surprised if it could get her in trouble?

I'm a teacher so I'm not naïve enough to think that those who work in education are perfect and never say anything un PC or thoughtless about the children they work with but to do it so publicly is very foolish right?

It's the kind of shit my mum is always spouting. I can try and tell her about special needs as much as I like but it's pointless; she was a teacher in the 70s and therefore 'knows' that 'nobody had any of these syndromes and disorder things in those days'. I think current educators should know better.

Or am I just being a humourless lemon sucking spoilsport?!

Somewhat inflating your importance gert.

Why should you be banned.

I merely think you are displaying ignorance and possibly being short sighted or at least speaking from a more privileged position where your child didnt need the support as much as some.

The senco begged camhs in the phone to reconsider their decision.

Gert

You think schools all just "get the Ed Psych in" ? Some schools won't pay for an Ed Psych.

Anadanotherthing

Absolutely.

PolterGoose Autism is neurological

It's not a local authority school for a start.

Anyway, back to the original OP. I think you should PM her with maybe a link to this which shows the overwhelming opinion and tell her if the wrong person sees it her job could be on the line.
I'm sure she wasn't being malicious so warn her rather than report her.

Gert - it is not that easy to 'demand' anything from SENCOs - that is why my daughter has not got a statement - when i tried to 'demand' anything from SENCOs they a) laughed and said there was 'not a cat's chance in hell' and b) reported me to social services with a list of parental offences that they had been compiling from day one,
that is what they do.

Have you got the legislation on that (the right to insist that the SENCo gets an Ed Psyc in) for Pictures to quote to the governors, Gert?

Gert You can get in as many ed psych as you like - none of them will be able to give you a diagnosis - because they are not qualified to do so.

You can't 'demand the SENCO gets one in' - just spend a few hours reading the SN boards here. Schools are delegated funding from LAs. They, in general, buy in to a Service Level Agreement, which allocates a number of consults each term. In my DDs school, that's between 2-4 per term. For a school with 400 children.

Even then, it can take years to identify the cause of a child's difficulties and those parents who scurry around in year 11 are doing so because they have been failed by the system until that point.

Gert

Have you ever worked in Primary?

But I have an autistic child. I made sure I knew how the system worked, what I was entitled to demand request. I read up, I went through channels. I've used CAMHs - I went via my GP rather than school.

BTW This is not the the child they wanted to label - he's an entirely different ball game. But I took responsibility for his behaviour rather than sticking a label on it.

Don't think I dont know how to play the game nor see how others abuse it

I'm a TA. I know people think these kind of things, but that's because they're ignorant. Reposting this kind of thing on Facebook is at least unprofessional and at worst, it's insensitive and more than a tad offensive.

I work specifically with special needs. I think that parents and children have to take enough crap when there are invisible disabilities like autism and Aspbergers involved. I try to post things on FB that raise awareness, that highlight how much these children struggle just to get through the day and highlight that people who repost this kind of thing are ignorant.

Gert, that is a really shitty post.

'freely given in school with an ed psych' LMAO.

Did you not notice what Pictures said about getting help in school from an EP or from CAMHS?

Anyone who pays 2.5 K to get a label for something that is freely given in school with an ed psych is looking to excuse poor behaviour. So shoot me

Peow

My mum had to pay privately to get a diagnosis of dyslexia for my brother. Because she worked very hard at giving him extra support at home, he was not behind with his targets, and had no behavioural issues, so the school refused to listen to my mum's assertions that he was dyslexic.

gert: Your posts on this thread have been inconsiderate, and ignorant. Perhaps you are having a bad day, or perhaps an incendiary personality is your usual form but IMO you've come across rather badly here?

"But I have an autistic child."

I have two. It still doesn't make me an expert on anyone else's child.

"BTW This is not the the child they wanted to label - he's an entirely different ball game. But I took responsibility for his behaviour rather than sticking a label on it."

You can do both you know.

Why (and I've asked this question before, but no-one can give me the answer) is it 'normal' to diagnose a fractured limb, then put it in plaster? Why does nobody jump up and down about the 'labeling' there?

Why would it be ok to diagnose diabetes, then prescribe insulin and help the child to modify their diet? Why is that behavioural management (the modification of diet) 'good practice' along with the 'labeling' of diabetes?

Why is it ok to diagnose depression, then offer antidepressants and CBT? Why does nobody object to the label, alongside the therapy?

Why is it, that children who have met the diagnostic criteria for a developmental disorder are being 'labeled'?

Why is it not ok to accept the 'label'?

If you didn't have the label, then your attempts to manage the behaviour would be guesswork. Regardless of how well it may have worked for you, you got lucky. A label just gives a starting point to the support a child needs.

DD1 'just had GDD'. Her consultant was 'quite sure' her MRI scan 'would show nothing untoward'. Except, it did, to his surprise. She has a subtle but widespread brain malformation. Lucky for me that when people assume I'm a terrible parent if she goes into meltdown, I know different, hey?

You can get in as many ed psych as you like - none of them will be able to give you a diagnosis - because they are not qualified to do so.

So why is the lady up the thread paying 2.5K for a diagnosis?

This is why I'm having to spend 2.5k on private educational psychologists in attempt to get a diagnoses for my son

Why arent you telling her she's being ripped off and mugged over? Why are these people still able to diagnose if its invalid?

Gert, just out of curiosity how do you discipline your autistic child?

Genuine question because I haven't found anything that works so far and not for lack of trying and obviously you are perfect and have all the answers :)

I work in an SEBD school and we would share that image amongst staff as the image clearly shows the stereotypical grumpy old fashioned miserly foolish ignorant kind of person who says that sort of thing. Surely no one posts that and wants to convey that they are like the man pictured? I do however appreciate that this interpretation might not be the most common one.

But I have an autistic child. I made sure I knew how the system worked, what I was entitled to demand request. I read up, I went through channels. I've used CAMHs - I went via my GP rather than school

It's great that this worked for you, but that does not make you an authority. A different child, different school, different GP, any number of things could have brought about a different and less positive outcome for you, which happens to other parents. I think you should consider yourself lucky, rather than attempting to denigrate parents who encounter more difficulties and have to take an alternate path, parents who are 'at least' doing something to improve their child's prospects rather than giving up at the first, second, fifth, fiftieth 'no'.

The ed psych can diagnose, what she can't do is statement.

Oddly enough dd is also showing traits which have shown up at her new school in social problems. She's been put in the sen register but we don't feel the need to get a dx for her as she doesn't need it as yet.

Ds is very polite, well mannered & if he has strict boundaries & routines copes well. His obsessions are a huge problem (dds obsession on the other hand is seen as a talent & she goes to a specialist school for that talent)

He has difficulty concentrating bin noisy, overwhelming environments, huge difficulties writing or knowing where to start but is able to communicate very well verbally.

Getting changed for PE is a big problem & he needs support with that which is isn't currently getting.

He has meltdowns over homework (thinks he can't do it, tests under pressure, non uniform days, change if routines & has sensory (clothes) & food issues.

He has few friends.

As far as I'm aware ed psychs don't make a diagnosis but they can provide information which might help a paediatrician make a diagnosis :)

I've heard it all now -GerttheFlirt - asd labels freely given by ed psychs in school. . I can only assume you have had a very smooth path to a diagnosis for your child to think it's that easy for everyone.