To attend a SEN session without diagnosis

[Itsnotaferret]

My DC is not diagnosed, though I often think that they may be. My question is AIBU? rather I have booked a SEN trampolining session in the morning for said DC and me knowing he doesnt have a need confirmed. It is a session of 60 and only 57 booked at this time for 9am tomorrow. My point is, they have no "toddler only" sessions on a weekend and my DC gets really overwhelmed with older children jumping around so I thought fuck it and booked onto the SEN session with only 3 places gone (this includes any adults and children) instead of a neurotyplical session with children if any age that I know my DC will be wary off and not enjoy at all.
AIBU?

Nope. Well not officially anyway. My 7 month DS does but not DD. She’s currently awaiting an assessment from speech and language but that’s about it. I think the children centre are more than happy for DD to come along because it’s a smaller group and one extra won’t make their life harder. They actually invited me along and that’s how I started going but I wouldn’t stay if it meant a child with SEN/complex needs wouldn’t be able to go

OK then...

I think the points about the older, bigger children being perhaps overwhelming for your 3 year old DC are valid OP. At his age, you may well find that pre-school activities/sessions meet his needs better.

However, a child with additional needs, whether diagnosed or not, is isolating, the pathway to diagnosis is long, and so many families suffer with not being able to find a ‘place’ for them in those early/pre-diagnosis days. Of feeling in limbo and pretty much outcast. And when parents write from that perspective, they largely get empathetic responses (and rightly so).

If your DC is showing signs of SEN then absolutely take them to SEN spaces. A diagnosis is not required for an EHCP, for DLA, for Early Help services, so why on earth should it be required for a trampoline park?! Form a support network with other parents who can give you advice navigating the red tape and the emotional toll and the practicalities if it should turn out that’s what you need. And if you don’t ‘need’ it, you’ll have made friends who you can offer support and understanding to.

As for the questions of what will you say when you’re asked about child’s difficulties, just answer honestly. Not yet diagnosed but their development is atypical.

Apologies I did say "fuck it"
(Inserts head exploding emoji)

Yes, absolutely, but that tends to be at CAMHS or with a paeds consultant and not at a trampoline park.

I think it's not unusual. We've been to "relaxed" /autism friendly cinema screenings and had the only autistic child in the room. The others were all parents of young kids who thought they might be scared or run about. Fair dos. If there had been 50 of them it might have been a problem but there were about 4. I don't think this is any different really.

However generally preschoolers will be overwhelmed in a roomful of bigger, bouncing children, and the usual solution is either to take them during the school day or wait until they are a bit bigger.

Just as an aside, my ASD, SPD 9 year old hated the SEN trampoline session we went to as it wasn't noisy or busy enough.

SEN is a broad spectrum, just go and see what happens. If they ask about DC just say they haven’t been diagnosed yet, which is true. Lack of diagnosis isn’t absence of SEN

I think it's not unusual. We've been to "relaxed" /autism friendly cinema screenings and had the only autistic child in the room.

How could you ever know this? Did you survey them all as they came in?

I think if you have been guided into other SEN sessions by professionals, that is a communication that they think he is appropriate for them. 3 is very young, it is normal for things to progress slowly re diagnosis and referrals at his age, including the decision to pursue an assessment. And given the low uptake of the session I think it is fine to take him.

I see a difference between mandated provision like accessible toilets or parking places (users are defined by law, no diagnosis yet= no parking) and SEN session in the jump park, which I understand more like a "SEN welcome" session. A less crowded one where SEN users won't be judged for their special needs, and defined more by attitude than by a formal diagnosis.

The OP wrote in one of her posts that in other activities they were offered to attend SEN group by the staff based on observation in the group; not based on any official diagnosis, not required to start the official path to get one first.

If the session was nearly full, I wouldn't see it as a good idea in this age even if the child had an official diagnosis, physical mass is physical mass, so the question of belonging there wouldn't be relevant.
However, the session is practically empty and the child has suspected special needs (by more than just the OP), so why not?

Your son gets overwhelmed with older children jumping around so you booked him into a SEN session?! Where the children might be even more unpredictable? This makes no sense. And no, you shouldn't be taking up a space. If you think he has additional needs then get referred onto the pathway.

The answer's not very interesting. They turned the lights down fully and ran the ads at the beginning, at normal volume, which completely freaked my child out. DH took him out and while he was lying on the floor screaming, I spoke to all the other parents about whether they'd mind if we got them turned down/switched off. I was absolutely furious they'd run them when the whole point of autism friendly was not to scare the bejeesus out of the autistic kids, and I may have mentioned this when asking. They all said their kids were fine with it but then they weren't autistic.

Like I said, dull, but you're the one making assumption here, not me.

The OP wrote in one of her posts that in other activities they were offered to attend SEN group by the staff based on observation in the group;

That kind of voids the whole thread does it not?

If the child was invited why would there even be a thread asking if OP is BU to go?

The more OP drips the more questions are raised.

Does it? They were invited to SEN groups in other activities, not directly in the jump park.
There is no official diagnosis, probably not even a specific named suspicion, just something is there and might lead to a diagnosis later.

Seems that many posters don't follow exactly what the OP writes (for example still answering in context of a full session), so there is more and more confusion event about topics the OP explained.

I'd hope the OP got something from this thread, warning about the wide age range, idea that parents might discuss needs. And I hope the child will enjoy the jumping.

Your D.C. is only little
the diagnosis path is a long and hard one
do what you need to do - I don’t mean fuck everyone else. Just, do what you think best and speak to your gp about assessment pathways

its not an easy fix by any stretch and what are you supposed to do whilst waiting on that path, Sit at home all day hiding from being judged?

Or, find places that suit your child’s needs for that day

give yourself a break

Sounds like your dc needs a toddler/under 5s session not an sen session. It's hardly unusual for a 3 year old to get overwhelmed by a trampoline park with school aged kids jumping around everywhere. If they don't run the actual session you need on a weekend then go during the week and find somewhere else for the weekend.

@ZiriForThis1

They were invited to SEN groups in other activities, not directly in the jump park.

I misread OP. Sorry.