To think this isn't an acceptable way to talk about a child with sen?

[Hattymealy]

this was written by my sons class teacher for his ehcp annual review- ds is 9 and has adhd combined type and autism.

"Social/emotional/behavioural Development-

Behaviour during lessons - complete refusal if he does not want to be involved, this can lead to him exiting, singing over the top of the adults, starting a very different activity of his own choosing Etc.
He will get up and walk in front of an adult making an input- he has no care for the learning of others. Often, he will decide whether he believes a lesson is worth his time based on the initial input, if not then he leaves. Unless it is Art or something based around line drawing, in which case he is all in. If it is a lesson that he believes is "worth it' then he will focus and engage for a period and contribute but at the expense of others. He has a very inflated sense of worth. "

to me this reads like he's choosing to have the difficulties he does and that he basically just thinks he's better than everyone and above school work, and like she is making completely unfounded assumptions about his motivations. Baring in mind the opinion of professionals that have assessed him is that he has very low self esteem which is a large part of his struggles with engaging. He also cries about school almost every single night because he can't cope with the environment at all and it and it makes him feel stupid. I've asked him why he doesn't go in the class much and his answer was "nerves kick in and I can't" So to see him being described as having an inflated sense of worth is very upsetting that they can misunderstand him so much.

What is the current position with getting DC into SS school? Are you requesting specialist provision through the Annual Review process? Are you aware of legal aid which can help with costs of assessments in certain circumstances?

@Pumperthepumper, but simply blaming the system gets your child nowhere. Instead I taught my children at home a few evenings each week on a 1-1 and as they got older they had a tutor. That made a difference to their learning, simply blaming a system does not.

Lucky you for having money to pay for a tutor, and enough spare time to teach them in the evenings. Of course, that wouldn’t make any difference to their behaviour in class, and it wouldn’t have helped anyone else get support, AND it’s still masking the problem of reduced SEN provision, but lucky you anyway.

@Pumperthepumper, people have been blaming Tory cuts in education for 12 years but where has that got anyone? My priority was to make sure my son's did not fail. Because with my help teaching them at home and the tutors inputs it did improve their behaviour in lessons because they understood topics so wanted to input not disrupt. My son has told me he could focus better because he understood what was being taught as already covered it with me/tutor. I worked with class teachers to get schemes of work so as to help them keep up. All in order that they could get a job and cope with life. Blaming others or the system does nothing as well you must know. Doing something about it yourself can help. I appreciate not all parents can but I could.

No need to hold your breath. I got it wrong, I do apologize.

That also won’t work for the vast majority of SEN kids though. Again, you’re labouring under this impression that they’re choosing to behave badly in class, and that’s not true.

Oh thank you! I wasn’t expecting you back, thanks for your apology.

Is it a sign of SEN to only want to do things that make you happy? At school my reports often said I excelled at only the things I wanted to do and I wouldn't bother with things that didn't interest me. Surely nobody, bothers with things that aren't fun, especially as a child This teacher sounds like they shouldnt be a teacher.

@jamoncrumpets sorry if I'm misunderstanding you but when you say "Of course they think they are the most important in the room - they just assume everyone thinks that."

• aren't you effectively agreeing with what the teacher wrote? Albeit wording it more eloquently.

You're not unreasonable to request the special provisions necessary to help your son access education. It's an accessibility issue. I'm sorry others aren't seeing this.

A key and unfortunate difference being that a child in a wheelchair is less likely to disrupt the learning of other pupils. That makes balancing the varying needs more of a challenge.

"Social/emotional/behavioural Development-
Behaviour during lessons - complete refusal to engage if he finds the work challenging or unenjoyable. does not want to be involved, This can lead to him exiting, singing over the top of the adults, starting a very different activity of his own choosing Etc that he finds more enjoyable.

He will get up and walk in front of a teacher or adult who is instructing the class. He is not able to wait to talk at an appropriate time. adult making an input- he has no care for the learning of others. Often, he will decide that he does not want to or cannot complete the assigned task whether he believes a lesson is worth his time based on the initial input, if not then he leaves. Input from an educational psychologist would be helpful to assess whether he struggles with how to structure an activity, if he has cognitive difficulties or whether he is unable to complete a task he strongly dislikes. If he does not want to complete his work he will walk out of the classroom unattended. However, he particularly enjoys art, especially line based drawing which he is very good at and enjoys doing. Then he is able to sit engaged in an few art activities for a full 15 minutes and follow the instructions given and use the necessary utensils.

He is particularly proud of his work in art and it may be useful to have doodle book available during his more challenging lessons such as X or Y to use after he has done work on an unpleasant subject. He would benefit from breaking down classes into smaller chunks and being able to verbally answer questions rather than writing with a pen. Shorter lessons may be suitable especially in X and Y when his more challenging behaviours are often displayed.

Unless it is Art or something based around line drawing, in which case he is all in. If it is a lesson that he believes is "worth it' then he will focus and engage for a period and contribute but at the expense of others. He has a very inflated sense of worth. "

Have you ever shared a space with a physically disabled person who uses aids? It often requires a great deal of accessibility - people moving out of the way/classrooms altered/teaching assistants provided to help move through the school etc. Thought provided on how to support them in a class, new area etc. How will they join carpet time? How will they join in helping decorate the Christmas tree? How will they move from the class to lunch hall and back? Of course their needs should be accommodated.

Why shouldn't a child with complex difficulties not be allowed the same level of support. The reason why they disrupt learning is because they are not being accommodated - they have been disregulated from an overwhelming noisy classroom at the beginning of the lesson. The lunch hall provides sensory overwhelm. They mentally fall apart at the site of a full worksheet with too much going on they automatically feel awful. They are not provided with structured activity during breaktime leading to falling out with peers which spills over into the afternoon.

Then disruption happens.

IF a TA was provided to make those problems more accessible to the invisible disabilities - eg a quiet space for lunch, questions asked verbally rather than a worksheet, different timed entrance to class etc then the disruptive behaviour often wouldn't occur.

Wow, I’m a teacher and that’s a very unprofessional report. I would never write that. Such emotive language “Inflated sense of self worth.” I would want my child well away from her.

Teachers are only human and your child does sound challenging but she obviously doesn’t understand his issues and needs and is frustrated and behaving unprofessionally. Even if you complain she’s still going to be teaching him. Sorry OP, it sounds tough. Very upsetting to receive that.

This is it! A professional review that gives a clear picture avoiding assumptions and judgement.

@FatEaredFuck yes I have which is what lead me to comment. None of the wheelchair user examples provided impact the academic learning of the other children.
Having a (through no fault of their own) disruptive pupil does.

Even if a TA is provided, having a TA read questions aloud when everyone else is reading direct from the page is disruptive to those in ear shot (albeit much less so than singing).

This is why it's so difficult to balance the complex needs of one pupil against others in the class in a way which maximises the potential of all pupils.

If a teacher had to make all the accommodation during their lesson planning time or teaching time required for a physically disabled child. Eg feeding them lunch, taking them to and from toilet, moving ramps and considering all the other things I mentioned it would very much impact the rest of the class in their learning.

Thank you for the tag @cantkeepawayforever. OP, I am happy to help if you would like, it isn’t easy or quick but it is possible to get a watertight EHCP fully funded. Many do secure it without spending thousands. From your posts it sounds like you will need an independent report or 2 but you may be eligible for legal aid and if you aren’t there are charities such as Parents in Need that can sometimes help fund them.

Unfortunately a vague and woolly EHCP isn’t worth the paper it is written on and is unenforceable. If you would like help on how to improve the wording so it details, specifies and quantifies dedicated full time 1:1 with a consistent member of staff or 2 who have specific training/qualifications/experiences &/or appealing for a SS place (unless wholly independent being full is not enough of a reason for the LA to refuse to name the SS, the LA have to prove they are so full it is incompatible which is a higher bar than many LAs care to admit) or even EOTAS (especially as DS already attends an AP part time) you might be better starting a thread specifically about DS’s EHCP on the SEN or SN boards.

Asides from school have you had social care assessments? A carer’s assessment for you and an assessment via the disabled children’s team for DS.

I disagree.

This is subjective too, but in a positive way. It still supposes thoughts feelings and motivations we can not know (eg. proud, enjoys, dislikes, unpleasant). Much better to simply describe e the behaviours observed objectively and not ascribe assume rationales to them.

Believe me after reading the posts its crystal clear you are a teacher with significant SEN experience and its bleeding obvious who isnt.

OP I haven't RTFT, I only have limited experience with SEN through my field of work but not enough to offer advice, I just want to say you sound like you're doing an incredible job for your little boy. The language used in the report quite frankly is disgusting. There is nothing 'factual' about being blatantly rude about a little boy with his needs being unmet. The teacher yes is probably burnt out, frustrated, and have a whole class to look after. But that's the career she chose, much like us paramedics. But there is no excuse to make personal remarks about a little boy with SEN. She has acted unprofessionally to say the least as she has actively chosen the vocabulary she has used, when there was no reason to do so. It could've been worded so differently. As a parent it must be heartbreaking reading such criticism about a 9 year old boy, when you know his needs aren't being met, and you know what they're saying is untrue. And if they were meeting his needs, that report would've been different.

The teacher is probably trying her best, but it sounds like she was venting her feelings on that report which is uncalled for. If I worded a clinical handover with that wording I'd be pulled up on it.

I hope his needs are better met in his new school OP, and keep rooting for him and fighting his corner. He will always be able to count on his mum!
I hope you and your son have a wonderful Christmas.