To think that special needs does not equal thick

[Reallytired]

My son is hard of hearing. He has hearing aids and a soundfield system at school. His teacher makes sure he sits at the front and sometimes the LSA checks that he has heard correctly.

He is doing well academically and has plenty of friends. Unlike 99% of mumnetters my son is not in the top group. My son is the second group out of five in his class for literacy. He likes Maths best and is in the second group for maths as well.

Do you think my son has special needs? If he does, is my son thick?

no, he has different needs, how old is he?

Special needs does not equal thick at all.

Is this following on from the other thread about SN used as a label to cover up a lack of academic achievement?

i think you are a troll ffs asking if your own son is thick ffs

I've been using 'additional needs' more recently this can cover long-term conditions and short-term issues

When DD was being bullied she had additional needs
When a mindee had an op on her feet, she had additional needs
I look after a child with SDD - he had additional needs & another with ASD he had additional needs

Your son obviously isn't 'thick' I would say he has additional needs

That doesn't really help much does it - sorry

I would say he has a special need but certainly not thick, I never think that.

of course it doesn't

I am a little annoyed that people see being on the SEN register as meaning the child is thick. My son is on the school's SEN register. All it is a way of making sure that a child's needs are meet.

I know someone who actively decided not to send her son to my son's school because its full of thick kids. I asked her how she knew and she replied because it has a high number of children on the SEN register.

My son is on the SEN register and academically has no problems holding his own. It is the fact that his teachers meet his needs that he is doing well academically.

you didn't seem to be that hesitant to use the word thick a couple of weeks ago

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=2403&threadid=487410#9834568

But in answer to your question - some children with special needs can attain well academically and socially.

And yes, I am a little annoyed by the other thread.

I don't understand the difference between additional needs and special needs. It seems that they change the words every five minutes.

As I understand it (it was explained to me at a course) SN implies a permanent situation whilst additional may be temporary or permanent

It's about treating children as individuals, so X prefers abc, rather than X has ASD so we must do Y

I felt it was fairer - but not everyone agrees

Message withdrawn

Well, I'm really confused, because almost a year ago, my son was put on his schools SEN register. At the time I was told he could only be put on the register if he was academicaly below average, and he had fallen below average.

His needs were social.

SEN should mean just that - "Special" might mean learning difficulties, but it might equally mean extra bright, or any academic ability at all with something which means they have to be (for example) seated somewhere specific (line of sight of the teacher for your DS I would imagine), or it can mean dyslexic or dispraxic, neither of which are a measure of intelligence or academic ability. My particular beef is that very bright children have Special Needs too, but that is rarely/never where schools put the focus or the funding.

The reality is that most people interpret it exactly the way your acquaintance did.

I have never heard of additional needs before although it sounds OK because these children do have additional needs but then special needs means the same thing doesn't it?

Is it just a way of trying to avoid the SN = thick label because all that will happen is that in the end, additional needs will equal thick too, even though we all know that it isn't the case.

Lynnette - I don't know where they got the idea that you have to be academically below average to get on the SN register. Performing below what you are capable of due to having SN, maybe but not necessarily academically below average.

My DS has SN (dyspraxia and AS) and is not performing as well as he could do because his handwriting is so bad and he finds it so difficult but he isn't academically below average - he is pretty bright really.

I dont think special educational needs is indicative of intelligence,many children need sen support to reach their full potential and i think that having access to this support children are being stretched as far as they can,what I do have problem with is SEN becoming a cut off and limiting a childs potential effectively clipping its wings.
Not all children can be academic it takes all sorts to make a world-even during brain surgery there is only 1 brain surgeon the rest are skilled at their own profession right down to the cleaners who clean the theatre.
All children at some point need extra suppport not always in the form of SEN but i struggled with my times tables my friend Kathy cannot add up to an exact amount,you cant be good at everything and i think its wrong to put what have become our 'issues' on our children.
When i was at school there was a boy who by todays standards would have been extreme SEN in fact to this i doubt he can read and write - he OWNS and works in a garage he didnt come from a money family hes earnt what hes got through hard work and when i see him drive by in his posh car im glad.

What worries me is where has youth gone? will our children remember school s happily as we do? or are we by scrutinizing every spelling test inhibiting their natural development as a child.

Your son is not thick certinly hes not nd i dare anyone to say to you yes he his for you would kick ass,what youre really questioning is his social placement where will he fit in in life ? will he be hindered by the very things put in place to support him? what are people thining? well i for one am too busy thinking of my own children before i label any limitations on yours,why cant we just accept what blessings we have?

this wasnt meant as a criticism you understand im just trying to turn the question around and sy why would anyone think that a deaf child working v hard can be thick? how can any child be limited to that extent and questioning what society we have become.

sory i re read your post and your son is not deaf i intended no offence.

A child goes on the SEN register if they receive help over and above that normally provided in class, for whatever reason.

Many 'below average' children will not be on the register. And it is not a requirement.

Children with social, emotional and behavioural problems will be included, if these are addressed by additional support.

As will children with hearing or visual impairments and mobility problems.

As well as the range of SEN listed onthe other thread.

katy mac ....additional help is by far a better term ....

I think so too - DD is bright but struggled academically & emotionally after bullying - she had additional needs & her new school dealt with it very well

There are a range of reasons why children sometimes need something a bit unusual. Its sad when parents reject additional help because they worry about the special needs stigma. The problem doesn't go away by ignoring it and the child suffers.

My son is doing well at school. He is very happy and is making good progress. He is a lucky boy in that he has a good teacher and everything he needs. Academically he is doing well, but isn't gifted.

He doesn't work particularly hard and thinks that school is about organising the next party. However his teacher works hard to help all the kids reach their full potential.

Of course he's not thick, why would you even ask?
My son has no special needs and is in group 4 out of 5 for literacy as he's the youngest in the class.

MY DS is on the SN register, he is very bright, and dare I say it top set and g&t, but his spelling, grammar brings his literacy down to just under average, he had over a level difference on between his KS2 writing and comprehension skills 4c and 5b. He has had lots of extra help in primary and are keeping an eye on the situation in secondary.

My DS definitely not thick, and sometimes too bright for his own good