To think this is a really awful thing to say? Tw

[Goldyy]

Referring to children who don’t have behavioural issues or SEND as ‘normal’ children?

Yeah, I really don't care if it appears a genuine mistake.

I don't like it said around my kids though.

My children are autistic, ADHD, severe learning disabilities. There absolutely are additional expenses with these disabilities (depending on needs). As a previous poster mentioned, one of my children is very destructive, we have accepted a few things remaining broken around the house, but need curtains, some form of entertainment in the house, chairs and sofas! We buy very, very expensive specialist furniture which is extra tough or adapted for safety. Our children need walking harnesses, extortionate car harnesses. One child is in nappies, the continence service tends to offer 3 a day, maximum, so we have to buy large nappies. Our laundry costs are immense - ever heard of smearing? We can't just go to the park as the children abscond and are now so big they can outrun me, I wouldn't be able to restrain one of them safely on my own (plus that's a pretty shit park trip!) So nearly every trip out is to a specialist centre (which costs some money or is a long drive - fuel cost - away). I had to give up work because regular childcare for these children doesn't exist and one of my children didn't even have a school place for several years as no school could meet needs. There are lots of appointments for some of these children, which means many families struggle to have both parents in work. Children like this often require lots of sensory activities and equipment to remain calm. Etc, etc.

It's special treatment sucking the lifeblood from mainstream education.

Did I mention the non means tested free taxis everywhere?

Do people really feel like this?

Do you endorse more special schools (at taxpayer expense) which would reduce taxi cost and some issues in mainstream school but is an act of segregation and costs a lot to implement.

Your username seems appropriate!

Look at some of the attitudes towards disabled people on this thread OP…

I really don’t worry about people saying normal. There’s so much else to worry about.

Taxis?
It's usually a mini bus BTW
Where exactly would you want disabled children to be taught.?

Pretty sure she was making a point rather than expressing an actual view…..

🤣

Not a fucking clue!

No additional expenses!

No, DLA does not cover the extra expenses for autistic kids.

I have one child with SEN and 2 without. I feel no offence on behalf of my children without SEN that my disabled child’s needs are described as ‘special’, and I doubt they are offended either. Because they’re not dicks.

I’d rather my child didn’t have to go to a school 45 miles away (a 90 mile round trip to school for a 6 year old is not ideal), but that is the only suitable school that was able to meet his needs. But yay! He gets a free taxi!

I'm an advisory SEND teacher working for our local authority. I was pretty shocked at a couple of posters in this thread til I realised they were just being controversial for the sake of it.

Don't rise to it, people. We know our SEND kids and what they need. Thank God some of them get something of what they need. We all know plenty of kids who don't get what they need.

And the term for non SEND is typical. Not normal. Typical. No doubt it will change in a few years but we have a good word for now.

Yawn.

I object to people who needlessly object. It's tiresome at best, arrogant at worst.

Your child is normal. Just a normal, run of the mill human child. To you - special, extraordinary, even a little miracle (and that is to be expected - you are their Mum), but nobody else cares.

It's the 'need' that is described as 'special' not the child. The child is just a child.

I wish someone would tell my autistic child that he shouldn’t have any additional expenses! From the new school shoes every half term because he somehow completely destroys them, the humongous water bill because showers are the only thing that regulate him when he’s suffering from sensory overload, to the speech therapy we have to pay for because the NHS have provided one session in the past 3 years, to the fact that extra curricular activities for SEN children cost significantly more than those for NT children, the specialist diet because he suffers from ARFID, and everything in between that…
I have 2 NT children and 1 autistic child, so I have a direct comparator. Yes, he costs us a lot more than his NT siblings.

Quite. Disgusting attitudes on here. People should be ashamed.

Additional needs, is what i hear from my son’s school these days.

It’s either

a) these are their genuinely held beliefs about how the benefit system works

or

b) thry don’t believe it but just get their entertainment winding up parents of children with disabilities snd SEN

Not sure which is more depressing.

I’m just wondering when I get my free £1k!

Tbh, when 40% of the school population have SEND or have been told they have SEND, it stops becoming "special" anyway

I’m honestly gobsmacked that there appears to be people on here that somehow think we’re winning by having a child with SEND.
I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in 6 years. My DH and I haven’t been out together, without kids for the same amount of time as childcare for children with SEND is very difficult to come by. My child has to travel 45 miles each way to go to school instead of going to the lovely mainstream primary I can see out of my front door, that his 2 sisters thrived at. When he’s not at school it is constant vigilance as he has no concept of safety. Any ‘spare’ time is taken up with SALT, occupation therapy etc. His two sisters have to put up with getting a lot less attention than they deserve, because of the above. He is massively underweight due to ARFID, and we also attend many appointments due to that.
He is still non verbal and will likely never live an independent life.
Tell me again how DLA and free taxis are somehow letting me live a life of luxury??

Is it 40%? I haven’t seen that figure.

free taxis everywhere? Or just to their place of education? 🥰

someone woke up on the the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Was that to me?

No a pp said something about free taxis everywhere which we no just isn't true.

Maybe our government should stop wasting money on far fetched Rwandan schemes, money for war, failed H2S lines and put some more money into the NHS and Education so there are enough school places and specialised schools for SEN children? Why are SEN children not entitled to attend school? Your views are very closed minded and you are lucky that you do not have to live in the SEN and ND worlds! Some parents have a constant battle to get their children the proper care are or we not allowed to use a system we pay tax into?