Children who don’t consent to a lateral flow test should be treated as positive and sent home

[user1471505494]

Schools now have much higher numbers attending than in the first lockdown. The lateral flow test was brought into schools to try and keep Staff and pupils as safe as possible.

If a parent or child refuses consent is absolutely their RIGHT to do so and I appreciate that there are many varied reasons for this. It should therefore be the RESPONSIBILITY of the schools to safeguard others and send the child home to self isolate.

I'm really upset at the attitude to children with disabilities. My ASD dd is in y7 of a mainstream school (with an EHCP but high functioning). When she was supposed to have the flu nasal shot at school, I ended up picking her up from school because the teachers couldn't control her meltdown. When she needed a blood test (at hospital) we had 5 nurses plus a doctor and me pinning her down. The fact that people think she chooses to behave like this is so upsetting. She doesn't choose it. She hates it. She laments often why she can't be "normal" like everyone else. She is incredibly aware of her sensory issues, and avoids situations that she can't handle. It's much more than distress she can push herself through. It's not a choice she is making. There is no way I could consent to her having these tests at school. Some people really need to learn and understand what these issues mean, and not assume we can just reason with our child with major sensory issues and they will do what we want. It doesn't work like that.

@Thisismynewname123 I absolutely dread the thought of ds ever having to have a blood test. I just don't know how it would be done. It makes it worse that after his meltdowns for things like his yr 9 jabs, he is is really embarrassed by how he reacted but he just can't help it

But people need to learn that in this pandemic situation decisions need to be made that aren't ideal. So I agree with no test no school. It's the only possible way.

@KimNotEllen the jabs are done in y8 at our school, and I've heard that you can no longer request to do then at the doctor instead. I will save that fight for next year, but there's no way she could cope with doing them at school

@Viviennemary the fair solution is to maintain the status quo of all close contacts isolate for ten days. It really is that simple to be fair.

@Lougle oh I agree entirely with you! They still need to be taught these things but appropriate to their needs and appropriate to their ability and using their individual stepping stones.

I agree if they are a close contact of a positive case, so it's a choice of test or isolate, not otherwise.

@jakeyboy1
It is not a reliable way of testing if you've symptoms, the you should get a proper one.
But it is a good way to pick up asymptomatic cases, even if only around 60% accurate or so. Still, it is something. If we pick up 60% of asymptomatic cases it is very good

Or all children do the standard ten days isolation @kowari which is the fairest, least discriminatory solution.

@Lougle

PugInTheHouse "Unfortunately people will never see hidden disabilities in the same way. I have had it where DSs teachers have told me I need to teach him to try harder not do certain things, I was furious as she wouldn't have told someone in a wheelchair to try harder to walk."

There is a balance, though. Do we absolve our children with SN of all responsibility? Do we declare that they should be shielded from any uncomfortable, potentially distressing experience? We don't do that for our NT children. DD3 (11) had red, streamy eyes on Monday, after 4 hours sat at the computer doing online learning. I didn't say 'DD3 can't do online learning, it's making her distressed/uncomfortable. I reassured DD3 that although it was quite a shock, it would get easier and she just needs to stick with it.

DD1 started her special secondary having written, at most, 3 lines of writing at one time. When her task was to 'write a story' I contacted the school to say 'wow, you're expecting masses of her.' and they said 'trust us, we'll get her there'. It was absolutely awful for the first half-term, but she did get better at writing. She'll never be a 'writer' but she can write now.

DD1 hates waiting. She finds it really hard. But queues are a feature of society. She has to learn that not everyone will let her go first because she doesn't like to stand in a queue.

I understand that some children will be overwhelmed by their sensory needs and testing will be impossible. But for some children with SN it won't be impossible, just extremely difficult. Those children may need more patience, more coaching, more reassurance, more time, but they can get there.

I think we do children with SN a huge disservice when we exempt them from any tricky moment because they have SN. I know that if DD1 was in mainstream she'd have all sorts of special dispensations and accommodations, 1:1 support, etc., and she'd be far more disabled than she is at special school.

Excellent thought provoking post.

@Thisismynewname123 oh no, really? DS's was last year and luckily his GP had no issues at all with the request. It was bad enough at the surgery never mind at school.

@Mumofsend

Or all children do the standard ten days isolation *@kowari* which is the fairest, least discriminatory solution.

At our school they can be tested for 7 days if a close contact apparently. My child hasn't had a test yet but if it's not a problem for him then I'd rather he stay in school than go home and fall behind. He needs to be there for because of his mental health and difficulty engaging with remote learning.

Can people please please stop saying that NHS treatment should be conditional!!

Unless you want to stop free treatment for ANY self inflicted issue...smoking, obesity, alcohil, alcohol accidents. Where does it end? What if someone fails at suicide? Is that mental health? What if they didn't take their depression tablets? Own fault, let them bleed out? Second incident of domestic violence? Own fault for not leaving first time. Wake the hell up to what you are actually saying you want to happen.

Let's hope you don't get what you want with conditional treatment and YOUR relatives or children don't smoke, drink, take drugs etc.

And what if YOUR adult child refused a vaccine and needed urgent treatment? You'd want to refuse them treatment right.

Diabolical.

@SionnachRua so how would that work when they’re not vaccinated 16 and under?!!

@FoxyTheFox

Being on a ventilator is more uncomfortable than a covd test though

Are people still trotting out this tired old line?

Ventilated patients are almost always sedated so the comfort of the ventilation is irrelevant, they are unaware of it.

wildly missing the point there

Why should we test healthy people? Covid is a mild illness for most people. people are getting sick but the majority aren’t dying. It’s all bollocks

If you do it correctly, it IS uncomfortable, as it IS invasive. I will not be giving consent for DD.

If she is a close contact, she can self isolate. Other than that, she should be in school, she's missed enough already!

I agree OP.
No test, no school.

Not every child with sen will have issues taking the test we should not treat every child the same but to say that children who cannot take the test deserve exclusion is ridiculous and inflammatory even my sons school has said its recommended NOT mandatory

@Michaelschofield

Why should we test healthy people? Covid is a mild illness for most people. people are getting sick but the majority aren’t dying. It’s all bollocks

Because healthy people can be vectors of disease to vulnerable people, and we're a responsible society which doesn't operate on survival of the fittest.

schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-removes-highly-misleading-covid-testing-guidance/

@Michaelschofield

Why should we test healthy people? Covid is a mild illness for most people. people are getting sick but the majority aren’t dying. It’s all bollocks

Lots of kids live with elderly or CEV family members. Many have parents working in frontline jobs so identifying asymptomatic foes help to protect the NHS

One of my DS secondary school has sent out a consent form for the LF tests. I agree to the tests being done to pick up potential asymptomatic cases and agree with op by saying no test no school. However what I don’t agree with is the use of LF tests if a positive case is found within the bubble and close contacts are screened for up to 7days and don’t have to isolate. The LF tests are not designed for this and produce far too many inaccuracies. The secondary school have only issued one consent for the initial LF tests and then the 7day LF tests if a positive case is found. I refuse to sign the form and have emailed the school stating my reasons and will sign a form if they split the two testing regimes up.

@heLacksnotluster

Why would you refuse the test. Am I missing something. I wish people would get over themselves.

Well if you read the thread you will find out exactly why people have refused consent.

It also shows that they have probably thought it through a lot more than you.

"No, lateral testing is still throat and nose."

Ds was tested last week. It was nose only.