DD has a individual education plan (moderate learning difficulties) in her bookbag!???

[duejuly2010]

I've just taken this out of my dd's bookbag with no word from the teacher as to what on earth it is. What's it all about!? I realise that she needs some additional support but how serious is this?

Obviously parent/teacher relations at her school are not a priority!

Sorry to hijack but I was reading a thread yesterday where the OP had noticed the school had written 'ASD traits' beside her DD's name. The child was in Reception and had never been assessed nor did the parents think the child showed any such signs. Now this child may well turn out to have 'ASD traits' but the teacher is not qualified to diagnose autism.

These sorts of things are very unprofessional and dangerous IMVHO.

Yes, your right, I sound like I'm ranting which is not helpful to the OP.

It's just that as a teacher I get very frustrated by this sort of thing. It's no wonder we get a bad name.

It is hugely frustrating, I agree.

Sorry, you've been badly fooled / let down by your school. Reading at ORT level 4 at the start of Year 3 is something to be concerned about.

The school are concerned which is why they've put her on the SEN register and written an IEP for her.

You need to get in total PITA mode at the moment. This is nothing to do with her being an August baby.

Did she get straight level 1s in her KS1 SATS? Did you get sublevels (ie 1A or 1B?)

Do you understand what she should have got? For example 89% of girls get a 2 or higher in reading at KS1. That includes

• children who at special schools and have quite severe difficulties
• children who are neglected / abused
• children with very poor english
• children whose parents can't read
• children whose parents don't send them to school very much,

etc, etc.

So the statistics for girls from the leafy suburbs getting a 1 in KS1 is going to be far lower than the 9% national average.

So basically, unless you know why she is getting a level 1 (or W?) (for example a diagnosis of Moderate Learning Difficulties) You should be kicking up a huge stink.

I am truly shocked to my core by this appalling behaviour by the school. Ieps should never eb fait accomplis, but agreed by parents and teachers and specialists working together in meetings. You. Should never have an iep sprung on you, not to mention a bloody diagnosis! What do they think they are playing at? The 'targets' are shit too. Meaningless! And the idea of shoving an iep into a bookbag - words fail me! I would raise hell about this, I really would.

What a terribly wooly IEP- hardly SMART targets are they

They need to be much more specific to be actually worth anything. They also need to be achievable.

1)To read the jelly and Bean reading scheme- I would query what level in this scheme or how many books she is expected to read by the next IEP- which key words/phonic sounds is she expected to know by then?
2) To work independently without prompting- for how long bearing in mind her age?
3) To sustain attention until a task is completed- again- for how long and what sort of task.

Your children needs to be involved in this IEP so she also knows what is expected of her. Discuss with the teacher what reward scheme will be in place so your DD can feel proud about her achievments (another reason for the targets to be SMART)

IEPs are supposed to be discussed with the parents. Perhaps you have been sent it in advance of parents evening so you have a chance to think about it before you go. But
if your DD has learning difficulties I would have expected it to have been discussed with you before an IEP was given. Poor practise IMHO

If it says Moderate Learning Difficulty someone must have seen and assessed her and given a diagnosis. That should normally include a Developmental Paediatrician and Clinical Psychologist.

You also says she has difficulties with Attention.
If I were you I would want a full assessment carried out by the above professionals as well as a Speech and Language Therapist. There are many disorders and conditions that affect learning such as autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder etc. These are 'specific' learning difficulties. What you have is a term that says she is globally cognitively delayed or disordered and yet your daughter does not appear to have been seen or assessed by anyone and you have no professional reports?