1 in 5 ratio special need

[Candyfloss2]

by accident, I found out 1 in 5 kids in our school has special need.
very reliable source of info .
I don’t know how to feel about it .

The latest figures for England show 18.6% of kids have been identified as having SEN (and I think it's similar in the rest of the UK). It's a bit higher than pre-pandemic and there's an uptick in things like speech delays because kids were so isolated at crucial times in their development.

Your school is only slightly higher than the current average, but definitely within the normal range. Being on the higher end suggests they are particularly good at spotting SEN and hopefully that also means they are good at supporting those children.

In my experience, schools that are good at meeting the needs of their SEN pupils are good at meeting the needs of every pupil.

Do you know how to feel about it now?

I'm guessing that it's a pretty broad spectrum - it could mean anything from a child needing a little extra socialisation support to Profound and Multiple Needs classes. I have two boys with SEND - one is at a special secondary school that emulates a mainstream secondary, and the other is at another special school which caters for children who are more significantly affected. Several of my younger son's friends from his special junior school moved up to yet another different school, which supports those children with profound, multiple and severe SEND. So while it's nearly 20% of the population, it won't be 20% of your child's classroom. And I'm not quite sure what your concern is - that your child has to share a classroom and teacher with SEND kids? That the rate is so high you're concerned about the rise in SEND in the general population?

I used to work in a mainstream school supporting kids with extra needs - a lot of them were struggling to read, or needed support with maths - they weren't particularly disabled, just not at the same level of everyone else in the class. They were really lovely kids, the majority of them. There were also kids who were being seen by the SENCO because of behavioural problems linked to a sad home background - so 'special needs' covers a lot.

'Special need' is a really broad term and its hard to tell what that always includes.
For some statistics it will include learning difficulties, things like dyslexia and dyscaculia , some will include all children on the autism spectrum even those without a learning disability.
It can potentially include mental health things like children with diagnosed anxiety or ptsd.
A 'special need' could also include medical needs like diabetes or epilepsy, even if it is very well controlled. Some statistics might include children with english as a second language or young carers or pupil premium children because of resourcing and funding.

What do you think you should feel about it?

How do you think you are meant to feel about it?

This ratio doesn't surprise me at all when you think about how many things fall under the SEN umbrella.

Thanks to above all. Didn’t realise SEN is such huge umbrella.

Is my school doing the right thing ?
from what I saw and heard :
they spot anything suspicious and tell the folks asap . Then with permission , send over all kinda of on-site therapists over for a free initial assessment.
then if needs further session, parents can decide to pay for a few fix-it session on campus or go down nhs free and waiting route .

am sorry to sound bit insensitive, but I don’t know how to put it nicely.
Statistically so far it feels like the adhd kids are on top of food chain, upset and hurt ( by accident ) All the rest of SEN : dyslexia / d / Asperger / autism….
( the very autism kid usually has a 1-1 teacher keep him/ her under control )

school is nice and inclusive, they won’t kick out any kids ( unless something serious violent ) .
so far the solution is school offer shrink session to be victims of the adhd kids and their mums .
Trying to keep harmony and everyone happy .

while adhd kids DO contribute a lot in school sports.

i am not passing judgement .
just observation. ( please don’t abuse me )

I don't get your point. Sounds like the school are being Otis to e, way more than mine is. I can't get a dyslexia assessment for mine through the school at al, and privately there are year long wait lists.

Asperger's isn't used anymore.

The children should get whatever support they are entitled to / need wether a 1-2-1, focus sessions outside of the classroom etc

Fucks sake - on it

I presume this isn’t state sector, by the on-site therapists? Early identification is great, it sounds like the school are really on it.

It sounds like you (/your DC) have maybe had some issues with children you understand to have ADHD and feel that (some of) these children shouldn’t be in the school, or that diagnosis/‘labelling’ is being used to excuse poor behaviour. Is that what you are trying to get at?

1 in 5???

My sons class of 28.

Two who should have a 1 to 1 (but don't)
Three boys that I know of who definitely are dyslexic.
My son who is almost certainly ADHD. I strongly suspect his best friend also is ADHD.
Theres another boy who is a school refuser and isn't engaging at all with reading.
Theres one girl with extreme anxiety to the point that it's causing massive issues.
And one other girl who is probably dyslexic.

Thats not accounting for how behind any are due to covid.

Thats 10 that I am explicitly aware of. Out of 28.

I think part of the problem is that parents around her are much more likely to have kids later and to have jobs in industries which favour neurodiversity. Meaning the previlance is perhaps higher than the population as a whole.

I wish it was 1 in 5 in this class!!

my kid has Asperger and his close friends are similar quiet arty type.
we been accidentally bullied for past 2 years by this adhd kid. So is everyone else suffering . Even employees’ kids.

pushing , punching , verbal abuse, in classroom destroying class project “ opps , sorry” . this year we are so lucky not in the same class anymore.

when I am about just to relax, I saw mums friends crying from other classroom, also other year group , exactly similar stories, different kids. SEN is Scot free card .

they offer her shrink sessions. Suck it up. It’s life . You need to adjust ur own feeling.

that’s why now I don’t know how to feel .

Fwiw, DS who is suspected ADHD is one of the better behaved kids in his class.

The kid who is disruptive, I suspect is ADHD and ODD which is something entirely different...

Not all adhd kids are horrid nor misbehave.

What kind of school are you talking about; state primary in the UK?

I dare not to think like this .
i shud think every kids deserve a school .
i should be the one leaving this school. Otherwise my kids whole childhood is beaten up by adhd sporty kids memories.

but I guess this is life . Real life scenarios , just need to learn to adjust my own feeling and enjoy their free shrink seasons on house .
And to rationalise this daily to myself that : “ this IS the norm .
we are inclusive community . “

No child in primary school is old enough to have had an Aspergers diagnosis. Where are you based?

Actually you r right . I apologise .
i don’t even know for sure it’s adhd .
obviously it’s confidential .
I am just guessing it .
cant sit still , amazing at sports .
clumsy . Impulsive . Not kind ( in this individual case )
and all his siblings are exactly the same behaviour .

other schools mums are saint , I wish I can be like them . One minute your own kids being knocked down ( by accident again ) with nose bleeding by this family kids . Next minute is no worries have fun .
above happens on daily weekly bases .
not even monthly bases .

So yes : the point is : I could be wrong and it maybe not adhd at all .

London . On waiting list for Asperger .
7 months left roughly .

Above actually May sound petty and trivial .
so the big thing is :
some teenage kid eat stones on playground . ( put them in mouth ) with a 1-1 theraphy list near by watching .

and some teenage kid self harming in school during lesson . in lab , with knife .

i really like the school but I am scared .

I think you need to see past other peoples diagnoses to the people they are because you’re making a lot of ablist assumptions and profiling children. Some people with ADHD are twats. Some are great. Some are great sometimes and twats other times. Maybe some therapy would help you.

Your school sounds amazing but if you’re not happy then you can move, no?

A primary school with teenagers and science labs and knives? I think someone is having someone on here. 🧐

If you have concerns about your child’s safety at this school, have you looked at alternatives?

I don’t know what you mean by “don’t know what to do about it”

It’s all self paying . For example :
they will tell u : can we send OT or speech therapist to go to your class to meet ur kid to have a feel ? If he/ she have a few words not clear enough or always fidgeting .

i love the school.
i think my paranoia is : can any kid knife any kid and Scot free just as he got a diagnose or on the way to be diagnosed?

Doing well given they no longer give Asperger’s as a diagnosis. It stopped years ago. Do you mean ASD?

It’s private —- all the way—- school .
yes we applied lots other schools hope to leave in summer .