Am going to see SENCo and DSs Headteacher - any advice on what to say please

[stillenacht]

Background:

Last week i received the private Ed Psych's report that i organised as have concerns re DS1s literacy etc..This was my post last week:

So have had DS1's dyslexia report back which goes into all sorts of numbers and figures but the conclusion says:

"It is appropriate to describe A as having specific learning difficulties. Some of these are similar to those experienced by dyslexic children, but A has an expressive language weakness also."

So ....does he have dyslexia or not or dyslexia with additional things - i really want to know as i know he can access extra time in exams (am secondary teacher and every tom dick and harry seems to be able to get an extra 25% these days). It seems a little wishy washy as a conclusion.

Am very disheartened by the report as his reading comprehension age has come out at 6 years and 4 months (his raw reading is not much better at 7 years, the only glint of hope is his numeracy which has come out at 9 and 4 months)- he is 9 and 8 months.

Feel very let down by his supposedly 'excellent' (according to OFSTED) primary school. I asked about 'toe by toe' (?) last year to class teacher (his best friend is doing that scheme) and SENCO and was told he didn't need it (he has been on School Action since year 1). We have done everything the school has asked of us, extra reading, extra homework and he has a tutor twice a week (since last August) costing us a pretty penny.

I am hoping to send him to an independent school after he finishes primary where he can retake year 6 to try and catch up and then continue at that school until GCSE's (Its going to crucify us financially - both me and DH are teachers so not making big bucks).

Feel very as already have one child with severe SN (low functioning autism) and now my other boy is going to have all these problems too. My mum has three daughters who were all very studious and academic (I worked my arse off at school and Uni) so she doesn't really understand and just keeps saying ' It will be ok'. I just want to cry.
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Am going to see the SENCo on Thursday and the Head on Friday - any advice as to what to say apart from "Why the bloody hell has this school failed my son?????!!!!"

He doesn't need a diagnosis to get extra time in exams but the school would need to apply for the extra time ahead of the exams.

I think you should calmly explain your concerns and lay all the information out as you have done in your post. Then ask if the school is willing to refer to the learning support service or to an Ed Psych for further assessment. Have you seen the provision provided for your son under SA? In the mean time point out that 4 years on SA with little progress indicates the interventions have not been very successful and ask what you can do to help the school support your son more effectively. Make a big point of the "working together" bit...

Good Luck

Thanks mrz - the Head is vereeeee touchy about parents thinking its all the schools job (he tells us over and over how many hours a year we spend with our children in comparison to how many hours they spend at school) which of course it isn't i do appreciate that being a teacher myself (I do find him quite patronising although likeable and I know i am not alone on that one - he tries to charm the mums).

Good point about lack of progress after 4 years on SA - will def make sure i say that.

Thanks

bump- any other advice from you lovely ladies

Do have a look at this webpage:
www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexics/should_I_have.htm It should give you lots to think about and consider.

I am probably going to get crucified for saying this - and I'm sure you know it already, but just in case.....be very careful about the independent school you choose if your child turns out to have special needs. Remember that independent schools can expell whenever they want to, and don't necessarily fund any additional help for children with special needs.

The report has told you a lot of things but has it actually pinpointed why his reading is so out of kilter with his age realted expectations?
Can he use phonics? Can he blend and decode? does he recognise alternative spellings for common sounds? Can he spell common high frequency words?
Can he read simple texts? what strategeis does he use for new words? Which strategeis does he tend not to use? Why?

What are his IEP targets? How have they been chosen. measured, supported, taught etc?

I wouldn't pin my hopes on toe by toes necessarily as to me it sounds like your child needs support with language and reading ; toe by toe lacks a context for comprehension.

I think you need to come away from the meeting feeling that the school really know your child; that they have broken the next steps in his learning journey down into small, measurable steps and that they have strategies in place which will ensure these skills and concepts are taught. You must have a gut feeling about what it is that he finds particualrly difficult?

Good luck- I know how hard these meetings are for parents, but try and see if you can get the school to work with you.

Ask the teacher what they are doing at the moment to support your DS. I assume he has an IEP?

Is there anything that he has improved on? Maybe you could mention that first to get on their good side and then add your concerns of the other areas.

My DD was identified as having high indicators of dyslexia. I pushed for an official diagnosis and met with an Ed Psych. I was told that was as good as a diagnosis for dyslexia.
DD was previously described as having a moderate learning difficulty. That is now recognised as a specific learning difficulty (dyslexia)
So in answer to your question, I would say yes, they have identified your son as having dyslexia as well as a speech and language need. The reason why I believe they think dyslexia is because they have named that.

As for extra time in the exam, I am hoping the teacher can request that when it comes to the SATS. I did learn today that I can actually refuse to let my DD take part in the SATS next year

There are screening tests that the school should be able to use to identify the area of weakness. My DD was tested using Lucid Rapid and that highlighted an area of concern and also suggested ways to improve that particular weakness.

Good luck, I hope the meetings goe well.

If he has expressive language difficulties and dyslexia then school should address both those areas. Has he been referred to a SALT regarding the expressive language difficulties?

stillenacht I really feel for you DD2 has 'special needs' of a different kind. She has selective mutism. The school have not helped much. It must be very very hard for you to have two. My only advice having spent a lot of time with the SENCO is to take someone with you if you possibly can. I know this is hard to do. I have eventually found friends that are supportive and can come with me, it has made a huge difference.

He will probably end up working his arse off at uni as well you know. The school may let him down but you never will. Look at all you have done for him so far.

Thank you all - so should i say to the school that it is evident that he has dyslexia and should have the support that a dyslexic child should have....any SENCo's out there? Thanks all

He read a chapter of Horrid Henry to me last night (I presume that is sort of around a 7 and a half year old level) and he understood everything and read fluently- in the whole chapter he struggled briefly over two words - 'ruin' and 'nutritious'.

Thanks Seeker - i will def ask about SN provision at the indie school. It isn't an academic school (its advertised as all-ability ages 2-19 and i know that in his prospective year group there are already 3 kids out of 18 out of year group) and i guess my DS would come under the 'nice-but-dim' category of child and he will go down a year (thinking of putting him in year 5 next year - he is currently in year 5 in state primary)....I hope to God he won't be pushed out due to his ability he has a great deal to offer

stillenacht thats brilliant I could barely read when I left primary. I have an MSc now. It is in a maths subject, but I am living proof that dyslexic children can go on to do really well. Keep up the fight I wish I had had someone to do that for me.

thanks Araminta - you have made me cry . Your posts are lovely

My pleseure, also my godson has just been moved into all top sets at secondary school. He is vey dyslexic. Have a good day - I had better get on with some work

cool i am off work today with tonsilitus...not nice.have a good day

Ouch, hope you get some rest. BTW I can spell pleasure that was a typo

stillenacht I'm a SENCO

The thing is Dyslexia varies from one child to another so there isn't a single answer and every child's strengths and weaknesses need to be explored. Most children can be helped within mainstream education by differentiation within the class. As your son is making little progress in specific areas despite the help at School Action,the next step for the school is to involve external specialists, such as an educational psychologist and advisory teachers, for advice and possibly to assess your son. They work with your son's teacher and the SENCO, looking at different ways of supporting your son.
(Official figure suggest that only a minority of children who have severe difficulties will need to go through the process of obtaining a Statement of Special Educational Need ? about 3% of the school population in all.)

Mrz I feel very cynical about those figures - smacks of 'funding' issues to me As a SENCO, do you honestly feel more children would benefit from an SEN?

I'm probably going to upset a lot of teachers here but I feel that funding is only part of the problem. I think most children could be supported in class if teacher training included more SEN awareness and more phonics.

Here, here Mrz - our SENCO has very, very limited knowledge and is also newly qualified junior teacher.

I have to confess I am fairly new to the SENCO role but came to it as a parent of a child with SEN. Most of my study was undertaken as a parent rather than as a teacher and I don't pretend to know all the answers or to be an expert about everything but I am willing to look for answers. My driving force is to provide the type of support for the children in my care that I would have liked for my son.

thanks mrz - soooo much you have been fab as has everyone else

Am seeing the SENCo tomoro - i really don't think DS1 is 'serious' enough to push for a statement (judging by how difficult for some of DS2s peers it was to get and they have really severe SPLD). DS2 has a statement which we got fairly easily but then he is 5 and a half with a mental age of 20 months so if they refused him they would be completely stupid.

I am still gutted but the SENCo told me via email today she has been discussing DS1s report in depth with the class TA who DS1 has had since year 1 and they have some ideas for me to mull over tomorrow...so we'll see...

Will let you know.

Thanks all for your support

Am off in a mo

Let us know how it went