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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

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Original poster

Alpha smart

52 replies

BumMum · 12/11/2006 21:49

My DD is 10 and in year 6, she has dyspraxia, and mild social communication difficulties (aspergers tendencies to me and you), and hypermobility.

I recently had a meeting with the senco, and asked if DD could use the alpha smart again as she was comming home from school and wrapping kitchen roll round her pencil as her hand hurt to write.
The Senco said that she couldn't use the alpha smart in her sats. Is this true?
The OT, EP and pediatritian all recommended she used the alpha smart.
She doesn't have a statement.

OP posts:

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 22:47

Thats what I thought, when I said that the SenCo said that its when outside support have recommended things. The Physio and the OT have both been into the school to see him and the OT is going in next week to supply a new chair as his old chair isn't supporting his truck enough.

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 22:48

oh do you know what a Samson chair looks like???

chatee · 12/11/2006 22:49

they haven't been abolished, but school staff just haven't got the time(and money)to do the initial paper work for every child every year so they are having to target the children with the most need(and the parents that shout the loudest!!)
outside agencies can still be involved as they may fall into the health provision(not educational)and therefore it may still be possible for the school to get equipment needed butit must come from the health professional...

Original poster

BumMum · 12/11/2006 22:50

urm... No...
just off to google it....

OP posts:

chatee · 12/11/2006 22:50

oh do you know what a Samson chair looks like???
no sorry, can you link?

Original poster

BumMum · 12/11/2006 22:52

So chatee... where do you get your information from... if you don't mind me asking...

OP posts:

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 22:52

Sorry, just found it, DS has a heathfield chair atm, and the samson chair is the one the OT has recommended. Its ugly.. lol

Original poster

BumMum · 12/11/2006 22:53

looks pretty fine to me...

OP posts:

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 22:53

look here

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 22:54

its that funny bump. At least he will be supported better.

Original poster

BumMum · 12/11/2006 22:56

Anywayyyyyyyy

I don't think her IEP was really worth the paper it was written on... But I think it did stop her slipping though the net more.. so to speak...

OP posts:

chatee · 12/11/2006 22:58

the school-i also work there but not in a teaching role but have worked in a special school many moons ago,
i also have a good local support worker from a local charity..

chatee · 12/11/2006 23:00

sorry skg,
the chair looks pretty solid-uhhm it's better than the normal junior chair my dd has to sit on as the computer stools don't have a back rest in her school....

SparklyGothKat · 12/11/2006 23:05

The Senco did say that she would put DS back on SA+ and IEPs if I wanted so I will ask her too.

chatee · 12/11/2006 23:10

i really would ask sgk....as you say it's easier not to have one but once it's in place and continually monitored it shouldn't be a big problem...easier trying to get ds back on it now than when he is in year 7

bummum-you should have input with the iep and it should be short, specific and achievable tasks that are included.....

must go to bed now (as am up early and still have 2 christmas shoe box appeals to wrap!!)

Original poster

BumMum · 12/11/2006 23:13

Night chatee.... thanks for your help..

good luck with your shoe boxes. Were doing them tomorrow at my pre-school...

OP posts:

Original poster

BumMum · 13/11/2006 21:46

anyone else's child use an alpha smart for their year 6 Sats then?

OP posts:

rustybear · 14/11/2006 17:11

Just spoken to our SENCO & she says atm it's not allowed "unless there's a lot of medical documentation & its been agreed beforehand" - our asd children don't use them in SATS, tho' sometimes they have a scribe

mumeeee · 14/11/2006 17:46

My 14 year old daughter had a scribe and extra time for her SATS and I have been told she will be able to have these allowences for her GCSE's if she still needs them. She isn't statemented but is on school action plus.
My daughter was tested for a laptop but it was decided taht it would not be right for her. My eldest daughter had a friend who was dyslexic and he was allowed to use a laptop in his GCSE's.
Your daughters IEP should not have ben taken away. My daughter is doing the same work the other children in her class and she still has an IEP.
I should go back to you daughters school and insist they do something to help her. She can definatly have a scribe even if she is not allowed as alpha smart in her SATS

mumeeee · 14/11/2006 17:53

II've just remembered something that might help your daughter with her writing Bummum. I bought my daughter a yoropen at the begining of term and it has helped her with her writing. Her LSA who takes her for extra handwriting and English support says that her writing has improved enormasly.
The pens are a funny shape, they are angled to help the writer and you can adjust the grip. They are quite expensive at £2.99 each but are well worth the money. You can get them from W H Smiths.

bigbird2003 · 14/11/2006 19:38

I was told that the child can use the method the mainly record work in lessons for exams

So if alphasmart is main method or scribe etc they will be able to use them in exams

This is why I make sure both my SN kids use their alphasmarts as much as they can!

Original poster

BumMum · 15/11/2006 13:14

Thanks for the Input everyone...
mumeeee, can I ask , what difficulties she has, and whats on your DD IEP.

We have the Yorro pen as in a biro, and a stilo pen as well but DD uses a pencil at school.. I did wonder if the Yorro pencil lead broke easy, DD presses really hard and this would be no good for her.

OP posts:

mumeeee · 15/11/2006 16:46

Hi Bummum. My DD's difficulties include: handwriting problems both in neatness and speed,organisation ( she is always losing or forgeting things)and social problems.
She has recently had a new IEP ( which I have mislaid at the moment) as she has improved a lot recently and has passed some of the targets on her old IEP. One of the targets on the old IEP was to form reconisable letters on three seperate occasions. She can now do this and her class work is usually legable to her teachers. This is thanks to the input from an LSA who takes her for extra handwriting and english support lessons. She used to have difficulty with reading and didn't get it at all until she was about 10. Another thing on her IEP was to improve her reading age by 3 months each time she was tested. When she started in year 7 her reading age was 9.5. The SENCO recently tested her and she came out at about 12.5 which we wre very proud of. Other general things are that she is allowed to write on workshhets where possible(Rather then copying questions and answers into her books and that she can write on every other line in her exercise books. We have worked on the social side and she is now a lot beter at making friends and talking to teachers. She has a linchtime pass to the drama room and library and is allowed to use these rooms to go and chill out if she is feeling overwhelmed. She now has friends who also have pases to the drama room so this is helping with the social side.
Well sorry this is all a bit of a ramble but i hope it helps you. We did have to push the high school to get her all this help. So just keep goiing back and pushing your daughters school,you will get there in the end. The SENCO has now given a phone number which goes dierectly to her room and I don't have to go through reception which can be difficult sometimes.

isgrassgreener · 16/11/2006 11:59

Can someone tell me what alpha smart is, my son has dyslexia at school action+ gets extra help, but I have never heard of alpha smart.

You can get a pencil yoropen, the lead does break, but it is in small pieces, so you can just put a new lead in. You can buy the lead replacements without having to buy a whole new pen. (hope this makes sense)

rustybear · 16/11/2006 13:36

alphasmart

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