How can I teach my SN child to read and write?

[magso]

My son is 7 and has LD, his understanding is about the level of a 4- 5 year old, has autistic traits, language delay, very short attention span. He is in ms on action + awaiting a draft statement, but currently getting very little support, and hasnt made much progress since starting school. He cannot attend special school ( in our area presently) without a full statement and he is unlikely to get this. He struggles to draw shapes and this is not just his poor fine motor skills! He struggles to hear and recognise letter sounds at the beginning of words, but can recognise the vowel sound in the middle. I am sure school have just decided he cannot be taught. He can learn but needs lots of practice, and then has to relearn things if they are not practiced every day.
I need to be his teacher but feel so ameteur! He recognises about half lower case letters currently, but can't write his 4 letter name (he was able to write it rather big and wobbly before starting school but now has to use joined up writting and that is too complex for him). He comes on so much in the holidays, then looses it each term!
I am newish to the internet and know there are lots of resourses to help SN kids develop, ( like the something special games on cbeebies which he has outgrown now) but struggle to find things and cant get things to work ( hopeless computor skill!)What resourses do others use or find useful? He is a practical/ visual learner and can only stick at something for 5 minutes. Apologies for long post!

Sorr,y I mean salt (speech and lang. therapist.)

Thanks Mrs M, Moondog for your help. Yes we have the final statement. Unfortunatly it names only 8 hours support a week, which I know is not enough. However the schools panel voted to allow FT MLD special school!
So I wasnt planning on appealing until last night! I hear the MLD school think he may need a more specialised place (because of the ASD trates) than they can offer and may refuse him a place.
If he cannot go to an mld school (no asd specific places available locally and DS has no full diagnosis of asd) he will have to stay in MS. So 8 hours support for a child who has made no progess (actualy lost some skills) in the last 3 years will not do!
Moon dog thankyou for your comments! I will approach our slt. I got a book on dyslexia from the library, and Ds ticks all the boxes (1 centiles for auditory memory,complex language, mispronouces words or mixes sylables etc) except he also has lowish IQ, so obviously cannot have dyslexia as usually defined.
Mrs M Ds had a recent hearing test and all was well. The audiologist said his ears were fine it was the bit in between! He often mishears words, forgets words and phonics is beyond him yet!
I will work over the holidays (have bought various packs and books!). But looks like I may also be gearing up for an appeal!!

Magso,

If any part of the statement says - "This provision to be made by school from existing resourses' - that is wrong as well. LEA's are not allowed by law to be so woolly. Provision must be quantified.

IPSEA's web address is www.ipsea.org.uk; I think they also have an e-mail facility. I've also had to call them in the past; I would suggest you call them late morning (I've got through only at that time).

If you do decide to appeal I would say that SENDIST (appeals panel) do not sit during August.

Magso, another excellent and very readable book is 'Why our children can't read and what we can do about it.'

Review here

It is nothing wacko-very much a modern classic and I stress again,very readable.

Thanks Moondog sounds interesting and hopeful! Will try and get it from the library!
Thanks Attila, you are right it is 'from existing school resourses' that is why it is limited to 8 hours. It is the maximum the school can afford. It seems odd that a child has enough needs to be possibly turned away from a special school but only warrants minimal support in Ms (and a 3 year struggle to get that much!) What exactly is the legal problem with 'existing resourses'. Should every part of the statement be quantified? ( there are 5 areas of need outlined reading and writting is only part of one of them.) Personally I would like him to get daily help with both (even if it is only 10 minutes each a day)

Quantifying is exactly what you should be insisting on.
I have contributed to statements for years and everyone in 'the system' knows that they generally mean bugger all.It has always been a case of making do with what is there.

Have you seen Popat - I know it is used in some SEN schools. Its actually used in DSs mainstream school as the norm to teach reading to all

Although quality is of equal importance yet harder to measure. For example as a salt,I don't follow the 'once weekly for half an hour in a separate room' model. I rarely see kids outside the class? What's the point? My role is to work collaboratively with the school staff which obviously wont happen if i disappear with children.

A lot of parents don't understand this though which is sad as i can do much more valuable work running say,a communication group within the classroom with the school staff and writitng notes and goals with them afterwards.

Thanks Whizzz, hadnt heard of popat but have emailed for details incase there is a home program. After getting Ds sats results am more worried than ever (his language p levels are as low or lower than when he started school 3 years ago).
Moondog thankyou for your reply, I agree! I think the SALT input was far more useful when I was there (pre starting school)to learn what to do/ how to say things on a day to day basis. Now he is seen twice a term with no ta support and it doesnt reach the classroom or home enviroment (We do get a list of objectives such as working on pronowns but I like practical ideas on how to make this fun like the clapping to rhymes to get speech rhythms when he was younger). Ds is uncomfortable being taken off to a little room and is 'tricky'! Perhaps I should try private SALT again so I can be there! Trouble is the cost!He also needs OT but is too old for nhs ot here (stops at 7).
Is it worth getting the statement more specific if resources limit what is available anyway?

Magso,I would ask your school salt for a list of useful resources/books/websites that you can acces yourself.

This is what I do with parents who are highly motivated and express a willingness to do things at home themselves.

Therei s masses of useful stuff out there.

Thanks Moondog. Will ask Salt for list. OT kindly gave pile of finemotor worksheets to keep us going over the summer before we left!

I'm thinking of keeping my DD back a year - she's in year 2 now.

Has anyone done this and was it a success?

I've only got next week to make decision.

Sorry, not the right place for this - have created new thread.

I understand you very well, when my daughter was 5, she did not want to read or write at all. We bought a lot of copybooks, ABCs, etc. You can try to turn on YouTube videos or play with your child at school. Personally, I try the game for handwriting activities for kindergarten , my daughter liked it. wunderkiddy.com/category/cut-out-templates Printable Cut out Crafts and Activity Templates for Kids. You can try, it might work. there are a lot of coloring books, mathematical problems and recipes