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SEN

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

AIBU to be angry at school so early in...

377 replies

misskellyb · 07/09/2023 20:29

My son is being assessed for autism and a strong possibility of ADHD (can't assess yet as he's too young).

He has a lot of sensory processing difficulties. One of these being toileting. He has just started reception at a small, one form school and is still in nappies. He is on daily laxatives and regularly soils. Therefore he is still in nappies. He will not toilet train. If he wears pants (and sometimes even when wearing nappies - if he's in uncomfortable environments) he will withhold his wee and poo up until the point of getting so unwell he requires enemas at hospital or ends up with severe stomach pains from not weeing. When he has pants on he has a tendency to poo his pants with the overflow of poo and requires changing of his clothes and pants regularly.

He had his first day in reception yesterday. He had his nappy changed once and was introduced to the toilet but showed no interest in following his peers and using it. I'm hoping in time he will be comfortable enough to start using a toilet at school. However today, when we got home I noticed his nappy was still in his bag and his nappy hadn't been changed and was full of wee and poo. I will be raising this with the school tomorrow.

He also struggles with transitions, one of these being transitions with clothing. For example on a morning he for some reason refuses to change out of his pyjamas and will meltdown to the point that some days he has to stay in pyjamas. He struggles going from season to season changing from summer clothing (shorts and short sleeved t shirts to jumpers and trousers and vice versa). As you know it's extremely hot and he was left in his school jumper all day at school today. I confronted the school when he walked out in a jumper and The school said they asked him to change out of his jumper but he said no, so he was left to play all day in a wooly jumper with a soiled, wet nappy( I was unaware of the nappy being unchanged at this time).

As he does have additional needs I've asked the teacher if they will feed back to me regularly how he is getting on as his speech is somewhat delayed. The teacher said that they have 30 other children so this isn't possible. AIBU to be abit annoyed about this? I acknowledge their high numbers of children however surely for SEN children they can find a way to prioritise feeding back to parents, weekly, fortnightly, monthly? She said no news is good news so if I hear nothing all is fine. But the news that my sons nappy wasn't changed today and the news that he wouldn't change out of his school jumper is surely news I should be made aware of and not having to find out for myself?

AIBU to be annoyed they left him in a dirty nappy all day? Especially in this heat! They have a duty of care and this is just neglect. He will be prone to infections if this carries on and possibly bullying if other children smell or notice the nappy. The school have had multiple meetings with me regarding his needs and his continence issues. I spoke the school on his first day yesterday to make sure the reception teachers were aware he needs his nappy changed and support around toileting and they assured me this is fine. They also have clinic letters from paediatricians and the continence team outlining that my son will need regular toilet breaks and support around toileting and changing.

I try everything at home to encourage toileting. But toileting issues have been his whole life. We've tried everything and I mean, everything. To the point where no more reward charts, sensory toys, or bribery will encourage him and it's just a waiting game for it to be on his terms but in the process I don't want him facing difficulties at school for this and personal hygiene issues.

You'd think second day in they'd be on the ball as well and I'm just worried this is the start of problems to come.

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GreenMeanMachine · 11/09/2023 09:34

@fuckityfuckityfuckfuck it makes me angry because they present it as a principled argument, but it’s all about cost cutting.

The reality is many children with SEN could be in “mainstream” schools, with early intervention and some support. That would not necessarily need an EHCP.; however, schools are so underfunded and stretched they can’t do this. So of course parents needs to apply for EHCPs or go private if they can afford (option we chose small school for our neurodiverse child who can cope in a mainstream class of 14, but would not in a class of 30).

On the other side there are not enough SEN schools for children with severe needs. I live in an LA where there is not a single SEN space in primary or secondary. This means schools are having to divert their SEN resources at children with severe needs (who can’t get a space at a special school), and then they can’t provide support to children with SEN, who possibly don’t need an EHCP.

I would have no problem with a “reduction” in EHCPs if it was met with funding for additional SEN provision in mainstream, more SEN schools, and possibly more “alternative schools” (mainstream but smaller classes (up to say 20) OT on site), but that’s not what’s going to happen. All that will happen is more children will be refused EHCPs and not get the support they need.

CaptainMyCaptain · 11/09/2023 09:47

I was teaching when they started to close all the Special Schools with the promise that sufficient funds and training would be given to meet those children's needs. It never happened.

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