Advise needed re dd school LSA

[regsgirl]

My daughter started school this term and is statemented for communication problems as she has tuberous sclerosis and epilepsy.
Whilst she struggles to communicate, she is fully receptive and understands everything she is told. She is always going to learn slower than the norm and need support with her communication but is is fully able physcially with the exception of some fine motor difficulty.

She has been assigned a lady as her LSA which is for full support. I am not really sure where to start but the communication between me and this lady after only 4 mornings of school at rock bottom.
I was not involved in the choice of her as she was already at the school and her previous child has now left. The school left it right to the end of term to set up meetings to dicuss dd integration.
Basically this lady is completely over the top, she is in my daugters face, prancing on her even before she has one foot over the threshold every morning, she is snappy with with me, thinks she knows best, everything I say she takes as critisism, is defensive and always derfers responsibility onto someone else. She is on her case all the time, I dont think she she lets her play independantly for even a second and dd is used to being very independant but needs assiatance in getting to know the routine of the day and participating in group activities. Also I think the LSA is trying to be incharge of her over the teacher and take her out of the class away from the activites going, which I am 100% not happy about at all.
dd has been in mainstream nursery for 3.5yrs and managed fine.

I am not one to be walked all over and have already told her what I think about her pictures being used on her tray and pegs making her different from the other children unnecessarily and the ridiculous feedback folder they were expecting me to fill in everyday before school and then a whole load of stuff from school like if she used the toliet and is she had an accident. dd is fully toilet trained and never had one accident!

I just am not sure how to handle this women, what I should expect from her, how to find out how smothering she really is being and how to improve communication when I am soo angry with her.

Also today she greated me at lunchtime collection with news the dd had an abscent seizure. I was shocked as have never ever seen her have one and her normal seizures have been under control for nearly 2 years. I was soo pissed off as she doesn't even know my dd or have experience with epilespy yet she was so matter of fact about it. I told her I didnt think it was. At the time (ofcourse she was having an OT session so defer again responsibility) the OT though it was too as she was starting for a few seconds and she waved her hand in her face. I called my friend with epilepsy to ask her about it and she said they are less likely when you are concentrating and besides her daugther does that all the time and she is 100% fine.

I have called parent partnershop to call me back, but in the meantime I'm not sure what I should do to imrove things.
Any experience or advise would be greatly recived.

Thanksx

I'd be tempted to make an appointment with the senco, she sounds like she needs a lot bit more guidance, this may have been what the last child she looked after needed but obviously is too much for your dd. I'd want to deal with this now so as not to set a precedent for the future.

Talk to the SENCo, then talk to the Head. You have to be able to like, trust and work with the LSA - it's possible the Head could do a staff reshuffle if the attitude/difficulties can't be resolved.

DS3 has a LSA I couldn't get on with a few years ago - it wasn't nice. I do feel for you.

How about talking to your DD's teacher first? Although your DD has a LSA the class teacher should be deciding if your DD needs to be removed from the class to do individual activities. I would make it known to the teacher that you would like your DD to be inside the classroom as much as possible.

My ds has an LSA and she us there to support him - but his activities are driven by the teacher and not the LSA.....support being the key not direction. Our LSA knows ds better and is on her guard if she knows situations are going to be tricky but her philosopy is let him have a go and we'll see how it goes. I am in absolute agreement that your dd should not be singled out and the senco should be enforcing this. So I would advise the following the visual prompts should be there for all children because it's useful for all children. The LSA may be taking matters into her own hands OR the senco or the teacher have advised a strategy whereby your dd is removed from group learning - so go in and make an appointment to see the class teacher and the senco. We are on the second week of school it's too early for those decisions to be made as there needs to be a period of observation. You must be honest with the teacher and senco and emphasise the importance of confidentiality and the sensitivity of this issue. It may be that the LSA needs to be specifically told how to act with your dd, as it sounds like she is treating her like other children she has worked with. Step in now don't leave it and see how it goes.