Why do us SN Mums & Dads have to sort EVERYTHING out?

[fio2]

well rang the school today to tell them we are moving and ask for adivice on what to do next. The headmistress has left a message on my answerphone saying I have got to sort it out myself. I will have to ring around and find out where is suitable, if they have places, if her statement makes her elidgable for places etc. etc. etc.

Why, why, why, why??????Is it up to me ???

I just feel like making out I am some kind of thicko and they will have to sort it out for me. I hate having to do this all the time Why does everything have to be so complicated when you have an sn child?

Ikwym Fio. It seems all consuming sometimes doesn't it, and we have very good support here. I'm searching around for a sn car seat now, and a portable highchair, because we are sick of having to leave restaurants because ds can't get in the ones provided. It's a lot of trawling through tedious brochures, and marvelling at the price "sn" adds to everything.

Maybe you should got to upmystreet.com, and search for schools in the area you are moving to, pick the top few and give them a call. Get them to send brochures and ask them what sn provisions they have etc(I know I am probably stating the obvious). In the first instance, it is the same whether you have a sn child or not, but the difficulties come when you have picked the school you want, then trying to get the extras sorted. We have a great school lined up for ds2, which 2 of his sibs already attend, but even so the thought of getting all the extra help in place is making me feel ever so slightly queasy, and he is only 2 1/2! Good luck anyway.

Up my street link

Just copied and pasted this in case it is helpful too.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) We help children of all ages with special educational needs to reach their full potential. We work closely with parents and agencies, pre-school providers, mainstream, special and independent schools.
Contact:
Mid Kent: 01233 639677
East Kent: 01227 772992
West Kent: 01732 525000
For Pre-School: 01622 605005

I'm on a roll now! Would this help too?

Thanks so much lou Sorry if I was moaning again, it's just I cant beleive how much we have to sort out ourselves

It's a pita isn't it? You weren't moaning at all btw.

yeh but my but hurts so much, so to speak Thanks again lou will ring those numbers tommorrow. Upmystreet is so useful to

I dont think people realise though that special schools 'specialise' in all sorts of different things. My dd goes to a PD school atm but maybe wouldnt cope in a different type of special school.....I dont know really, I feel lost

I don't know if you saw, but the schools officer is Anna Moore, on 01732 525109. She should be able to give you the info for the right places. Let me know how you get on.

I'm off to get excited about the arrival of ds2's standing frame tomorrow .

lou- that number is for West Kent. If fio is moving to Canterbury (?that was what the other thread said?) then it is a different Education Office. IME they aren't very good at communicating with eachother. (We live in area covered by Mid Kent, but had 2 kids at school in East Kent & ended up having to write to both offices because East wouldn't talk to Mid. )

If it's any consolation fio, those of us with non- SN kids also get lumbered sorting everything out ourselves as well. It seems to be the way our society is going.

I just typed the number from the kent site Tallulah, it didn't specify, so thanks for that .

thanks lou and tallulah I am going to start ringing tommorrow!

lou, hope you have luck with the car seat and highchair. What kind of highchair will he need - if you dont mind me asking? If you do mind - dont say!

fio wishing you all the best in finding a new school for your dd
good luck with the house move too

Fio, why would I mind? I don't seem to have any secrets on here . He currently has a breezi chair with kneeblocks, which is awaiting delivery of a seating insert to enable him to sit more upright (he sags and slumps). But we have tremendous problems getting him into highchairs when we are out, because of the stiffness of his legs. There is usually some sort of plastic bar across the seat which trays attach to, and this makes it impossible to get his legs in. We are totally fed up with being watched while we try and force him into them, and it's upsetting too, so we are just buying our own portable one, to avoid having the hassle completely. As it is under £50 we have to buy it ourselves, but that is what we were planning to do anyway.

We have ordered the HandySitt on this page, so with a kimono belt around his torso it will give him enough stability for the times we need it.

Car seats = vv expensive! I'll probably end up getting the Britax junior traveller, but have to go to Milton Keynes for it (we used to live near there but have since moved to Surrey), so getting time to do it is an issue.

glad you didnt mind lou so irritating though that you have to buy your own portable highchair though. They sell those type at our local baby shop, the lady who owns it has started contracting out to pubs and restraunts - maybe I should give her a push in your direction! I saw a post on another site about car seats - cant remeber what the outcome was though. Britax are usually very good though, mine have both got one. Ds has got a club class which they cant move about in but I bet your ds is getting a bit big for that type - although my nephew was in one until he was 6!!!! gotta laugh!- he's got an over-protective mother!

thanks doormat btw-hope all is well

Fio we had to do the same for my nephew recently. We have been very lucky and found a great school for him and really hoping that you are able to do the same.

Take Care

T x

Hi everyone, I'm having terrible email and internet trouble so will just send one quick message! fio2, when you move from one LEA to another you are entitled to take your Statement with you so your next LEA needs to know about it and that you are coming. I think you should phone the SEN dept of the next LEA and get them to help you with schools. I also believe that they are then entitled to review the Statement quite quickly, 3 months or 6 months after move. If they want to change it they still have to prove that whatever you have moved your child to does not meet their needs.

I need a car seat that is less bucket shaped for ds2, which pretty much rules out any ones that can be bought in the usual stores. The traveller seems suitable at £145 plus vat (gulp). Just as well he doesn't need the next size up, as it is £400. The Yankee is £320 , and you have to buy any extras on top. I don't think car seats are available through ot, because you aren't really supposed to use them second hand, in case they have been in an accident, otherwise I am sure they would be funded for us.

blumin heck lou, thats alot of money! Shame they cant help you at ot.

Davros, thanks for that and hope your server problems are sorted out soon - mine has been tempramental of late too

I'm just telling myself that it will fit him until he is 6 , so it doesn't work out too expensive really. The bigger size is age 4 -11, but he is not even 3 yet, and I'm hoping he won't need a sn one aged 11. He's having an operation next week btw .

is he, what for? Is it his squint? I've got to take dd next week to see about hers

Yeh. Can't tell you what they do, it makes my knees go. It's quite a big job as far as squint surgery goes, because he has a large one, but am hoping it will all be ok. Just need to offload the other 3 so we can get there by 8 am!

Hope it all goes okay lou. I dont know exactly what they do but my sisters boyfriend had his done when he was an adult, it was successful and quite straightforward. It doesnt stop you worrying though does it? Hope everything goes okay for him. They have told me that it is more successful if they do it earlier.

Thanks Fio. I'm sure he will be ok, just a bit sore afterwards. My brother had his done years ago, but they over corrected and it went the other way. They tried again and now he is almost blind in that eye. I keep thinking that was a long time ago tho.......

He's having it done next wednesday btw.

Lou hope everything goes well with your ds' operation
he will be fine