Work sent home is not 'accessible' - should I make (more) fuss?

[MeanMom]

DD is 13 and developed cataracts in both eyes during yr 6 slowly becoming worse to the extent it has now been agreed to remove them (we hope). When DD started new school Sept 2010 they were not very bad but school SENCO said she should go on spec needs reg. Eye hospital had already arranged for vision support teacher to assess her in school regularly. DD does not have a IEP that I have seen (I didn't realise she should :( ) but SENCO has recently indicated that there is one to my DH.

DD has missed a large amount of Yr8 due to Anxiety and depression (diagnosed finally last week) EWO involved and trying to get a meet together with everyone to discuss DD's needs. School never suggested this. They have been asked repeatedly to help DD by enlarging things, extra time in tests, not having to share text books etc. Some teachers remember sometimes. DD doesn't feel able to keep asking. I have been told by a Sight Charity and Parentlink that school has failed in their duty of care.

Anyway I will get to the point - work has been sent home this week as DD not been since start Feb. Most of it is just photo copied normal size, some is actually smaller than normal, one teacher has scribbled something like 'Do page 345 on Lady Gaga blah blah' (it may say the lady of shallot . There is a note from some linking to work on the VLE which is what I asked for as DD can increase the font to suit herself - surely less work for a teacher than Enlarging things onto A3 paper - the only way she can see printed stuff without using her magnifier which strains her eyes. I know I could read it out to her but who can work this way?

They also send home her science test she did before half term - low marks but then it was in ordinary size font - her science teacher is also her form teacher - if she can't be bothered remember DD needs this help, who can?

As you can tell, I am very about this, and I am sorry for lenghth of post.

Should I say anything to school about this or just wait til the meeting, whenever it takes place. I should add I will not be at the meeting - it will be DH- as I cannot have a conversation with SENCO now, nor can I leave DD.

I used to work with a student with a visual impairment (she needed size 24 font) and she had time specified in her statement (for LD as well as VI) for adapting work. The teachers were awful at giving in the work to be enlarged or would do it really poorly themselves.. We (her twin sister's TA and I) ended up doing most of it in our non contact time.

I used to dream of their parents making a fuss but they never did. Please say something ASAP and keep saying it every single time the work isn't done!

Some disabilities are hard to understand without specialist training. This one is so obvious that I'm shocked.

I nearly ended up at "blind school" back in the 70's due to severe astigmatism and even back in the 70's teachers took sensible measures like sitting me at the front of the class, enlarging text, explaining diagrams verbally and so on. This is just sheer utter laziness on the part of the teachers and I can't help wondering to what extent your child is being excluded from accessing the curriculum in class time. No wonder the poor child is depressed - she's being isolated.

Write TODAY to the chair of the Governors and the HT, stating that failure to make reasonable adjustments (photocopying is as reasonable as it gets ffs!) for your child means she is currently unable to access the curriculum. Inform them that unless the situation is turned around asap you will have no choice but to look at the disability discrimination act and inform OFSTEAD.

Tomorrow have a look at the IPSEA website and write to the LEA applying for a statement. In that letter list the attempts YOU have made to enable the school to help your child (eg meetings etc).

A word of warning - Don't bother discussing your statement application with school, as they will try and fob you off. A statement takes 6 months, so you need exam type stuff in place for September. The clock ticks from the date of application. Year 10 is when coursework for GCSE's starts.Your child's future depends on what happens in years 10 & 11 so you don't have the luxury of time wasting fobbing off "chats". Your case is much more urgent than those of us with primary kids, who can afford to faff about a bit.

By early next week one of these 2 pronged approaches should have started to yield some fruit. Sadly it's only those kids whose parents do make a fuss that get the help they need. If you feel a bit nervous at having to be bolshy just remember - n 10 years time those teachers won't remember your child's name. You'll still be living with the fallout of their bone idleness though.

Thank you both for taking the trouble to reply.

bochead - thank you- and you are so right. The sight charity I contacted in Early Feb (end of tether reached) advised me to get statement - the first step being to get report from the eye specialist. So we saw her asap 29th Feb and this was when they agreed to operate so a statement no longer appropriate as her sight can be 'fixed' just have to wait a month or two for this to be done. Also was going to write to governors but again in view of the meeting that school have agreed to (but all parties have not been able to agree a convenient date so far - not schools fault or mine) I wouldn't have any 'teeth' as school now being seen to at least try. It is all very frustrating but it is the distress it causes DD that I hate

blueemerald - thank you - good to hear a view from 'the other side' - I will try to get hold of DDs vision support lady to see if she will have a look at the work and tell me what they 'should' have done. DD will not even look at it so I am only going by my perception of what is able to access. I can't even read some of the scribble - someone has written in pencil too!

So so exhausted with fighting for an education - school just want her to attend

What makes me so proud is school send home mid year assessment and she is still ahead in ICT and at expected level for END of yr8 for 2 other subjects. The only subject she is really 'behind' in is Drama! (she doesn't do PE or tech)

MeanMom there seems to be a distinct lack of support for children with VI I've recently found! I'm currently trying to get support for my DD in school also, not the teachers though they've been great in my DD's case it's getting a QTVI out. If you have a QTVI then speak to her and she should be able to badger the school. And you or your husband do it too, I know you end up feeling like a pest but don't give up it's not just your DD's education at stake it's her emotional wellbeing too.

My DD's last QTVI who has been off sick for about a year told me that DD didn't need a statement for school, just support from the teachers who would have a set of guidelines such as not giving out photocopied materials, using the correct font size etc, those were the basics so the fact that your DD's school seem to be ignoring it is disgusting!

Call the school and demand that the meeting is arranged to take place before the end of next week or you will take it further (I'm not sure where further is but I'm sure there is someone on here who will advise).

My DD's teacher and the teaching assistant mentioned that they would love to do some sort of course that would help their understanding of VI and so I have given them the information for a course run by RNIB, they both intend to do it in their own time and the school have agreed to fund it. I suppose some of your DD's teachers' attitudes could be down to lack of knowledge so perhaps you could suggest they or even just the SENCO do the course? PM me if you want the info and I could link you to it.

Good luck to you and your DD.

"Mean"Mom Sounds like a good plan to me. Do get hold of a QTVI if you can but where I was they were rarer than hens' teeth and useless but it's definitely worth trying.

We were instructed that blowing things up on the photocopier was only acceptable in an emergency as it really blurs the font. The work needs to be scanned/typed out and adapted. Anything else is discrimination.

Does your daughter have a TA? Can she get around school safely? The students I worked with did Tech (woodwork, textiles, cooking etc) and PE so I am concerned about the school's dedication to your daughter.

How does she cope if the classwork is not adapted? I ask because the twin I worked with was a gutsy so and so and would hand any worksheet back that she couldn't read and really put the teacher on the spot [proud] but sadly her sister would sit and do nothing or half a question in 50 mins.

Sorry for all the questions but having had some experience it's a cause close to my heart.

blueemerald thank you for taking so much interest - it is more than the school has :( DD has a very nice vision support worker but she is very busy - and school seem to ignore everything asks for pretty much.

DD does not have a TA - to be fair the school offered her a shared one but the other girl has completely different needs (not sure as school can't tell me but DD says TA has to be there to get her to take part in lessons at all - head on desk etc.) also other girl had needle phobia - not sure she should be in same class with DD who always has needles with her (Diabetic). Other girl would get first call on TA and DD would be stuck. This is why she does not do tech - it is not safe (IMO) for her to operate machinery. She is too scared to as well - SENCO said to DH - 'well there is a girl with one hand that manages - don't see what the problem is' SENCO says there is 'no way' they will get another TA - they are an academy so guess they can decide this?

DD just gets on with it if she has not been given work correctly - she will sometimes ask but it is the constant having to ask that is adding to her anxiety - she has just said to me it is her fault that they do not 'remember' - she should remind them! How she could have reminded them about this work they have sent home I dont know - she hasn't been to school since 8th Feb!
The tried to get her to restart tech - said TA would help - but they did not ask me and they have not even assessed what help she needs in Tech. She said no, bless her, but then worried they would do it anyway.They knew she was waiting for appointment with CAMHS for anxiety but they put all this pressure on her. Well she'd snapped now.

noodles - thank you and yes agree the meeting should already have taken place but to be fair on school it is not their fault it hasnt - we have to have the Vision Support there, the CAHMS councellor, the Parentlink adviser (for us), and EWO (for school us) and it has been very hard getting everyone together at same time We could have had a meeting last week but CAMHS had not yet assessed, we then scheduled for next Monday but Parentlink can't make it :( I am not having the meeting without Parentlink. I shant go anyway as I cannot now speak to SENCO for more than two minutes without her upsetting me - then I say the wrong thing and it will end up a shambles.

DD is 'signed off' by GP at my request til end of Easter holidays - doubt if any school work will be done in that time - she ends up in tears at the thought of it. All our eggs are in CAMHS basket now.

Thanks for support

The school I worked in was also an academy, I suspect the difference is the statement.

I would recommend really pushing for a TA (perhaps from a health and safety point of view?) as having one person keeping track of work and bollocking gently reminding teachers makes all the difference.

The school will not make this easy but I would get CAMHS and Vision Support to back you up (prep your daughter to say this is the biggest thing that would help her over and over) and contact the govenors/Local Authority/ whoever is in charge of provision for VI students where you live (these guys where I worked) I wonder if some anxiety is due to not feeling physically secure at school?

Tell me to mind my own business but could you do any school work with her at home? Even just 5 mins a day to begin with?

The statement assessment process will determine if she needs a TA, not the Senco!

If she's at the point where Cahms have had to get involved then school have already failed her! She's not getting the support she needs to access the curriculum, to the point it's affected her mental health! Apply for a statement - it sends a shot across the bows that you are SERIOUS about your child's education and forces the school to state what they've done to help her (nothing cos they are hoping she'll go away and not come back and give them any work to do!).

Ring Abilitynet. One of the assistive technology advisors is blind himself so self-tests all the technology they recomend. They also know all about different funding routes. I'm convinced there's a gadget or gizmo out there that would make your daughters school life a lot easier without "inconveniencing" her academy too much.

Have a look at other schools - is there somehere else where the concept of doing a bit of work hasn't eluded the SENCO and teaching staff? Even if it's private it all gives you a bit more negotiating space.

Write that Governors/HT letter. Academies are directly answerable to the government minister not the LEA so copy the letter to your MP and the Minister for Education. The school should at this stage be doing everything they can to accomodate convenient meeting times for you - don't forget to ask them to provde a full-time home tutor for the period your child is missing school!

Rinse and repeat the phrase "DD's anxiety and depression are directly caused by the poor way she's been isolated and excluded by the teaching staff at X academy" to all and sundry (esp Cahms!) at every available opportunity & at every meeting.

But surely there is not point/need applying for the Statement now? Once she has the cataracts removed her needs will have changed completely and we hope she will need very little of this help.

School have most certainly failed her in the past and seem to be so useless having trouble getting it right without us forcing a written IEP onto them. They do not believe have little sympathy for her anxiety but they are a selective grammar school which DD worked very hard to gain a place at (primary school was 'in special mesures') so she does not want to give up her place there yet We are considering home Ed.

DD rarely does anything at all blueemerald - mostly spends the day sleeping, crying, listening to music on headphones and going on 'lol cats' and YouTube for 'funnies' No contact with friends since last time she went to school - (and I would never tell you to mind your own business - appreciate your help )

bochead I have committed that phrase to memory - thank you!

I don't want to be all doom and gloom but any surgical procedure has risks/may not be 100% successful and she may well be quite behind her peers academically going into year 10 (obviously a crucial year) once she has time off until Easter, then for surgery and recovery etc. You could well find the anxiety (or what I would call depression) takes a lot longer to get over than the surgery and she may need TA help for this too. She sounds like a bright girl who would otherwise not be 'keeping up' with her peers but surpassing them. A statement is designed so a child can achieve their potential not 'get by'.

I would seriously research and consider a statement because any other 'promises' are pie in the sky.

I don't know why I focused on schoolwork so much (I'm a special school TA, think it's just default), it sounds like she is depressed and needs help with that. I'm far from a expert on depression etc but perhaps you could work towards things like going to the supermarket to buy a new CD or give her small things to do around the house (difficult I know) just so she has some kind of routine and perhaps can get out of the house? I imagine it's easy to get yourself into a spiral of despair and not be able to see a way out.

The tutor is an excellent idea even if they just spend time talking to your daughter about music she likes etc and build up to doing school work.

blueemerald thank you so much

You are right about the depression - she had Dx of this last week too (I am aware of 'drip feeding' - sorry) but we have to wait for the referal to child psyc - possible meds we are told.

I see what you mean about statement but I don't see how we can get one til know what hers needs will be - if we get vision assessment they will say ' wait til after op' - is mental health a 'special educational need'? School told me Diabetes is not SEN - more Sp health need.

I don't want to put her through all these assesments etc for no reason other than to make school do what they 'should' if we then decide to Home Ed. She is not up to making the decision and we dont want to make it for her . Yet. Get what you say about things for DD to do - that is where we were in October - we went to London for two days to V&A (her idea) and Oxford street - but V&A has stripy floors and poorly lit some places - she has poor contrast sensitivity - so turned out to be quite traumatic - and stupid steps in the Disney shop even - you don't know things are difficult until you try them.

I will see what Vision Support lady says tomorrow, and then let you know

Thanks

Bloody hell!
You're not asking for much, it's not rocket science is it?
Complain - loudly!