I've just been on SENCO training.....

[KatyMac]

....Oh dear

I know thee are good SENCOs around but if that's the training they get, I don't know why

ineedalife every time I see the " mum reports " or "mum says" - or better still "mum believes" it makes me want to scream. It sounds like I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about as I am not the professional and that they have included it to keep me quiet - at least that is how it read in the reports I have.

There's a huge difference between the definition of 'professional' and definition of 'expert'. One can be either or both, but professional doesn't automatically mean expert.

Very true, star....

In fact i have only met one true expert on my daughter and that is me!!

Sorry if that sounds bigheaded but AFAIAC it is true.

I think there are some astoundingly brilliant support workers out there. Brilliant, hard working, professional knowledgeable....

But I had had so many experiences on here and in rl of complete wankers spouting shit about asd and then saying 'well i work with SN so I know....'
Shockingly several examples of pretty bigoted views.

At the end of the day my role as SENCO is support, children first and formost, parents and other practitioners.

I am supported by my manager and the Early years Sen advisors.

If I am uncertain about something it is my job to find out about it, it is never my job to diagnose a child or even to suggest that there might be a particular problem, it is my role to refer children on to the correct place and carry out any extra work to support the child's development.

I am sometimes astounded by the things people say when I am on courses and I have to bite my tongue very frequently.

I agree with Pag, there are some great people out there, doing some great work. Just not enough of them.

When DS1 was on the training course to volunteer at a play scheme for children with a wide range of disabilities, one of the people training with him kept asking him if he needed any advice as she was a professional - a support worker who had been helping with children with SN at a local nursery for over a year.
The course leader presented a scenario where a child with asd became very agitated but without any obvious trigger. Ds1 said (paraphrasing) back off a bit, give the child some processing time but ensure that he/she can't hurt themselves, offer the sensory room as a chance to calm down.
The woman interrupted saying 'well let's hope it doesn't happen on your watch' and then recommended restraining the child if need be placing them on the floor and 'holding tightly'.
Ds1 was like this

, that is awful pag.

It is going to take years to change some people.

There is still so much ignorance out there.