Please come talk to MNHQ about Special Needs topics: better with fewer of them or not?

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We're looking into streamlining/reorganising our Topics list to make it easier for people to find the best topic for their thread, and to make it easier for everyone to find their way around Talk.

And, following on from some of the points raised on this Site stuff thread, we wanted to ask you folks about the range of SN Topics in Talk.

Currently, as you know, we have...
Parents with disabilities
Special needs support sessions
Special needs: children
Special needs: education
Special needs: legal/financial
Special needs: recommendations
Special needs: teens and pre-teens

Do you think it might be a good idea to lose some of these, given that some of them (legal, education, recommendations, in particular) are quite underused?

Would it be better to have fewer topics, so that every OP was more likely to get replies to their threads?

Or do you think the balance of Topics is fine just as it is?

Please do let us know...

I wonder whether we are talking at cross purposes here. My feeling is when our DC's reach 16 + we are very aware that our children have probably reached their full potential where do we go now, do any of you know the heartbreak when your child (30) moves on. Just because it is not a child SN thread your advice will always be welcome, likewise I will always go on the SN DS site----if you haven't chucked me off.

Agree Amber, and although I think an active convos style will work I don't think a chat will. I know it makes people feel vulnerable to post where it will stay but it IS a public forum and a public forum is the whole POINT of mn really.

People should understand this and word carefully or name-change if they need to. We know LAs read. Some well known posters are LA employees/SENCOs etc. It's up to the poster to decide whether it is worth posting what they want to in this context. In some circumstances it might even be a GOOD thing that some LAs read.

2shoes

I think it's strange how I feel I don't fit/ not that welcome either and my DS is only 11. I personally still blame the board changing and the whole restructure.

I feel if shoesy felt the same about the board as it was years ago she would have no problem posting her stuff under special needs in general..........no children, transition etc attached!!

It's a fine balance tho at times, sometimes I think many of us experience bad patches, where we are in a place where we want help/support in the here and now, and it's hard to focus on the needs of lurkers/people in a similar position ten years down the line. I think many mums to SN kids often aren't selfish enough tbh!

I do think that posters who post supportively on threads of others are more likely to get a response to their cries of help too.

Sometimes it is important to have a presence.

so Star, what your saying is if you can't be supportive, tough!!

No dev. There are lots of newbies that get loads of help who haven't been supportive - yet. But being supportive doesn't take effort. It can just be 'oh, OP, that sounds shit!' The OP might go out of their way when busy in the middle of making dinner to respond to one of your posts. It isn't a 'condition' but it can help.

ok Star, I see the 1st part, as for the 2nd, I have been supportive on posts but it's not welcome, then when someone a few posts down says exactly what I have and everyone thinks it's a good idea, that hurts......so you shy away from what you can say.

I post this in the middle of WWIII.

I think it's sad that a question about changing the board structures has led to rows between posters. We are all posting as we either want support/want to support others/just want to hang out. I'm sorry that some posters feel that they don't fit in - I don't think anyone wants anyone to feel like that.

I personally still blame the board changing and the whole restructure.

What restructure? The only one I remember within the last three years is when the new sections (teens) were added.

Hmm, I don't know that it is as straightforward as that.

The nature of the boards and timings etc. mean that things don't always happen in a polite order iyswim.

I just don't see what you see. I'm not saying it isn't happening though. But I don't know what can be done to make it better for you. Do you?

Do you really think separate sections would help with that?

when it all hit the news, it changed, ok I'm finding it hard to explain but it all went downhill from then. I have been back and forth and it still seems 'different' not the same.

Also, I find that depending on all kinds of things I don't always get the support I am hoping for. Some posters I have a huge amount of respect for and who have helped in the past suddenly turn on me. It takes balls of steel at times to continue.

I think again it is just the nature if a largely annon group.

Yeah what change? Ive been here maybe 18-24 months I think I dont remember anything different?

I suppose the answer is......no one can or wants to support including profs, so plod on the way we are or right this minute the bottom of a cliff. Have fun everyone and take care.

Im sorry you dont feel supported, but I disagree that no one wants to support.

We all have our own shit going on, sometimes I see SN posts pop up in active convos and I just cant click because I cant think about it all as my own life is too much at that time.

If im feeling strong then i'll try and be supportive.

I dont expect anyone else to do any different.

I'm a bit tired today, and I must admit I've sort of lost the thread of who is/isn't being supportive to who, but in terms of changes to board and people feeling left out, I see it as two issues - one that's been around for 5 plus years on this board, that the majority of posters tend to be parents to kids with language delay/and or ASD, between about 2 and 8, so those who aren't in that position find it harder to find people with similar kids/issues to chat to on here.

and another issue, as dev pointed out, as MN has become more and more ?over exposed in the media, people are becoming more concerned about privacy, so if they are talking about SN issues online rather than at local support groups are probably talking about some of their personal stuff elsewhere, by PM/e-mail/FB etc. I include myself in that, I am as culpable as anyone, really.

I guess some of this is part of the natural life-cycle of a forum and its users, rather than being SN specific.

Dev do you mean the R stuff? I saw all that, and saw so many people who had been around for a while suddenly leave en masse. Thought it was a shame that the board lost so much experience and knowledge, and a shame that all those people lost each other to talk to.

But that's no reason to keep sections that nobody uses.

no one can or wants to support That is massively untrue and unfair

yes Bialy the aftermath lol. Although I didn't leave as such, the board never felt the same. I kept coming back but still not right. Like I said my opinions/experiences are not needed as I said earlier I have post on threads and been completely ignored, yet when someone further down says the same it's welcomed. It hurts and makes you feel not welcome/or valued and makes you refrain from posting.

It doesn't bother me what sections is kept, my posts haven't really been about needing sections, but feeling part of it.

As for no one can or wants to, this was my opinion/experience and if you knew a little more of our story you would see where I was coming from in saying that. So not untrue or unfair.