An SEN reading list...

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

I'm starting a Postgrad in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion this Autumn. Partly down to my own experiences so far of mainstream ed, good and bad, with my DS2.

Are there any books about your child's/your SEN that you found helpful and/or you wish your SENCO had read?

TIA

I bought DS's school a copy of Tony Attwood's guide to Asperger's syndrome.
Not the full one, the shorter version so that people were more likely to use it.

Thank you FallenCaryatid. Here's to hoping, if I ever end up a SENCO, I meet parents like you!

Best thing a SENCO can do is listen first and treat each child and family as individuals, rather than reading up on a condition and thinking that one child with it is the same as the next.
There are a lot of parents like me around.

I really liked "10 Things every child with autism wishes you knew", it is user friendly, if a little american in parts.
I agree with fallen about Tony A's Complete Guide To Aspergers, it is a great one to dip in and out of. You dont have to read it from cover to cover.

I also think Multicoloured Mayhem by Jackie Jackson is a great read to help Proffs see what parents are up against.

Hope the course goes well

Other than ASD - what about 'The Out- of- sync child' by Carol Stock Kranowitz. It doesn't really cover any 1 specific condition, but does put a good logical spin on how some children find doing everyday activities that NT children just accept, an absolute nightmare. It also explains how just because you got the approach right on Monday, doesn't mean you get it right on Tuesday.

These are so helpful, thank you.

@ FallenCaryatid We have heard an awful lot from our SENCO about 'the other deaf child' at DS2's school. 'Oh, he never had X and Y at Early Years/KS1 etc etc.' We just ignore it now and redirect her attention to the letters from the HI teacher and his Audiologists that say his name on the top in large letters and contain a detailed description of his disabilities and recommendations. So I'm hearing you on that!

@ Ineedaflippinmedal and auntevil - thank you for those recommendations. The more general ones are an excellent suggestion.

You have a child with SN yourself?
Then you are several steps towards being a good SENCO already!

yeah and if you can read the sen code of practice and follow it then you are way ahead of the senco/head at our school.

does inclusion include both ends of the ability spectrum? ofsted are interested in underachieving gifted children at the moment. they can present as other things due to disaffection.(sp?) what about children who are what I think they call twice exceptional or something... (v bright and other difficulties) i wish the senco would know a little about gifted/advanced children and that not every parent who says their child can do xy or z is a deluded fruitloop

what range of difficulties are you looking at? i came across abook in the library about dyslexia and other learning difficulties. (it included the gifted child which i found surprising and leads to the comment above) it had quite a good overview of a few specific learning difficulties. (i am looking to see if anything "fits" ds)

knowing about the effects of physical conditions would be good too. teachers were taught nothing about these and those teachers still have a few years teaching left. having a good resource base to find out what it may mean if you have a child with a condition in your class would help so that when you talk to the parents hten at least you have some backgound knowledge, though opf course it will not be the same in every child... buit generalities would be good as a starting point. ( i do not think the school knows anything about dd's condition)

i would also like the senco/head to not assume that a "naughty" child is naughty because of crap parenting but that there may be something else going on too... would it be wrong to hope that ds bites one of them?

Exploring Behaviour, Supporting Pupils with Dyslexia and Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Educational Approaches are a few of the units. There is also a fair bit on inter agency involvement, which I liked. There's nothing on supporting more able children that I can see there but there is a dissertation and opportunities for case study so that might be interesting. I guess it all comes back down to the individual child.

I'm sorry to hear your experience has been bad redwhiteandblueeyedsusan. I'm a long way off SENCO but I have dealt with a few as a teacher and as a parent and their quality has been... variable. The best assumed nothing and watched and listened before they acted. The worst (and we are at the hands of a fairly awful one at the moment) have been so, so unapproachable as to be scary! We've had to argue with her for equipment that's come as a written recommendation from DS2's specialist. We've felt like an inconvenience to her from the off; she still fails to understand why DS2's HI is profound but can't be treated with a hearing aid. 'The other deaf boy' has one.

Sorry, went a bit ranty there.

this one and this one

We have got parents on here whose children have disabilities other than ASD, I hope they have some suggestions too.

I have a page on my blog which lists the books I have read with brief comments:

autisticson.wordpress.com/reading-list/

In the case of CP the key book is teaching motor skills to children with CP and other movement disorders by sieglinde martin. Its probably for younger age children but is great at how the body works and the difficulties with CP can create and how best to resolve them, as well as about the role of physio

Thank you so much all - down to the library for me tomorrow! I shall be reading your blog BsDad.

@eatyourveg - those look great. Almost like course books!
@Everyonehasaprice thank you. I know very little about CP, despite having taught a child with mild CP at my old school. I can't believe how little I was prepared to teach children with special educational needs by my PGCE. I must have failed a good fair few.

you are making a good start now though, as at least you recognise the issue