This ignorance from the RDA shocked me...

[FalseStartered]

i've been enquiring about RDA sessions for DD (HFA, aged 5)

received application form via post today from a local group with a covering handwritten postcard on which the following words appear..

This group is set up for children who are physically damaged and are unable to take part in activities that the able bodied can, so these children take priority. We work with autistics during the week, they are school groups

i feel sick - i know the RDA is mainly staffed by well-meaning volunteers but come on, is there no diversity training in place?

The SEN Manager said 'the thing about these autistics' to us at our first meeting with her, I knew we were not going to get on and so it proved.

I took DS to a donkey sanctuary SN open day last week and when he said he didn't want to go on the donkey (which he always does) I am not kidding this lady grabbed him and tried to drag him on. He was on the verge of a massive massive meltdown. I tried to stop her and she just kept pulling him it was horrendous. Eventually I found some words and stopped her and had to say really firmly let me talk him through it. Got him to touch the horse - said well done and high 5, then said sit on the horse - got on no problem another high five. 20 seconds was all it took to warm him up. She would have caused a massive meltdown and he would have been kicking and hitting all the staff to get off the donkey. Would have been really unsafe. I just stood there with my mouth open. It was like he had no rights whatsoever. Its not even though he was holding anyone up, she grabbed him after only about 10 seconds of me encouraging him.

We did RDA and DS did sort of enjoy it but the volunteers all talked too much about their sciatica and he couldn't understand them and he could only trot for 30 seconds as none of them could run fast enough.

Agnes that's awful - your poor DS.

and the NT world wonder why we're so protective

It used to annoy me that ds1's last school were more than happy to let the RDA take the children off their hands whilst telling me that a charity/private agency who were working with ds1 on an ABA/VB program could not be listened to because they not 'from the LEA' or words to that effect. I'm not criticising horse riding in general as I know many value it as a therapy but I think the RDA are not always the best people to work with ASD children.

it's not just the 'autistics' reference that got to me, but 'physically damaged', i mean wtf?

like they are seconds on the factory run?

it's heartbreaking to think there are people who think they are helping and supporting DC with SN, but all the time they are fuelled by pity

i will complain, zzzzz - i'm getting more and more revolted by the minute

i'm just off the phone from RDA National office, sending the postcard to them

not sure if it will go any further, but the woman i spoke to on sounded horrified, and rightly so

What is rda?

"physically damaged" wtf? Offensive, never mind the blatent disability predjudice towards those with autism.

Not a politically correct term I know, but you gotta ask should people that dumb be involved in the running and supervision of ANY project involving children (of any ability) and animals? Frankly they sound too thick for you to be sure it's safe.

bochead it's worrying isn't it? it's not that this person is 'thick' (i'm sure she'd say she was very well educated,) but has absolutely no awareness of how offensive they are, and having already spoken to her, probably doesn't give a fuck either.
in fact i would have been less offended if she'd written 'FUCK OFF' on the back of an envelope and posted it by hand through my letter box.

i went to sleep with those 2 words rolling about in my head, am sending the card with a covering letter to head office today

that's absolutely shocking - there's plenty of ignorance about but presumably they are funded specifically to provide for disabled children?

Even the famously non-pc met officers have had a bit of awareness training nowadays, in 2012 there is NO excuse for this. Being a volunteer is no excuse as your precious time is worth nothing if you do more harm than good, (hands up who'd be willing to leave their kids alone with a cow like this?). So glad you've put in a formal complaint.

Sorry you had such a shitty response. I found our donkey sanctuary in devon to be fab for dd.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I can only assume it's an individual lack of knowledge (as well as most likely a lack of initiative to educate themselves) that the person is suffering from.

It's certainly not a mindset that is throughout the RDA. Our local RDA has been brilliant with DS2, and they always seem to communicate quite well with the children that are riding.

That certainly isn't the best reply I agree but really hope you might be able to see past the lack of training/awareness that particular individual shows as RDA is such a wonderful opportunity.

Whilst my dd is on the 'physically damaged ' side, there are many more children in our group with autism who clearly gain a huge amount from riding. None of the volunteers at our group ever comments on the nature of the SN - it's only ever positive comments about their riding.

Maybe you can influence and encourage some diversity training for volunteers from the inside!

if i don't influence any diversity training, surviving then the RDA is an organisation that i don't want any association with!

there are a few different centres near us, quite a rural area to be fair, but i shall not be taking up the offer of languishing on a waiting list for this woman to judge whether my DD is deserving of a place.

the terminology she used is not common-place slang, it was a shocking revelation of what she really thinks about the people who use the service IMO

I always have the opposite problem. When I try to get DS2 involved in any SN things I find there is more things going on for children who have autism or learning disabilities than for children who have physical disabilities. It's probably the same thing as me saying girls clothes are so much nicer, more choice etc than boys and my friend who has DD's saying that boys clothes are nicer. Grass is always greener and all that.

That is awful! Thankfully we have 2 RDA's in our area. 1 is free and I have had reports that it isn't great. The other you have to pay for, not a huge amount but worth it as it is fab, the staff are fantastic.