Ds just started preschool , advice re SENCO please.

[SadieChanges]

Ds just 2 started preschool last week. He has the ADOS assessment early 2013.

He is non verbal and struggles to communicate his needs although in the last few weeks he has begun to bring things for " help" which the play therapist and More Than Words book recommended on here have helped me with. :)

On his second day the local SENCO introduced herself and observed him. Today I signed a form to say they could share information and was informed the area SENCO will visit to observe and make recommendations .

The preschool seem so friendly and helpful but is it normal that they would be so quick with all this ? Up until now the whole ASD thing has been full of massive waiting times.

Part of me worried its because they can't cope with him and they are going to say he can't go anymore , can they do that ? I hope they are just very positive and want to assess his needs and help to meet then ASAP . His key worker said they had an autistic girl before and is very nice.

Ds can't wait to get in to the place so I think it is positive as he gets to play and socialise but also is in the system and getting noticed .

However I pick him up early as 2/3 times he was asleep upon pickup , he doesn't nap until later usually but I think it's because he is on the go the whole time. I feel bad when he is asleep but I don't want to stop him going as he seems to love it and I have no problem collecting early .

Any thoughts on SENCOs ? What will they recommend etc , what is the likelihood of him getting any extra support in preschool. Sorry it's a ramble, thank you for reading.

Yes, perfectly normal for the setting SENCo to seek advice and upport from the Area SENCo early on - indeed, often before the child starts .
Can't really say what they will recommend, without knowing your ds, and what the setting already have in place / don't have in place.
Re extra support - I'm afraid cutbacks have hit hard. There is a mechanism in our authority, but there are a LOT more children / settings who could do with additional suppor, than there is funding to provide.
Area SENCo will also provide the setting SENCo with advice on how to move through the Code of Practice and who (if anyone) it might be a good idea to refer to.

Support should have nothing to do with cuts and be purely based on need.

It sounds like you have found somewhere supportive and sensible OP. Hope the next steps are appropriate and as helpful.

Thanks both, I can only hope they will have the funding in place to offer extra support then. I feel he needs extra support , he rarely seeks assistance and doesn't respond to verbal instruction so he just plays alone there. I'm happy for that to happen while he is settling in and before his assesment but long term I doubt whether he will gain much more from it than a playgroup without extra support.

I'm sure it will be a positive thing and that they are in the process of trying to secure funding for him most likely to have the extra support

Hi sadie your SENCO sounds on the ball, she will I am sure make sure your Ds gets the support he needs.

In the preschool where I work we have high staff ratios which I am sure yours must too if they take 2 yr olds.

We are able to provide some one to one to our children with additional needs but it is usually on a need basis.

We have a key worker for each child who will try to spend some one to one time with each child in their group but if they have children with special needs in their group part of their role would be to ensure that that child was included in all aspects of the sessions.

It would be fantastic if we could access one to one support for our children with special needs but in my area in early years that just isnt happening.

By careful use of staff resources and good staff ratios though many children are well supported in early years settings.

Ask for a home link book to be set up so that you can communicate easily with the setting and they with you.

Good luck

Yes Starlight - nobody's going to disagree with that in an ideal world, but actually, the LAs don't have to fund children U5 as it is not compulsory for them to be in an education setting.

Where I am, we are luckier than some authorities in that there is support out there for children in U5 settings. It's just a fact that there are actually more children who could do with support than there is funding available. There's no point in giving people the impression that just because a child has additional needs there will automatically be an additional staff member rustled up from somewhere.

'nobody's going to disagree with that in an ideal world'

We don't live in an ideal world, for sure. But we do have laws. And the law says that children, from the age of 2 years old, must have their needs met.

If a setting doesn't have a resources they SHOULD complain and yell at the LA NOT tell the parent they have unrealistic expectations.

And what justa said.

I agree with just, it is possible to access support for preschoolers and someone on here told me not that long ago that in their area once a child is on EYA+ on the Code of Practice then funding would kick in for additional support.

Sadly though it is a postcode lottery[isnt it always], in my borough it is not possible but you can begin the statementing process which could in theory be completed before the LO leaves, especially of the preschool offers places from 2- reception age as we do.

Currently the family support worker linked to some of the families I work with is looking into some additional funding in the form of a buddy for the children who would benenfit from it. I dont know much yet but will let you know when I find out more.

Sorry about the typos

You can apply for a statement before the child begins preschool, or the setting can as soon as they know the child is coming to them.