Insulted by what school have offered my ASD daughter

[shellye]

My DD was 9 last week and is an Independent School. She was diagnosed with Aspergers in July last year. In the first week of October we had a multi team meeting with the Senco, The Head and all the health professionals. It was agreed that DD does not need a Statement, she requires no academic support but would definitely benefit from a social skills group. The ed psych and the SALT recommended this.
We heard nothing from school till last week. We were asked to fund two half hour sessions a week on a one to one with the Lunchtime Supervisor who has expressed an interest in doing something other than her playground job.
I am still insulted and speechless. No formal training other than some one off guidance from the Senco. And now she is deemed fit to work on a one to one with my DD.
Surely this should firstly be carried out in a group setting otherwise it seems pointless and secondly with someone a bit more professional than a diner lady.And we are being asked to fund. Surely this should be under the remit of reasonable adjustment on the schools part? There are no statemented children in the school so surely the senco could run a group even once a week would be a start. I would love some advice on what to do next.

Bump

Hi Shellye not really sure what an indie HAS to offer, I think maybe you have to pay for it without a statement?

It is rubbish but you will find that independent schools are often pretty poor with sen. They don't have to provide anything and will probably avoid doing anything.

It is likely that the senco is also a class teacher and isn't just a senco therefore can only manage paperwork not individual sessions. It is the norm for indie schools to charge out. I agree that social sessions are not much use unless there are other children. If your daughter does drama that is probably as useful to her. Having a women who is untrained is not good. The trouble is times are tough and private schools are strapped for cash. The equality act is here but I think they are waiting for a parent to take them to court before they will spend the money. You could try looking at another school.

If your dd likes this dinner lady, and they will let you arrange her training, then this could be ideal; biggest problem with school-based support isn't using unqualified staff; its that they think a quick chat with the senco constitutes training. Something like this is what you're after.

One of the lunch room ladies at DS's school has an older daughter with ASD, and she's the only person in the whole school who really knows what they're doing with autism related problems.

Thanks for the replies. The Senco is not a form teacher so does seem to have the time to spend but just unwilling to do so. My DD does not even know this lunchtime supervisor, and neither do I. She has a Nursing background as do I but nothing further to dr aw experience from. The course you mention looks very interesting MareeyaDolores. May do that myself. Then maybe I can go into school and set up a skills group myself. I just feel that they don't take any of this seriously and agree a couple of sessions and they will deem her cured. So long as she is doing well in class they seem to care less that she is clueless in social situations, cannot read or understands facial expressions and has no friends. But then these things don't appear on a league table.

There was a thread about this the other day. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_educational_needs/1653494-Is-your-independent-school-still-charging-for-learning-support

Hth

Do your local NHS speech and language therapists offer social/communications skills therapy? In our area the social-skills group sessions are funded jointly between NHS and LEA so I know one parent whose child was in a private school had to make a fuss to get a place, but she did get it. We are offered occasional sets of ten weekly two-hour sessions for half a dozen kids. Does the NHS provide anything like that in your area?