bizzey ...really needs some practical help /advice in how to push this ...getting dizzy from the circles I am going in !

[bizzey]

Some of you may have come across me before..and I dont want to bore you with all ds's "issues " unless you think they are relevant but...

DS3 is 8 ..July born yr4 ....

On SA+ with Lit supp 45 mins a week and lots of extra work to do at home

Comm pead requsted Ed Psyc last Sept....(to school)...now requesting Urgent Ed Psyc visit (in her letter last week ) and full help/backing of a SA

School up till now have been slow/hesitant with Ed p stuff,but she wants it sorted before he starts yr5 (Sept)

Who has got the upper hand or final say ?
Her or school ?

I know I can start my own SA ...but school are saying if he relys too much on 1-1 for understanding/focusing/attention stuff he will never learn to do it himself ...I am talking passive driffting off /cant remember instructions /quiet stuff as oppossed to loud fidigtythings .

Also ..if Ed pysc sees/observes him with help can I insist that he also observes him in a lesson with out help to get a full picture ??

Comm pead showed me the report from school ..and I was a bit shocked ...It was worse than what I thought it would be...yet parent evenings ..they say he is doing really well (which I know he is not !)..because he put his hand up to answer a question ...even though the CT told me the answer had nothing to do with the question

I am starting to feel very worried that I am not helping ds how I should be .His reading age is 3 years behind ...hand writing ...well an odd word is Phonetically correct enough to understand .

Need some support and up the bum kicking to get me back on the FIGHT again!

Will give more info if it would help

Thanks !!

(btw ...He is under Comm Pead ,pead ,SALT,physio.OT(waiting for app)}

I would apply for SA yourself. School are stalling the process for some reason, probably because they will have to pay toward a TA. That is not your problem though, go on the IPSEA website.

Good luck

Bizzey,

Apply for the statement yourself and now using IPSEA's website letter template and ignore any naysayers. IPSEA's website is www.ipsea.org.uk.

You will need to write to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA (the council will give you that person's name) and give them six weeks to reply. Mark that date on your calendar.

LEA have the final say on whether a statement is issued or not but you must appeal in the event you are turned down by the LEA.

Also if you are having to do a lot of extra work at home, that shows that his needs there are not being met either. School are actively stalling and your child is being failed in the meantime because his needs there are nowhere close to being met. No wonder the Comm paed is writing such stuff to the school but unfortunately that person does not have a lot of clout when it comes to educational issues so school do not have to take a great deal of notice. You actually have more power than that person does.

I'd also be looking at other schools now as well because even with a statement in place (and he won't have this now for the start of year 5) they may not want to fully help him. As it is statements can take a minimum of six months to set up (SEND the tribunal people do not work in August) so you're looking at the earliest October/November of this year for a statement to start.

Re the school's supposed argument of "1 to 1 support creates dependency" may I refer you to the piece of wisdom uttered by Starlight:-
"Only if the class teacher ignores the child and the 1:1 is shite.

You are your child's best - and only - advocate.

Another vote here - apply yourself for SA now. An Ed Psych should be part of the assessment that is undertaken so you will get seen hopefully sooner rather than later. Be prepared to get a standard "no" response to the SA request however as it does seem to be more likely than not and then you need to appeal. Often they will then back down without a hearing being needed.

'but school are saying if he relys too much on 1-1 for understanding/focusing/attention stuff he will never learn to do it himself ...'

Lots of problems with this sentence. He CAN'T learn to do it for himself otherwise he would have done by now. He needs a qualified and experience TA with the skills to TEACH him in his areas of difficulty AND THEN and only then TEACH him how to do these things independently.

Also, Being ignored in the classroom and expected to pick up skills from osmosis is worse than being reliant on a TA to participate in the lesson, even if he'll never learn the skills.

I'm sorry I don't have anything to add.

But would agree with everyone else,

And love "expected to pick up by osmosis"
Awesome!

Oh thank you all for replying ...Read them all ..bit choked up now ...But I will fight for my quiet little boy !!!