Needing 1 to 1 SALT does not equal a special need?

[hootloop]

Hi,

I am hoping you knowledgeable people can help me. My DD is 4 and at school nursery. She has been monitered by SALT for just over a year as she has a mild speech delay. They have just decided that she does need 1 to 1 sessions once a week, I am pleased they are trying to help but confused by the school. The teacher has told me that despite needing this 1 to 1 intervention from an external agency that my DD had no SEN and will not be given an IEP.

Obviously if this is standard and Speech and language problems are not an SEN then I will be happy for the help she is getting. However, if it is not and she should be getting help or something from school I would like to know what my next move should be?

Many Thanks

Special educational needs = educational provision that is additional to, or different from, the educational provision that is generally available in local mainstream schools/nursery.

Most children with speech and language impairments would be considered to have SEN.

What do you want an IEP for?

Thanks all, well her problems are causing her to have difficulty making friends which is my number one concern at the moment the children don't want to talk to her as they don't understand her and she gets frustrated and shouts at them to try and make them understand (something SALT are working on)
I can see it causing difficulty with phonics and reading if it doesn't improve although I am sure it will.
starlight I would like an IEP because SALT have suggested she would benefit from daily sessions (which I can do at home but she is not my only child and a quiet place) they have also said she would benefit from friendship groups to help her develop strategies other than shouting at her friends. I feel an IEP would mean the school had it in writing and would hopefully implement the suggestions.

Great Hoop. I asked because some people thing an IEP is some kind of magic but in reality it is a good as the words written in it and the commitment of the school to deliver it.

The best way of securing provision is through a statement of educational needs as this places a legal duty on Local Authorities to ensure that schools deliver what is written, but tbh, even that isn't guaranteed.

The teacher is wrong.

Get the SLT to write to the SENCO (sometimes called inclusion manager) about the interventions she recommends. IEP should appear thereafter. And that way you can keep any necessary anxious-nightmare-ranty-mum powder dry to use if the IEP isn't implemented.

SEN Code of Practice paragraph 1.4 states (All SENCO's should be aware of the code of practice)

Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty
which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Children have a learning difficulty if they:
a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of
children of the same age; or
(b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of
educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same
age in schools within the area of the local education authority
(c) are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a) or (b)
above or would so do if special educational provision was not made for
them.

Special educational provision means:
(a) for children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to,or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area

Hmmm I am not sure that she meets that definition, and I certainly don't want to come across as a pushy mother causing problems that aren't there.
I did think friendship groups sounded so good for her as one of my fears is that by the time she can be understood by the other children she will be on the outside of developed friendship or there will be an attitude amongst the children that minihoot is not nice because she shouts. I know that sounds like it should be the least of my worries but I was bullied at school and I just want my children to be happy and have friends.

I shall speak to her speech therapist about it at our next session, as she has been very helpful so far.