DD2 told me she was seen in class yesterday.

[lougle]

I picked up DD2 yesterday. Nothing said by the teacher.

This morning, DD2 said 'Mum, I met a lady called Julia yesterday. We played games. She threw a bends to new and I caught it and then I threw it back. Then we went outside, not in the air outside, but outside the classroom, and I had to throw a bean bag on a spot but I couldn't. She's ordering me a cushion to sit on because I'm a fidget bum.'

I surmised it was the OT who saw her. I can't understand why the teacher didn't mention it, or why the SENCO didn't mention she'd be coming in.

I thought OT were coming for sensory assessment rather than motor skills? Are they doing 2 assessments. Is the SENCO in today? Can you call and find out more?

How frustrating.

In the early days of assessment the SENCO would always send me an email when any HCP was coming in to see ds (ASD). I remember very early on spelling out quite clearly that I needed keeping in the loop at all times. School sometimes forget and they quickly get a reminder from me. I would never have been happy for someone to be seeing ds without my knowing beforehand.

Often in meeting I have been told that parents need different information, some are happy to let school get on with things and others (like most on here) like to be included. Sometimes the latter needs clarifying with school as I'm sure you will.

We were never told when people came in to see DS1.

The school know 'which sort of parent'I am.

Handy, the paed hasn't taken dd2 all that seriously, I think.His initial judgement was that he wasn't too worried about her. He had asked for OT to assess for features of dyspraxia, to differentiate between social difficulties per se and social difficulties as a result of physical awkwardness.

however, once the OT tasked to me, she realised there were probably quite a few sensory issues.

OT does motor skills too.

Yes, and there may well be some coordination issues - dd2 is very cautious physically and has lots of falls at school, which she doesn't save herself from very well.

I would expect the OT to do classroom observation with sensory issues in mind, to do fine motor 1:1 to see skills and difference in a quiet environment and to assess gross motor skills and assess also how movement impacts on behaviour and communication.

So 3 different sensory environments whilst collecting traditional fine and gross motor skills.

I would also expect the OT to assess motor, communication, behaviour and sensory issues regardless of what the main problem appears to be. In my limited experience it seems that in most cases there are degrees of difficulty in all areas and they all overlap to a great extent.
I think a thorough and experienced therapist will be able to do an all round assessment - even including areas somewhat out of their immediate remit.

DS's EP, SLT and OT all seem to have assessed the same things, and drawn the same conclusions as each other, albeit that each therapist has their own area that they are working with DS on.

I hope you get some useful feedback from the OT lougle and that she has lots of useful tips and advice to help your DD.

As for school letting you know about her coming in - I have an ongoing communication battle with my DS's school [sigh]. I get all my information from him

File away failure to communicate in case you want to make a complaint to the governor later - complete failure to meet needs is 'OK' but their are policies about communication with parents.

Like mrsbaffled, we have never been told when people are going in to see my DD either. I find it annoying but it's a battle I can't be bothered to have really. I do find it rude though.

I only found out that DS had been observed and had 1-2-1 sessions for 6 months with the specialist teaching service last year when she rang me to ask if I wanted to come in when she met the SENCO to discuss her findings!

I'm kind of with MooMummyMoo on this - it's a bit rude but I feel I have bigger battles to fight than that particular one. Having said that, he's at an infant school which he's leaving this summer; I might be a bit more vexed about their dreadful communication if it were a primary

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but sometimes when I was a SENCo, if an outside professional were in school for another child, and had a few minutes, I'd say "Oh, while you are here, can you just have a quick look at....." and thereby get the child seen earlier than they might otherwise. It's not some vast conspiracy you know.
Yup, ideally, someone might have mentioned it at the end of the day but it might be they were caught up in something they had to prioritise (CP for example). Sometimes I think it's worth thinking 'oh good, the {insert professional} has seen her now, we'll get some specialised advice', and picking your battles for when they are not being seen.

I use MN as my master record, keep

I mean it's ok,dd2 can tell me, but it's on her terms. It happened yesterday, but when I asked her how her day was, she didn't mention it. Dragonflies was on her agenda.

I do wonder why we stop being the primary carers one they get to school age. When I went through it with dd1, when she was preschool age, I was informed and involved in every step.

I don't know the answer to that, we started the process with dts1 when he was 2.5 and like you were involved every step of the way until he started school when I started being left out, so had to quickly put my marker down with everyone.

I personally don't think it is ok to not communicate stuff like this, ds doesn't talk about school at home... ever, so I would never have found out if someone went in to see him.

Lougle I had exactly the same problem!

Ds told me earlier in the week, he saw a lady in school who made him jump on one leg, do star jumps and write the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog and asked him to write his name in shaving foam. Obviously an OT assessment.

He told me he couldn't do many of the exercises as his legs really hurt and it was painful and he told her this and that his legs hurt when he walks up the stairs and that he always falls over and hurts his legs (he does)

She also asked him whether he always swings his leg back and forth when sitting on the chair and he told her, he has to, to make the pain go away.

I wasn't told he would be having an assessment or contacted by the OT, nor that he has even had an OT assessment or any outcomes.

I wouldnt be happy about Dd3 being seen without me knowing but school know that and have never let it it happen.

When school tell me someone is going in I always phone and ask whoever it is what they will be doing and whether they want me to attend. OT's have always siadthey do want me to attend for all assessments and the sensory one was a question and answer session so they couldnt have done it without me.

I dont think a young child should be assessed without a parent present.

I would be emailing or phoning the OT's lougle and telling them to contact you infuture.

I complained about not being told when my child was seen by OT. It was because she was seeing another child and saw her quickly also. You are meant to be told though and they apologised but I think there are many parents who are not told due to these unplanned quick assessments.