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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

Discussion of inclusion Y & Y

13 replies

hmb · 13/04/2004 13:10

Did anyone else hear the discussion on school inclusion on Y & Y? There was a very poignant phone call from one young boy who's schooling (in mainstream) wasn't satisfactory but he kept being denied a special school place.

It became evry more obvious that the one size fits all policy that inclusion has become simply doesn't meet the needs of all SEN children.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:

dinosaur · 13/04/2004 13:14

I didn't hear the discussion hmb, but I agree with the basic premise. Having said that, I wouldn't at the moment want my DS to go to a "special" school (although it may be different when he gets to the secondary school stage).

Original poster

hmb · 13/04/2004 13:24

I agree that for some SEN children inclusion can be wonderful, both for them, and their classmates and teachers. But for others it doesn't work and the child ends up even more marginalised.

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Jimjams · 13/04/2004 13:55

I heard it and I left a comment. I said that at the moment inclusion was working for my non verbal son. But ONLY because he can cope with large groups of children (to an extent), because he isn't upset by a high noise level and because the school has bent over backwards to give him an individual curriculum. For many autistic children inclusion is never going to work as they can't cope with the environment.

One bee I have in my bonnet at the moment though is becuase ds1's first LSA left a lot of the training budget has been wasted on her. Which means the school cannot afford to send his new LSA on a PECS course. I think I'm going to have to take this up with someone next terms as I'm sure his statement says something about PECS training (may not in which case it was an oversight on our part). I would say having PECS trained people around him was essential for a non verbal child.

Original poster

hmb · 13/04/2004 14:12

I wondered if you had Jimjams. I thought that the teacher of the special school sounded fantastic. I was interested to see that it had grown out of Montisori.

I have a collegue who now works in a special school and they also make a point of all of the learning being 'real life'.

OP posts:

KPB · 13/04/2004 17:44

As posted on here before my dd definitely was failed by the mainstream school that she attended. My dd has language difficulties (is 4.5) that make things that are simple for NT children, hard for her to grasp. Now that dd is attending a mainstream school with an attached unit that specialises in dd's problems I can finally say, hand on heart, that her needs are now being met. The future looks so much brighter for her then it did just under a year ago. It is also so nice for dd to mix with other children with similar problems and has made her feel less isolated/different. She loves being in the mainstream class and is learning from the other children but benefits very much from the specialised staff and teaching that is in practise. Inclusion is great but not if the child suffers, like mine did!

KatieMac · 13/04/2004 20:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

KPB · 13/04/2004 22:05

Katiemac - I couldn't have phrased it better myself. Inclusion is great but not at the cost of the child's happiness. each child has to be looked at as individuals. You can have 2 similar children with similar dx but one may cope much better in mainstream than the other. If a child is happy at school than this usually follows at home. With my dd she was very unhappy at school as she could not cope and therefore reflected this with her behaviour at home. The minute we took her out of that situation (the mainstream nursery that she wasn't coping at) her behaviour improved dramatically.

coppertop · 13/04/2004 22:22

It sounds like yet another case of cost-cutting being disguised as "inclusion". When will they start putting children before budgets???

KPB · 13/04/2004 23:09

Coppertop - exactly. The right education can change a childs future. I truly believe that my dd now has a chance and for that I am truly grateful

Davros · 16/04/2004 08:00

look at this
BTW, what is Y & Y?

Original poster

hmb · 16/04/2004 08:38

That was an interesting article Davros.

Sorry, should have made it clear Y & Y is a program on Radio 4 at 12.00 each weekday. It covers lots of issues, including articles on disability.

It think tha point that the article could have made better is that the child that underfunded inclusion fails most is the child with SEN. I don't think that anyone in their right mind would say that we should return to the old, 'special schools only' route, as that was unsatisfactory for many children. But inclusion is now a cost cutting exercise and children are suffereing as a result. And these will be some children who will never cope with mainstream school who need specialist education in a different school and these places are getting harder to get.

OP posts:

Davros · 16/04/2004 09:41

Thanks, I should have worked it out as I usually switch off when it comes to Y & Y. I could never understand why it went daily! Don't get me started on Home Truths!

Jimjams · 16/04/2004 09:48

Oh I love Home Truths. My dad is like you - he hates it! Wasn't that keen on Y and Y - only listened because Mum rang me up to tell me it was on.

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