Yet another meeting

[Nonibaloni]

Help me please.

This afternoon I have a meeting with ds visiting specialist teacher then the school meeting on Friday. I’m banging my head against a brick wall and if someone suggests we “wait and see” I’ll probably just withdraw him from school there and then.

Details: he has a visual impairment, no Peripheral vision, no depth perception, and can max see 2m on a good day. Needs font size 18 minimum, needs to be able to manipulate things to his visual field. Light/glare makes it worse, stress makes it worse, tiredness makes it worse.

He has just made friends this year because he can’t recognice faces or join in playground games, school made no effort to support friendship/playing.

He is refusing to do maths or writing and tantruming in class. It’s clear to me that he cant do the work because they have to share text books and they are not size 18, simple layout etc.

But the problem is, during testing he can do the work (cause he has his own paper, etc). He kicks off in class cause he won’t say he can’t see , partly because he doesn’t know any different partly cause he’s extrmemly shy.

The visiting teacher can only do so much. School won’t let him type his answers till he can hand write them.

I have a list of a million things but have been advised to just deal with one issue at a time. And not to get upset. Does that work? I can’t help but feel they don’t take us seriously because it’s 1 issue at a time and I remain professional.

What gets through to people? I have suggested(lightheartedly) that he wears a jumper saying “I can’t see” to help people remember.

It doesn't sound as if they are making any reasonable adjustments at all.
Has he got an IEP with targets on - that way you can see exactly what support they are giving him to achieve each objective and monitor against that too.

Wow, that sounds terrible. Who advised you to tackle one issue at a time? I'd produce your whole list to get a rocket up their ar*es.
Have you applied for an EHCP?

Thanks. Thats what I’ve been wondering about reasonable adjustments - there aren’t any.

We’re in Scotland so it’s not a EHCP, but I don’t know what it is!

The single issue at a time was apparently to make us sound more reasonable. Like don’t sweat the small stuff. But he’s in p3 and the small stuff is looking bigger and bigger.

So if I list everything that’s a problem (and school does) and suggest weekly updates by email does that sound reasonable?

I've just googled, it looks like Scotland has something called a CSP, a Co ordinated Support Plan. Have you had a look at that?
www.gov.scot

Does DS have a formal diagnosis?

If so, it should have a section re implications of diagnosis, ie can’t see 12pt font, can’t see beyond 2m etc...

There should be a list of recommendations from the clinician to accommodate the difficulties. If not, ask for this. I would expect to see in this section; own reading writing material, increased font/diagrams, sit at front of class, sunglasses, either a keyboard or Dragon software etc...
These are very simple, easy to achieve adaptations.

I would also expect a social plan from school of how they can be more inclusive.

If you have the recommendations, just ask a very simple question (in email) of the school. “Why are you not following the clinicians recommendations of accommodations?”

If they have any brains this should set their spidey senses tingling.

If they are not following the clinician’s advice, they are in breach of the Disabilities Act. Lack of Finances is not a lawful reason to withhold accomodations.

What gets me through things - i don’t care anymore if school think i’m ‘That kind of parent’ anymore.