Education options for deaf children

[nomorespaghetti]

Hi, i have a profoundly deaf 2.5 year old, implanted for one year and doing v well (recently slt assessment put her receptive English skills around 3.5 years, so we are thrilled with that).

We are thinking about schools for her. We wanted her to go to a mainstream school with a deaf resource base, but repeatedly getting told now that if she does too well with her speech then she won't be able to go (which makes me a bit as she will always be deaf!)

Our sensory support service are undergoing massive cuts, and I'm aware that deaf children are frequently undersupported at school.

Would be really interested to hear other's experiences with their deaf children. All our options are open at the moment, including home schooling, mainstreaming, or private education (would be really interested to hear from anyone who's dc have been privately educated, as I've heard that private schools are often not great with sen). Thank you!

Bump!

I have a moderately deaf child at primary who uses hearing aids and a radio aid. I think a lot will depend if you have an EHCP or not, as in our area you need an EHCP to go to a hearing impaired resource base. Also it may be difficult to get an EHCP if attainment levels are high as the system seems to be designed for children who are already failing.

I have had a mixed experience over 2 primary schools with support for my daughter. Some of the issues we have faced: teachers not wanting to use radio aid, not wanting/not feeling confident to change hearing aid batteries/reinsert ear moulds and a dismissive attitude to my daughter's hearing loss. I ended up moving her from her first primary school as over a prolonged period they made my daughter feel like a nuisance and she was crying every day.

If you are going for EHCP, I would allow a year for the process. It takes ages and frequently local authorities do not meet the timelines set out in the SEN Code of Practice. My daughter has had a Statement (now EHCP) since Reception to now (Year 5).

I don't have any experience of private schools as that is not an option for us.

I suppose you need to think about what type of school you want eg a school specifically for deaf children, do you want to use BSL etc. My advice would be to visit schools armed with a load of questions!

Does she have a teacher of the Deaf now?

Thanks for sharing your experience @mumtosnchild. Ideally I would like her to go to a school with a deaf resource base, but the TODs have been talking recently like she won't get in. I have reservations about mainstream school as i have chatted to others who have come up against some of the issues that you have encountered. What you say about the ehcp being difficult to get unless the child is failing seems to be what a lot of people encounter and is ridiculous.

She does @TheDrsDocMartens

I agree the ideal placement would be a school with a deaf resource base.

You will probably have to consider mainstream schools OP, if only to discount them as being unsuitable.

I am sure your TOD can give you advice on what to look for, apart from the obvious staff knowledge and experience of deafness and a willingness to use specialist equipment.

Don't go for a school in an old building as the acoustics are terrible. It needs to be a modern building with good lighting (so she can see faces properly)for lipreading, low ceilings, and preferably carpet on the floor to stop sound echoing.

If you really feel she needs the school with the deaf resource base, you can apply for an EHC Needs assessment yourself although you may have to be prepared to fight for it. A lot of LAs turn down first applications, then agree to carry out an assessment when parents appeal. Any criteria that the local authority use like being behind their peers by 2 years is likely to be unlawful.

That’s good. Friends DS has been denied help as he’s doing ok ( nowhere near his ability but they don’t seem bothered) and doesn’t even get ToD now.

Doing OK is not good enough. Every child should be able to reach their potential. When you say they don't seem bothered do you mean the school or the parents?

Thanks for the advice @Ellie56, that's really useful. I'm going to make plans to visit some schools after Sept. I want her to go to a school pre-school from Sept 2019. Currently her name is down for the nursery at the deaf resource base, but the tods seem to be hinting that her speech is coming on so well that she won't need to go. They seem to be nudging me to look at mainstream options. Although as we are not Catholic or Christian our options are a bit limited where we live, there's plenty of good schools around but their catchment areas are small and we are just outside.

I've been pestering the ToD to start the ehcp process, and I'm told it will begin with a ed psych assessment in Sept 2019 (when, in theory, she will be in pre school), but that seems a bit late to me for primary school applications...

I completely agree that doing ok is not good enough. I may be biased, but my dd is really bright, and is coming on amazingly quickly with her language. I feel she is capable of doing really well, but worried that she won't get the support to meet her full potential.

You can trigger the process by making a parental application for an EHCP.

Yes, September 2019 is a bit late as primary school admissions close in the January. Although the process for admission to school is usually handled separately for those with an EHCP.

Our request didn't go in until around December and the Statement (as it was then) was issued in the August before starting school in September. So very last minute!

Be prepared for them to decline the initial request on the basis that they don't have information from school (ie. has she made 'expected' /any progress in her new school. You can appeal.

Thanks all. She goes to a private day nursery 1.5 days a week now, and as i understand it the setting has to make the initial application, which our ToD has spoken to them about. She is making excellent progress, and i can see her having age appropriate understanding and speech by the time she begins primary school, BUT she will need a plan in place to get a radio aid, tod hours, speech therapy etc... The tools that will allow her to succeed instead of fall behind. But the stories I'm hearing are making me doubt that she'll get any of that

Parents can make an application. Your LA will then contact the setting/TOD /Ed Psych to ask for information.
Have you heard of SOS!SEN? Or IPSEA? They are parent advocacy groups who help parents navigate the process. Ultimately, nobody in the employ of the LA (TOD, Ed Psych, school) can prevent you making an application. Would you like to pm me the name of the LA? I can see what guidance they have for the process. Also, worth bearing in mind that SLT is difficult to have qualified and quantified in an EHCP (expensive and health don’t want to pay for it)

Thanks so much @noseoftralee, i will pm you now. That is so helpful, thank you, i really appreciate it.

Start the ECHP process yourself. Then you have right to appeal (Schools can only appeal it once, you can keep appealing.)

If your ToD does not fully support what you want for your child, you are within your rights to request a different ToD.

Spoke to brilliant SLT today (who is from the implant centre), she also struggled to make sense of the ToD advice so far, and advised to apply for EHCP ourselves. She did expect us to be rejected straight off, and to have a fight. Told us to get in touch with NDCS for support.

Does anyone know if a mainstream school can be named on an EHCP, or would a named school be a specialist school?

You can name a mainstream.

But if you want a particular mainstream it would have to be worded so that School was the one that could meet need, otherwise the argument would be that a closer one could meet need.
Because you want one with a unit, I'd look at access to that unit being written into the ehcp.