SEN DS - would like advice and opinions

[2021hastobebetter]

DS had some issues as a toddler. Would just run off, lots of screaming etc. No speech apart from a couple of sounds and a couple of words (which only I could understand) by the age of 2-3. Referred for SALT. A block of 30 minutes x 6 weeks did nothing and then had to wait a year for another load. Paid for a private report - complex SAL needs. Also referred to audiology - significant hearing problems.
No grommets needed but 80% reduction in one ear for hearing etc

By the time reception came hearing was back almost to normal at 80% and audiology discharged him, but S & L was a significant problem. Referred to a special school and given a placement for a year (maximum allowed) but lockdown happened as he made such progress during lockdown that he went scored 36/40 on year 1 phonics test. Now in year 2. Doing year 4 maths, reading is stage 8 on ORT and pretty fluent.

But English, general work and hand writing is a total nightmare. Major problems processing instructions even with a house with 3 teachers in - at lockdown (at the more really hard) 15 hours on English this week to write 4 sentences. I’m at teaching online parents are retired and elderly.

Have applied for an EHCP a year ago - assessment was Monday just gone.. Waiting to see what the assessment shows but initial indications are dyslexia(?) possibility, verbal and audiology delay caused by initial hearing loss. Concern from EP is audio processing. Even if you are sitting next to him 1-2-1 and ask him to write cat - you might have to say it 10 times - he looks at you blankly and so on. He can read a word and knows for the most part what it means. But say ‘the polar bear is white’ 4/5 times and ask him to draw or explain and he looks blank. Show him a picture of a polar bear he knows what it is but can’t find the word. Yet he can read it. Home learning is a beyond stress he will not sit still. Sentences contain a few words and after much 1-2-1 intervention he can write The cat on is the mat. Ie words not correct but this is after many tears.
School (just returned to mainstream on last day of term in December) sending home 6 pieces of work each day - one piece might be imagine you are princess going on a journey. Draw a map of all the things you encounter. Next write 5 sentences in joined up handwriting. Example - I am going through the deep dark green forest, the sky is dark and gloomy and the day is cold. Continue this with 5 more sentences and make sure each has a noun, verb abs several adjectives.

He cries. The teacher he is producing a worksheet for him with a detailed map example drawn and sentences all written in beautiful joined up writing as an example of what he wants.

Have had a phone call with the headteacher. As my son can not do the work even with each worksheet broken down and in detail.

Have the option to send him in next week and a teacher and ta will support him and they have said he needs the support and really he is breaking down and in pieces over the English.
Spelling he learns by rote and is fine. But it took an hour for him to write
I cross the bridge. Over the water.

And we helped with all the spelling of water and bridge.

I’ve told the teacher we can not continue. the discharge letter from the speech centre says his speech is better but the disorder is complex and persisting with elements that might be permanent.

Has anyone come across this? He often writes 12 as 21 even though he means 12. S backwards etc 32/40 on the dyslexic marker test.

What can I do to support him ?( his father has some contact and some holiday time) but will not support With home learning as he ‘needs to play’ - dad is a teacher as well.

Where to we go? I’m teaching online 6 hours a day. But try to do some in morning and afternoon. His school want him in from next week

I’m now thinking does he repeat year 2? He has none of the English basics eg the cat sat on a the mat. Have explained nouns everyday but he still doesn’t get it. And we have taught it in 10 different ways - eg draw me a cat on a mat - what can you touch, can you bring it to me, can you say a cat or the cat etc

In his not his effort as such but his attention span is very very short. Leave him alone to do a short task and come back 5 minutes later - not done, if you left him 5 hours he would still be sat there looking at it (?)

He is 7.

What week are you on with the EHCP. If you applied a year ago the LA aren't sticking to the timescales. Here is a link to them. IPSEA have a model letter for if you need to chase the LA.

The needs assessment has been more than just an EP assessment, hasn't it? The LA should gather information from the following:

"a) the child's parents or the young person;
b) educational advice (usually from the head teacher or principal);
c) medical advice and information from a health care professional;
d) psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist;
e) advice and information in relation to social care;
f) advice and information from any other person the local authority thinks appropriate;
g) where the child or young person is in or beyond year 9, advice and information in relation to provision to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living; and
h) advice and information from any person the child's parent or young person reasonably requests that the local authority seek advice from."
SEN regs 6(1)

Note H, for DS that should include SALT and OT at least.

Don't repeat year 2. Decelerating and accelerating pupils rarely works. Research suggests pupils who have been decelerated don't catch up and make less progress than they otherwise would. The same issues often reoccur, the gap widens and pupils still need significant support. Focus on getting appropriate SEN provision in a detailed, specific and quantified EHCP, and consider what placement is best. How was DS' progress in SS?

Does the content of DS' work improve when someone scribes for him or when given written instructions?

The EP did a 2 hour zoom assessment on him. Reports and school have all been submitted. He has moved schools but report from speech centre excellent but said persistent complex speech disorder but can cope with mainstream. Mainstream school report was dire below in everything : poor behaviour, can’t follow instructions. EP wanted samples of writing, colouring, spelling etc and the assessment was a number of activities one by one

His speech is understandable for the most part. As I say 0/40 on year 1 phonics at start of placement but he was there for 3 months and then lockdown so I did an hour with him 1-2-1 7 days a week for 6 months and then he went back and scored 34/40 in year 1 phonics etc so it clearly worked the phonics they gave me - I did 3x20 mins a day as I say 7 days a week. Could only spell 3 letter words this time last year when sounded out with him eg big now learning mainstream spelling by rote eg can spell award, wardrobe, award, warm, warning, swarm were spellings this week I think 🤔 but scores 10/10 on them now if he practices

Im using word hornet with my severely dyslexic child who has auditory processing issues. We have binned all the work sheets from school for writing and just using this book for now.

Imo learning things by wrote is pointless if he cant process them, he needs to build his processing skills. If he can read well for his age could it be dysgraphia instead of dyslexia?

I have a younger 7 year old in yr3 there is no way he could write this sentence and he is only suspected of having mild dyslexia.
Example - I am going through the deep dark green forest, the sky is dark and gloomy and the day is cold. Continue this with 5 more sentences and make sure each has a noun, verb abs several adjectives.

Your sons work needs to be differentiated to his ability. So he isn't at the point of writing sentences, teacher should perhaps give him worksheets to write single words

Can he answer comprehension questions on the level of books that he is reading? I agree, his written work needs to be differentiated for him. There is no point battling for hours over something he’s unable to do, his work needs to be set at the level he’s at now.

My ds is just 7, also in year 2 and is reading level 5. He is writing single sentences with support. Anything longer, or when he’s already done enough writing and I know he’s fed up, I scribe for him and at school his 1:1 TA does too. This is to keep him motivated and to spend the time thinking about the content rather than the effort of the writing. He also started using Clicker at school just before lockdown. During lockdown we have been working through the CGP year 1 daily handwriting practice book and their English 10m weekly workout (done daily) as well as a short piece of work set by the teacher (e.g. write an acrostic poem). We do phonics games every day and he reads daily as well as us reading to him.

We also had an EP assessment via Zoom at the end of last year. It’s not ideal and hopefully, once things settle down, we can get a face to face one. Even so, the recommendations in the report will be useful for the school.

Comprehension is hit and miss. With support sometimes yes. Without no. We are doing the year 2 cgp book. It’s too hard without 1-2-1 breakdown and support. He will do any avoidance technique on the planet not to do the work though.

Eg he can read and do the basic questions but not the more challenging pieces eg there was a poem about a plum - he answered the question on his own - what is the secret inside the plum? Ie a stone that grows into a tree but couldn’t or didn’t know what the word juicy meant.

How long after the zoom assessment did you get an outcome / feedback @openupmyeagereyes

If the EHCNA hasn't included SALT and OT assessments you should ask for them.

I don’t think I would push him up the reading levels if the comprehension is not there. What do the school say? Your choice though, obviously.

My ds needs the question reading and explaining to him. He’s autistic and he struggles with focus constantly because he’d rather be doing something else. He is bright I think but he obviously has some barriers to learning, or (probably more key) learning things that are not important to him at least. He can pick up things he’s interested in very quickly - such as a new game. The EP report said he was 12-18 months behind, he usually gets there but a bit later. His writing is behind because he has never been interested in drawing, colouring, stickers or anything crafty and his fine motor skills were poor as a result.

We had our assessment on the 8th December. The report was supposed to be with us before Christmas but came mid-January.

Ok so maybe 4/6 weeks before the report so Easter. The EHCP assessment took the school and salt reports into his assessment and has copies the school report was July 2020 and salt discharge was December 2020

Biff chip kipper ort level 8 comprehension is there when reading a book - he loves reading.

Whether an EP assessment is for an EHCNA or not makes a difference. If the LA are to stick to the time limits for EHCPs a draft EHCP must be sent to you by week 14 - it sounds like you are well beyond that. By Easter you should be further on that just having the EP report.

Was the SALT report specifically written for the EHCNA? It doesn't sound like it was, you need an assessment that is. He may have been discharged from NHS SALT but SALT should be in the EHCP. If the NHS can't provide that the LA must commission independent providers.

I’ve just aware that I’m about £1000 in already with private speech reports. Endless resources. CGP books and others x30 during last lockdown was over a £100 reading sets and all sorts. Even last week someone suggested Mrs wordsmith so brought that and he can’t access it I just feel so conflicted as trying to help him

The LA are responsible for a SALT report. You don't have to pay for it. The same for an OT report.

It is much easier to get the EHCP right from the start than trying to tighten a woolly, vague one missing lots of provision at a later date.

The salt report comes from the specialised local authority placement - special school for speech and language problems - this was a funded local authority placement which had now ended but to get him the placement I paid for over £300 of a private report as his school were refusing to say there was a problem (speech disorder was so bad he wouldn’t even speak) so I did a private report. Then head of the salt department was in touch when she got the report and did an assessment (the MP was involved in this as he was getting no help and speech and language intervention promised in writing hadn’t been done) start of year 1 she came to the school and organised an assessment he scored 4% and was immediately given a placement at a special school for speech and language. He scored 0% on the year 1 phonics practice at the start of year 1 - 3 months into placement. And then the special school shut until September and was discharged in December as the funding is only 12 months and maximum length of placement .

I understand you have a recent report from the S&L placement. However, it wasn't specifically written for the EHCNA and it is likely you need one that is.

Don't get hung up on DS being discharged. The S&L placement was only funded for 12 months without an EHCP. But, with an EHCP SALT provision can be provided regardless of whether a pupil is in mainstream, additionally resourced provision or special school. If the LA can't or won't provide it the LA must commission independent providers. Also, unless a placement is wholly independent (highly unlikely if the LA willingly funded without an EHCP) you can name your choice of placement in an EHCP and there are limited reasons why the LA can refuse to name it.

It was written in to the speech and language report discharge papers that the report could be used as a report of where he is now with speech and language. Although I know they also wrote a report supporting the EHCP as the EP mentioned it and read it to me. He didn’t seem to think he needed more evidence as he said that after intensive therapy he still had a persistent and complex speech disorder. He is much better but he will say ‘he sighed in the park on his own’ and read it pretty clearly but miss surprising the ‘in’ and say ‘I’ the ‘par’ for example and it is not just one thing he misses start, middle and end of words particularly when he reads fast he will guess at all the words. Reads saw as was abs vice versa and is, in, it mixed up and of and for mixed up but he’s pretty clear and will self correct these - comprehension is not there eg tonight’s book from school ‘the box broke’ clearly read but he didn’t know what broke meant. Etc so a constant catch up with explaining the vocabulary etc

Btw many many thanks for all the comments they are incredibly helpful

Does the report specify and quantify what SALT provision should be included in section F of the EHCP? It is that which is unlikely to be included in a report not specifically written for an EHCNA.