Changes to this section

[MichaelMumsnet]

Hi all,
Just a heads up, we are making some changes to the special needs sections and are planning to combine this topic with the more active Special Needs topic next week. All current threads will be moved there too so your conversations will not be lost.

We understand some users may find this disruptive but having lots of different topics makes navigation tricky and leads to similar discussions happening in multiple places. Where topics are lightly used and it makes sense to combine them we will, but we wanted to let you know before making any changes.

Michael I welcome changes to the SN boards and SEN board, as I posted on the recent thread on Site Stuff, several boards are extremely quiet. However, can I ask about the rationale behind merging SN education - the third busiest SN board? Whilst leaving SN Teen and Young People, SN undiagnosed genetic conditions and Mumsnetters with SN which all receive substantially less traffic.

Educational matters span across across the age groups.

Hi @10brokengreenbottles - good points, we agree. We'll leave SN Education as its own topic. Thanks for the feedback.

Thank you for replying @MichaelMumsnet.

@MichaelMumsnet I thought SN Education was being kept as a separate board?

Hi @10brokengreenbottles and apologies for the mix up.
We've kept the Special Educational Needs section - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_educational_needs
and amalgamated the Special Needs Education section.

If that's the case is there any chance you would you move the SEN board so it is included under the special needs section? SN education was the third busiest SN aboard, and some posters here who could offer posters good advice don't post on the SEN board.

I agree, I don't post in the education board but do read and ask for advice in special needs education.

I've just visited the special needs section for a browse and thought education had gone. It would never occur to me to look for it in the education section. It needs to be visible alongside an chat etc

Any chance of getting a SN ASD and SN other board? ASD is so prevalent it's understandable most of the threads are about related issues. However it means other conditions are buried. I stopped using the boards for this reason

Caramel I posted this question on the site stuff thread in response to similar posts. Unfortunately, no one answered it.

"Do posters who don't post on the SN section because posts about ASD are more prolific and posts about disabilities other than ASD fall down the page and get lost not read or post on any threads not in active? Do you never, for example, read/post on a thread at the bottom of page 1 of Chat or the top of page 2 of AIBU? Because as I posted the other day all the SN boards are quiet and only 2 have posts on enough threads in the last month to warrant them going on to a second page."

Not posting on the SN boards because ASD posts are more prevalent is a somewhat self fulfilling prophecy.

Many of the threads where the disability is ASD don't require in depth knowledge of ASD, but rather the system - EHCPs, DLA, council housing, jury service. An example of how you don't need knowledge of the disability to help - current thread with over 150 posts where verbal dyspraxia is the disability but I have posted about the legalities of the EHCP process.

Although I do have DC with ASD the DC I post here about the most does not, he has other complex needs.

Out of interest I have just done a rough count of the first page of SN chat there are:
2 long running G&C threads.
23 threads about ASD, some of which mention other disabilities too - learning difficulty, JHS, ADHD, SPD, MH conditions. And some such as ones asking about EHCPs, jury service, council housing don't require ASD specific knowledge but knowledge of the system.
25 threads about other disabilities - a mix of DCD, DLD, CP, SPD, expressive language disorder, not diagnosed (discounting where suspected ASD is mentioned), no diagnosis mentioned.

Same for SN Children - discounting this thread, one double post, and one also posted in SN chat.
26 ASD (including PDA) - some also mention other disabilities.
16 other disabilities - e.g. CP, DCD, SLI, ADHD, verbal dyspraxia.
1 long running auties support thread where not all poster's DC have ASD.

So, not all about ASD, especially on SN chat.

Same for SEN - discounting the survey that shouldn't really be there.
22 about ASD
26 about other disabilities.

Although most could be answered by anyone with a knowledge about the system rather than specific conditions.

SN teens and young people (discounting the thread linking to the site stuff thread):
31 ASD
17 Other

Mumsnetters with SN:
29 ASD
20 other
1 long running neurodiversity thread

So, even on SN teens and young people that is the ASD heaviest board (or at least the heaviest first page) there are still several threads not about ASD.

Also, if you have an ASD board where do the threads, of which there are many, about ASD and another disability belong?

Apologies for the multiple posts.