Does anyone else have a mystery child?

[Relaxaholic]

My DD (aged 7, year 3) is very articulate, has an incredible imagination and presents as bright. However she struggles with reading, is very far behind with her writing and struggles with maths a lot. She daydreams in class and presents as not really listening.

She was recently assessed as dyslexic but the assessor apparently commented to the SEN lead that she didn’t quite know what to make of her results which are ‘spiky’ high in some places and low in others. The school is incredibly supportive but they have admitted to me that the steps they are taking don’t really seem to be helping her and have suggested we have her assessed for ADD.

I can’t help but wonder what the point of all the assessments will be if the school don’t really have a way to help any further. Of course we will have her assessed anyway.

She is a happy girl who loves to play with her toys at home. She makes up poems and rhymes (which she can’t write down) and loves stories. She will happily sit and play with lego, train sets and her Sylvanians. She hates any type of clubs and doesn’t like drop off parties or anything like that- she can be quite clingy with me.

I don’t really know what steps will be best for her and would love to hear from other mumsnetters with ‘mystery’ children like this, who don’t really fit into a box. What has worked for you to help them fulfil their potential, or at least to navigate a system that seems to be set up for just one type of child?

A spiky profile isn’t uncommon. If the EP isn’t sure how DD should be supported, have they asked a superior for support?

Has an EHCNA been requested? If your LA still has such a service, has the school asked the specialist teaching service for advice?

What support has the school already tried? What has helped and what hasn’t?

@perpetualplatespinning

By ‘EP’ do you mean the SEN lead? She has let me know the teachers are struggling to provide support that makes a difference.

I had to google EHCNA - she is not in any process towards an ECHP. My understanding is that her difficulties are not serious enough to fit that criteria.

I don’t think there is any specialist teaching service available through our local authority- the SEN provision is very poor in this area.

The provider that did the SEN assessment provided the school with a lot of materials to help my DD which I understand are being used in school. But they are reporting that my DD’s progress has slowed, yet she is working hard.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I do not have prior experience with any of this.

EP is ed psych, but having reread your OP you said assessor so they may have not been an EP but a dyslexia assessor. An ed psych assessment would help.

You can request an EHCNA yourself. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. Who has told you DD’s SEN isn’t serious enough for an EHCP? Ignore them.

What support has the school tried? It is difficult to make suggestions without knowing what has been tried but hasn’t work and what has/is working.

@perpetualplatespinning Just reflecting on your questions- her teachers are in a job share and one of them is new. It may well be that the teacher needs support. I hadn’t thought of it that way

Ah, no she hasn’t had an ed psych assessment, it was a dyslexia assessment and therefore fairly specific. I will follow up on this as it sounds important.

It was the SENCO who mentioned that an ECHP is for children who are in a more serious category. It sounds like I should investigate this for myself.

I don’t really have enough detail myself to understand what the school are doing. All this leads me to think I need a follow up meeting and I will prepare some questions for that.

Thank you- helping me to recognise that I need more specific information is of itself very helpful.

An EP assessment will have a wider scope than a dyslexia assessor. If the assessor felt DD’s needs were beyond them, they should have recommended this. It is poor they didn’t.

Sadly, in the current climate, it is unusual for an EP assessment to happen via the school or LA unless there are significant behavioural difficulties or it is part of the EHCNA process.

Request an EHCNA yourself. Unfortunately, some schools incorrectly tell parents their DC don’t need or won’t get an EHCP. You may have to appeal, many do (that isn’t related to whether a child meets the legal threshold because LAs often act unlawfully), but it is possible to get an EHCP for the needs you describe.

Alongside this, request a meeting with the SENCO. They should be working with you. They should be informing you what they are trying and if it is/isn’t working.

If one of the job share teachers needs support, this is something the SENCO should be on to.