Please help me out with my LSA dilemma!

[Hassled]

DS3 is 6, Yr1, Statemented with 20 hours a week of 1 to 1. He has Verbal Dyspraxia - and made great progress while there was a lot of SALT input (pre-school and Reception), but (in this LEA, at least), the SALTs have a more hands-off approach once they start Yr1. In theory the SALT comes in once a half-term, sees DS3 and gives his LSA a new set of exercises and games to do with him.

What has actually happened is that the SALTs have seen him once a term (a whole different story and a problem I'm working on) and DS3's speech is slipping again. Sounds that he had sort of grasped - like the difference between S and SH - have become muddled up again. There's no way I can say this without sounding like some sort of intellectual snob (and I'm really not), but part of the reason, aside from the chaos that is Children's Services, is the fact the LSA is very very stupid. She's a kind, lovely woman who is genuinely fond of DS3 and DS3 really likes her. She's been very very kind to me. I like her a lot. But I had to explain what a verb is, she wasn't sure how to spell "consonant" and wasn't completely sure what a syllable is. She doesn't understand how to deliver the SALT exercises, and in the absence of SALTs being around, she really needs to have some initiative. She's just out of her depth.

DS3's Statement Review is coming up and I think it will be agreed as it stands for another year, and the LSA will then move to Yr2 with him. I don't want her to lose her job, I don't want to say "X isn't up to the job", but equally I don't want her as DS3's LSA for another year. Can anyone think of a way out of this? In an ideal world the problem would be resolved if the SALTs were more involved, but realistically that's not going to happen anytime soon. I sense that the teacher and the SENCO feel as I do but I'm scared to open the whole can of worms by discussing it with them.

Shameless bump

God, that's a difficult one. I'd be tempted to have a word with the SENCO - depending on your relationship with her - and tactfully tell her your worries. Start with all the positive things and make it clear that you find it a very difficult thing to discuss. Maybe you could emphasis that it's the fault of the situation rather than the LSA herself.

Tricky isn't it - 1:1s are so vital for our DCs progress and yet they get paid such a pittance. I for one will be supporting them if they go on strike - although I'd probably take DS2 out of school while they were doing it!

Hassled - I sympathise, my ds is going to need a LSA in september. I too was worrying that he might not get the actual support he needs simply because his needs are complex and most LSAs simply wont have the knowledge to help him effectively

I can only offer sympathy Im afraid

Hassled- I really sympathise with you and know that you ar not the only parent whose child's success is intrinsically linked with the LSA ascribed to them. I am not entirely sure how the system works in your school or your LEA, but you do need to talk to the SENCO. Your ds has a huge reliance on the 1:1 support provided and it needs a really skilled practitioner to deliver the SALT effectively. In order to be sklled, they need access to the right sort of training and it sounds as if your lovely kind hearted LSa hasn't been on the right sort of training.
My advice is to definitely to talk to the SENCO soon; find out whose job it is to allocate LSAs to children and then to gently enquire whether or not the LSa has been on recent relevant training. If you tackle it that way then any percieved criticisms are of the system rather than the indivdual. It might also be worth finding out if the LSAs used in school are all level 2 or whether they use higher level LSAs; if so where? Are all LSAs qualified.. some chidlren need academic support, others need social or physical.

Sorry to be long winded.. good luck.

Thank you all for your comments - I'm so relieved you haven't thought I was being a bit precious about it all.
I know I must talk to the SENCO - and thank you robinpud for suggesting I approach it through training needs - I can't believe that hadn't occurred to me! I just need to build up the courage now. It would be so much easier if she wasn't so nice.