Any comment welcome - recognise this at all?

[lagaanisace]

I have a wonderfully engaging son whom people tend to love and we're priveledged he's ours , but his development has been a puzzle. He didn't walk until 26 months, speech began slowly at about 30 months, and while he loves interaction he has constant, ever-changing phases and obsessions. He's 4 this month and he has not the slightest awareness of danger and any reaction from us increases the likelihood of his doing something scary (running onto the road...,etc). He's very impulsive and readily distracted. He attends a wonderful nursery where he gets one on one attention. The Ed Psych puts him at around 2. I have a 10 month old daughter and a son nearly 6 (on the G&T register, interestingly) who are both very accepting of his behaviour - because although he's lovely, he can be very hard work and his behaviour quite impenetrable .

reducedfatkettlechip Have you told the head teacher at the nursery that you'd like your child to stay there a little longer? Professionals here keep telling me that he doesn't have to go to school legally until the term just before he's five, so I'm sure another term or two would be fine. Maybe the head teacher could stamp his/her foot a bit for you.

And, Lingle, in fact everyone, do you think it's worth trying to get some sort of actual diagnosis, or is it enough that he's known amongst the appropriate professionals to be 'different'? I really don't know. What are the merits?

Lagaanisace and Phoenix - you're both sort of right!

Children have to be in full time education (either in school or at home) from the term after they are 5. In effect this means that a summer born child could delay until they are 5, but as Phoenix says, they would then go straight into year 1, missing out Reception altogether.

What Lagaanisace may be referring to is the fact that if you formally accept a Reception place for your child, you can then defer their entry until the summer term (by informing the school). The school cannot refuse to let you, and they cannot withdraw the place (as long as you have formally accepted the place first). If you do not formally accept the place first, they are within their rights, as far as I know, to offer the place to another child as they are not bound to hold a place open which has not been formally accepted.

I've taught several children whose parents made the decision to keep them in nursery for an extra term or so to support their emotional development. We gave a lot of thought to their eventual transition into school, and in fact, in each case, the child came over to Reception at least one afternoon a week for story time etc. in order to ensure positive relationships continued with their classmates.

Yes, thanks, Littlefish, and I think we will do the one afternoon thing, so long as the school can arrange a TA for then.

lagaanisace, he could spend an extra year in nursery but where we are it would mean him missing his reception year totally and starting school in year 1. As his reception class is partially mixed with nursery anyway, I'm not too worried about this - it's the following year which will be the issue. I'd like him to do reception twice, or to do another year of nursery followed by reception, if that makes sense. If he was just 4 weeks younger this wouldn't be an issue. So so frustrating.

same here if ds was 6 weeks later he not be down to start school till 2010.Though if i do get him into sn school he wont start till then as they dont have reception

laumiere, I'd appreciate knowing a little more. Cp was mentioned when my son turned 2, but then 2 months later he started walking. But you say your DS now walks...

lagaanisace - I don't know. His core needs are a family who take pleasure in just being with him and teachers/nursery teachers who are prepared to "tune in" to him and work out his next step.

All the diagnoses and professional stuff should be about enabling those two things.

Legally a child born in, say, August 2005 can enter reception in Sept. 2010. This is what my child is doing.

Search under threads started by lingle if you are interested in fighting this particular battle. Or ask your consultant paed. if they can swing it for you.

Or move to Bradford/Leeds.

I'd always been ambivalent about the need for a diagnosis. It didn't seem particularly relevant to my care of him. But it's the impending school start and the advice the SEN lady gave me about requesting a statement that is making me review the issue. Would a specific diagnosis make getting the help he needs easier in any way?

lager DS1 actually wasn't DXed until he was 19 mo (quite late for CP) but all of his early milestones were very like your DS. DS1 was born 9w prem and was in SCBU for 3 weeks.

We were told initially that DS1 would only walk with either sticks or a frame, but about 2 mo ago he started taking the few steps unaided from one side of the kitchen to the other (he'd been cruising round furniture since he was just over 2). Now he's walking (a bit unsteadily) the half mile round trip for nursery. We've been doing physio thru play with him since he was 19mo. He can't dress himself without help, is still in nappies and is non-verbal (thought they now think that might be ASD as well rather than the CP).

Should point out the the CP DX has never been confirmed by mRI though. We were ambivalent about a label but the DLA money is very useful and covers his nursery and trip fees.