Your one to one teacher

[Thomcat]

Lottie's just got hers. She isn't special needs trained, no problem but - how long do I give her before I start on at her/them about going on a SALT course, learning makaton etc.

How do I make sure she is aware of what Lottie should be doing and how best to help her, esp with regards to -

• standing /walking - using the standing frame, getting her to crawl more not bum shuffle, helping her with the walker I've asked to be sent it to school etc
• reading - children with DS learn better visually
• her speech and launguage development

How much input do you have with the teacher.
i'm going to arrange a meeting with her anyway but I just wondered how you lot all deal with this.

How much feedabck do you have with your kids one to ones?

Ds1 has only had 1:1 since being at school so no real nursery experience yet. Usually it's the class teacher who tells me about any problems or successes that they've had. If I think there is something the LSA needs to know then I usually speak with the class teacher and she will pass on the information as the LSA isn't there full-time. The only time I really meet up with the LSA now is at IEP meetings but I saw a lot more of her in the first few weeks of school when ds1 was still settling in.

I think that as Lottie needs someone who understands Makaton it would be best to ask about training etc straight away. It may be helpful for the 1:1 to have some written notes about what you think Lottie needs help with. Maybe you could write some brief notes so that she has something to refer to?

LOL - at brief notes, I'm trying to make them brief but so far it's more of a folder!
I don't want to scare her.
I've got the Down's ed check lists so she can see what she can and can't understand/sign/say and have have copied put makaton signs she knows, plus a few other bits & pieces.

Ds2 has a one to one at all three of his preschool sessions. She isn't SN trained either but her oldest son (now 16) is autistic. She is very nice and has a good relationship with Ds2. However I do find it hard to find out that much information about what goes on in the sessions. I see her briefly before and after and we talk about what Ds2 has done. She writes a short report after each session and if I nag enough I get to take the folder of reports home from time to time to see what has been written. The staff and 1:1 are always very obliging and would certainly meet with me separately to answer more questions, but I get the feeling they are always trying to "spare my feelings" a bit - for example they always tell me that Ds2 has done "well" or "really well". I have learned that just "well" is not such a good session . It is hard because I would like to be more involved but I think there is a risk of thinking your way is the only right way and it's good that they find their own relationship with the child.

Oh our portage worker visits the preschool and helps to set targets and discuss progress and I find it easier to get information out of her.

I think you'll find it depends on the individual. Some are very good, but some, hmmm, well the phrase you can lead a horse to water springs to mind

Do you get to chat to her when you pick up Lottie/drop her off? The problem with courses is that they cost money so the :LEA will have to fund it- think its perfectly reasonable to ask for a meeting though (does lottie have a statement?)

Yes this one to one is becasue she has a statement. I see her briefly when i drop Lottie off. Have left her this week as she has only just met and is getting to know L so no point getting in there just yet, will give her some time to find her feet and then arrange a meeting.
Will get the Portage in there and will get a feel of it all through her as well yes.

I have given Amelia's nursery copies of pead report, pyhsio program, SALT program...really anything and everything that I feel would be useful.
Amelia doesn't have a statement (YET) and only has an additional helper for a couple of hours a week. She did not know Sig, but started to learn it as soon as she knew about looking after Amelia.

I have asked for a contact book, and the nursery are all very good about commenting in it. If they have any issues or if I do. It is not always convinient to stand and chat IYSWIM.

That great, thanks Dingle.

TC, make it crystal clear as to what you want and expect from the start Don't want to depress you,but have dealt with many 1:1 assistants who,however nice,just don't have a clue.They need guidance and often the teacher is too busy (lazy?) to give it.
Actually there is a little girl with DS in my dd's class and on the first day,I asked her assistant (who knows what I do) if they signed.

The answer???
'Oh she doesn't need this-understands everything'

(She also insists on walking the child to the gate where the mums congregate to get them at the end of the morning session while everyone else runs on their own,it being about 20 metres from door to gate. )

Hard as a salt to insist on certain things as we are not always there,so unfortunately the parents often have to take this on.

But....on the ball parents who know what their child wants and needs generally get the assistants into shape quickly!

I fully intend to....'support' our 1.2.1 teacher!
Thanks mizmiz.

I mentioned about the possibility of Amelia's LSA coming along to a SALT session with us. Unfortunately, she was off that day, so the main mursery nurse came along instead. She was amazed at how much Amelia actually "talked" and signed and also by the fact of how much she generally interacted in the session.

The LSA is coming along on the next session, that way, they are exactly aware of what her targets are and how we aim to achieve them!

Thanks Dingle - My SALT goes into the school to see Lottie, we don't have hospital sesssions anymore as Lottie knew she was expected to 'perform' so there wouldn't! It works better at school so the SALT, OT and physio will all work with the LSA when they go in.

I would definitely try to set up a home/school book and see if you can get it set out as a form so you get proper answers to certain, usual information as well as "other". I don't know how usual this is in this situation though but I wouldn't be happy if someone was writing a report after every session and I only got to read them now and then. Sofly softly though

Oooh I feel a bit pathetic now, I should be more proactive. They are so NICE at the preschool and I'm sure the problem starts from the first time I took Ds2 and after about half an hour burst into tears seeing all the other kids that much ahead of him . I think they daren't tell me any problems he has in case I do it again . One good thing is that he now tells me quite a few things that he has done himself.

Sorry Saker! I'm thinking of DS who is non-verbal so I have to get ALL info from the school. Even so, it can very easily drift into "doing well" type language and info about food and toilets Which is useful and interesting but there's a lot more!

I really agree that you have to start as you mean to go on. It is a lot harder now for me to change than it would be to agree things at the beginning. Hopefully when Ds2 goes to school I will have learned my lesson a bit.

Thought you might like a perspective from 'the other side' as it were.

I work one to one with a Y3 child and I meet his Mum and chat about his evening and night every morning, fill in a home/school book for the day, send examples of work done that day home (to be returned but so that Mum can see what is going on) and meet Mum at the end of the day to talk about his day too.

I had a complete set of hand over notes when I started working with him but have asked Mum for more info if she has it. She also encourages me to do any training necessary and gives me copies of useful articles or courses she's been on. We also discuss ideas for how to deal with him if he is anxious at home or school, and swap ideas on rewards, which areas to work on more or less intensively, SALT recommendations, up coming changes etc etc.

I would say that you need to make sure from the start that you have given all the info you can so that she is as well informed as possible, and I would start encouraging her to go on the necessary courses asap. Especially the ones that will help her communicate better with Lottie and help Lottie with her learning. I'm not SN trained either, but the child I work with is autistic and my DS has just had a dx of autism so I have some 'practical' experience hence a bit of a head start. But I've had to look at training courses and do lots of reading to keep up with his needs and help him work in school and with others especially as his autism is different to that of my DS.

Hope this has been of some help, and hope that things go really well for you and for Lottie.

Lots of love,

WMxxx

Thanks a lot everyone, very useful and much appreciated.