heirachy of SN

[catkinq]

not here but does anyone find that schools in particular, and NT parents, have a heirchy of SNs and seems to see some as far more deserving than others (with HFA, Asp and I suspect ADHA at the bottom?)

Quite possibly although from my experience autism and behavioural problems makes you pretty much lowest of the low tbh.

see I find other way round as ds does not presnt with behavioural problems and at first glance in a normal chair he does not even look like he has any diffculties

,I get the he can`t have sn and the looks from some parents whose children have sn

when i mention struggling wih something the but well least he does not do this ......why I stopped going to sn groups. but they miss fact in other ways ds struggles a lot more , physically and learning and communication wise

for my lea ASD is low priority. If there is a medical problem eg epilepsy / feeding tube etc they can get support in place offer SN places etc. ASD is treated like eczema - like something a bit irritating but as its not life threatening no big deal and undeserving of resources. Despite the fact provision for ASD kids actually has the potential to improve the disability

RivenI agree

Since we been told Ds wont ever speak we actually get less input as it is something they cant fix and was actually told no point keep throwing money and time at it.Even though he has receptive delay which could b worked on

Yet that disables him more than is physical sides mind not like we get much input with that either big fight for even the most basic of input.

Lot i think is down to where you live , here ASd and anything thats considered challenging behaviour gets the help

To me, as a parent and a teacher, the real hierarchy is the hidden one.
If a child has an informed, relentless advocate who is prepared to keep up the fight for as long as it takes, reads everything that's going and can argue long and fluently, they get more and better provision than those who don't.
Wrong in every way, but I see it happening again and again.
One of the biggest impacts on sn provision over the last couple of decades is forums like this one where we share information, strategies and give each other support and the ability to go back and fight with teeth.

Yes without this forum i would have been totaly lost and thought the professionals know best

ASD/AS is doing well in our local hierarchy, in terms of LEA input but that's not to say life is easy for those parents and children. NT parents certainly do judge children who don't appear to them to be disabled, if their behaviour is challenging.

SLD (including ASD) with challenging behaviour always bottom of the pile in terms of accessing anything in the community. So many barriers.

I totally agree with goblinchild.

If it wasn't for being armed with the knowledge from here, I wouldn't have a clue. Ds def wouldn't be getting dla, have a wheelchair, getting respite, etc. We'd jsut be struggling through and ds wouldn't be getting anywhere.

It seems to take constant fighting and professional back up to get anywhere with the schools. I think if we didn't have the OT and Physio backing us up, the school wouldn't lsiten much to me (I'm only his mum!). I can tell them something, but it doesn't get listened to until I ask the paed, physio or OT to tell them. So I can imagine that children with sn that don't have that support would have a hard time.

Indeed Goblin.
As someone working in this field,I have flagged up the impact of forums like this which mean that all Education Authorities and Health Trusts need to be on their toes like never before.

dd doesn't have any obvious behavioural problems as such - mainly communication ("answering back", food issues, anxiety etc) ds has "meltdown issues" but I find that whilst the school falls over backwards to help children in various other categories children with HFA get little or no help. the ed psyc is great but the school seem to adopt a "they appear intelegent so can help themselves, there are otehr children here who need help far more" approach which seems supported by most of the parents. The school has children with Downs, and hearing problems, partially sighted etc and whilst the ed psyc says "your children have these needs etc" the school then play the "well look at what these other children have to cope with" card.

It is true goblin, that the parents with the time, energy and resources to be the best possible advocate for their sn child (eventually) get what they are fighting for.

I too would have a DS with ASD where family where telling me he was 'fine', no DLA, no special needs wheelchair or carer's allowance, much less knowledge and support, etc. I recently filled in a survery for the department of education (or whatever it is called this week), regarding having a primary school aged child with SN. Tis was the main point I tried to get across in my replies, that it is extremely hard to have your child's needs even recognised, never mind get the LEA offering support for them. I really feel for children and parents who are as eloquent in verbal and written communication, and who don't have access to resources such as internet forums and charites who offer support, or even simply being able to read though volumes and volumes of information as I (and many other parents on discoverin their child has a SN) has done.

I am still not quite there in getting DS the help he needs, but am fighting for it and getting there.

As for parents, hmm.. I find reactions are mixed to children with SN and you can never assume people's views as you will assume wrongly. Some people are surprisingly supportive, others crap and judgemental.

sorry for all those typos, hope you get the jist of it