I'm tempted to post some hints for this SENCO...

[humblebum]

...here who wants some advice on how to deal with a 'difficult parent' and SALT who doesn't seem to know her place.

I'm sure some of the teachers/SENCOs used to think the same thing before DS was statemented!

Look at www.ipsea,org under blanket policies.

Yes - your LEA was lying to you when it stated that it did not issue Statements for physical disabilities.

Statments are issued to provide additional support for both mental and physical difficulties.

Statments for physical difficulties are not so common as in some cases a reasonable adjustment such as ramps for a wheel chair user can be made, and disbaled toilets installed, solving access problems without the need for a Statement.

But from what you've described your son should be getting a lot more help.

He should be provided with a note-taker / scribe if writing causes him pyhsical diffuculty or the school should consider other methods that he could use such as a laptop or Alphasmart. They should consider giving him 25% more time in exams if his writing is slower than other children without his physical difficulties etc etc.

The best way to test the LA's 'illegal' policy is to gather up all the papers you have from all his doctors etc and write to the LA asking for an assessment that may lead to a Statement. I emphasise write as ringing them will be a waste of time as they will feed you rubbish again and can deny having had a phone call. they must respond to a letter requesting an assessment - that's the law.

Try it. What have you got to lose?

Thank you- this is a great help, WetAugust! Feeling very at having believed was I was told by the LEA.

The school is not as openly hostile as they were under their previous head, but they are very slow about getting things moving, which is why I feel the need for a piece of paper.

I will give them one more chance, then I'll get back to the LEA - and then I'll take it from there....

Thank you so much!

Cory, I'm not currently a SENCo but have been and am now back being a mainstream mainstream teacher but your LA are definitely not operating within the law if they are claiming that statements are unavailable for children with physical needs. I know of at least one child at my school whose only additional needs are physical and she most definitely has a statement. The SEN code of practice (which is a statutory document) should have details that may help you to remind the LA of their legal obligations.

Oh, and in rather belated response to some of the other questions about training, LA directives etc. my additional training was mostly pre becoming a SENCo as I'd taught at TreeHouse (so had fairly specific input in relation to ASD there) and was a psychologist before becoming a teacher. I put myself forward for SALT training and simply spent my time harrassing whichever allied professional I needed to in order to get advice/input/assessments done. For what it's worth, as a SENCo I worked with a fantastic SALT and Ed Psych whom I'd simply call or e-mail and, provided I could get the consent forms signed by parents, would be seen within a couple of weeks.

LAs are always trying to tell teachers what to do/not to do and that extends to SENCos too; some will comply, others will challenge. I think my LA probably wanted to refer me for behaviour support because I regularly refused to tow the party line whether in regard to SN or mainstream - my usual response was to request a demonstration lesson etc. from whichever annoying LA person was trying to prevent me from doing my job and to continue doing what I believed was in the best interests of 'my' children until that demonstration materialised. I was there 6 years and am still waiting!

It's sad that there are parents and children whose experiences with schools have been so negative as I'm sure the majority of teachers want to help every child in their class succeed no matter what needs that child may have. Some of us are better than others at asking for/demanding support and too many won't have been made aware of the SEN CoP etc. because there is often an assumption that the SENCo will know what needs to be done... many teachers who express an interest in SN will end up as the SENCo thus further reducing the number of mainstream teachers who are well-versed about SN, the law and current good practice.

FlyingDuchess, you're right; ignorance helps no-one, least of all the child who needs some input and parent whose head is sore from being banged against a brick wall (metaphorically if not literally). Many MS teachers may not have ever witnessed the wonders that early and appropriate intervention can have so will perhaps not be able to see that the small child being happy spinning things under the table will eventually translate into a bigger child/teenager/adult sitting under the table spinning things and that, as a long-term outcome isn't really much use to anyone.

How that can be resolved (aside from having a strop and forcing all MS teachers to spend at least a day in various specialist settings) I don't know but, and this is another thread entirely, if schools weren't forced to jump through hoops in order to up their position in published league tables then I'm sure we'd all have more time to do what we trained to; teach children in a way appropriate to their needs, additional or otherwise.

I'd be thrilled if someone, anyone, had offered me/one of my pupils an ABA tutor as 1:1 support. The intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation subject is one of my soapbox topics and I cannot understand why people find it so very hard to comprehend that whilst intrinsic motivation is the ideal many many people will need to be helped to that goal and that extrinsic motivation is a way to achieve that.

You need to infiltrate the school council and get the children to come up with the idea that they all want to be motivated extrinsically with stickers, reward charts and the like. Then the school will have to go with the 'child-led' policy they've written and invest in some tokens of one sort or another. Meanwhile your ABA tutor can sneak in unnoticed because everyone else will be drowning under a mountain of 'good work' stickers.

More seriously, is the teacher any more helpful than the SENCo/Head? Sometimes they can be, especially EY teachers who regularly see children make enormous progress so, I think, are sometimes better able to appreciate why intervention/support/whatever is beneficial early on. Do the school have input from an ASD outreach team/do you have contact with them? If so perhaps they could help you and offer some whole-school training at the same time. If the Head/SENCo haven't encountered many clued-up parents of children with ASD they may not realise how helpful extrinsic motivators can be and it may take someone from the outreach team to open their eyes. As for ABA, I've seen it work but I don't know many other teachers in MS who know what it is never mind what it looks like and I've rarely heard it mentioned in staff training even though most school's behaviour policies are based on its principles (if they're worth having).

School shouldn't be about 'coping', it should be about thriving.

PreachyPeachy-You may already be aware, but an OT diagnoses Dyspraxia and you can self-refer or get your GP to refer you. The waiting lists can be long, but your ds will receive a comprehensive assessment.
My ds was dx with severe dyspraxia when he was 7yrs by an OT. Since then,(hes nearly 12), he has received regular blocks of OT and is making steady progress.
The OT has been involved with speaking to his class teacher and discuusing useful ways to support him in class.
The OT has told me of the Dyscovery Centre and its use as a point of reference and info. but she has never suggested we spend lots of money getting him a private dx-just as well, or our ds would still be without support also.

sorry,meant to apologise for hijack of thread, and obviously, the thread has moved on,but just wanted to help.

Thank you too SE13Mummy; this is great stuff. I wish we had you at ds's school.

May I just ask flyingduchess and SE13 mummy about extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Is intrinsic motivation the desire to be a big boy/good boy, etc?
Whereas extrinsic is the desire to get a reward like a sticker?

SE13 and Duchess - really interesting posts. I think alot of the problem with ASD is that there is ignorance but then it is mixed with professional pride and oversensitivity. So, in my case, you end up with situations like this:

'DS is really worried because he thinks people shout'

'But we don't shout at this school'

'I know, but he has real problems with tones of voice and will also think someone being told off means he is in trouble'

'I don't tell him off. We're a SEAL school you know'

Teachers can also think that when we are telling them how best to deal with our child, that we are telling them how to teach e.g. 'he needs simple instructions' 'I give simple instructions to all my children'

Arrggghhhhhhh

Why not say - I know bollocks all about ASD any suggestions?

The Early Bird Plus course is starting to have an effect thanks to the fab TA who is on it with us and extrinsic motiviation seems to be a key component of their teaching.

That is why I think ASD children and young people are better and happier in a Specialist School or College.
I have visited a special school for ASD on a number of occaisions. Children with Aspergers in particular if they get appropriate and effective help and support and extra time at exams can go to university.
There are a number of residential Colleges to help young people with Aspergers become Independent.

Cory if you can't get hold of the SENCo go above his/her head. I would go to the HT and say you have been asking for some time and have had no response.It is not good practice to ignore parents' requests.
I don't think a child can be refused a Statement for a physical disability- it is the effect the disability has on the child's learning that counts.What we were told was that a medical diagnosis doesn't equate to an educational need- in other words, some children with a physical condition can cope without extra help. This would be true of asthmatics for example. If your son's physical difficulties result in difficulties with writing then at least some arrangements should be in place to help him. This might not mean a Statement- it is part of the graduated response. My son, for example, can't do legible handwriting, and has an Alphasmart and a scribe in some lessons and exams.
Having re read your comments on the Head I can see you have a problem, but you shouldn't just put up with it.

imahappycamper what is Alphasmart, and would a non-writing due to severe hypermobility syndrome DC find it of any use? He's currently waiting (an indeterminate length of time, probably another 2 yrs by all accounts from SenCo) for the use of a laptop.

LC that entirely depoends on the child; I ahve one in SN and one in MS.... I plan for ds1 to attend an AS base at 11 (but places may be a challenge...) though don't think the SNU would ahve been a good choice for him up to now

What the chidlren need is for there to be aplces where need is established, thats where it falls down.

And its getting worse..... had a lecture on post 16 ed for ASD the other day and SSD's just aren't funding aplces any more, I now of a child with GDD ? ASD ? chromosomal deletion / blind who can't get funding from SSD (resi college post 16 is mixed ed / ssd funding), what hope would most children have?

Loudlass ds1 had alkphasmart for a day before ds3 stepped on it (arrgrggghhhhhh)

Inwoudl say theres a good cahcne your son would benefit, its like a word processor light with special features- tehy have a website if you google.

PreachyPeachy.

I was going to send you a private message, but I am not yet a subscriber to that service.
The Priory group has several Colleges of Further Education for post 16. Google Farleigh College of Further Education and see what you think of it. My DD went to one of them. It was tough at first, but I think she got a lot out of it.

Priory are really good apaprenlty; was a diiferent one that we had in (am doing MA in asd) but apparently councils are seeing this as a first line of funding recovery, with the explanation and caveat that if parents are seriously ill or in crisis it will be reconsidered

My friend's child was looking for a splace at a very speacialist college but it's s no; I know she'd never do the fake-crisis bit as she is too damned good and honest (and she reads MN so ) but her son is very demanding, at teh highest level really, and she deserves a break and a life too.

Just looked it up- ex staff member at Beechwood College (Cardiff) but works for the Uni now rejiogging the disability support system.

Am waiting for some handouts to post on TTR if you post there?

Meant to say that Priory colleges are specially for young people with Aspergers Syndrome. They are residential and endeavour to enable the young people to live independently. My Aspergers daughter went to one and is now at university.

debs40
It is a real problem. Most teacher training seems to have very little SEN component to it.
I taught for 25 years in the same school and the reality was:we had a child diagnosed as Autistic. We got the specialist team in and all had training. Small school, three years later he moved on. By this time staff had changed. Then along comes another child with Autism. So we got the ASD team in and had training. Three years later he had left, staff had changed etc. It is really a good reason for wanting your child in a school that specialises in ASD because they will be constantly using their expertise and renewing their training.
This used to happen with other conditions as well because although you have had the training once you stop putting it into practise you forget. Not really an economic use of resources is it?

My son also went to a Priory residential college for aspergers students post-16 and he's now at Uni.

Imahappycamper, i agree most teachers receive little SEN training.

However all teachers should be able to implement an IEP and follow recommendations made by experts.

There seems to be a severe lack of wanting to understanding.

Well given my experience with my DS'Junior School I can't disagree with you. It seems that some teachers "get" special needs and want to do all they can, and some don't.
My DS is at a large Comp with a brilliant track record for ASD but even there they have a few hardliners who don't understand.