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!

Loudlass:why does your son have to wait for two years for a laptop? As someone else has explained the Aphasmart is a keyboard and it probably would be helpful. DS had to achieve a certain level of speed using a computer keyboard program (part of his SEN arrangements) before he got the use of the Alphasmart but that was so that he would be able to use it efficiently not because there was a waiting list.

Have any of you thought of writing to your councillor(s) and ask them to contact the director of education on your childs behalf.

Exactly imahappycamper, it baffles me how some seemly educated people, not only dont 'get' it, but cant 'get' it even when presented with the facts.

"Have any of you thought of writing to your councillor(s) and ask them to contact the director of education on your childs behalf."

Totally agree Lucinda - for education matters a local councillor is far more effective than an MP. Our LC has intervened numerous times and issues have been resolved promptly - to our satisfaction.

My son has to wait 2 yrs for a laptop because in a school with over 420 pupils, there is only ONE laptop for SEN DC's, and a child in Y5 currently has it, and will need it until the end of Y6. By which point my DS2 will then be going into Y3.

Hence being so interested in the alphasmart. DS2 can use the keyboard on my home laptop when he wants to type in cartoon network or cbeebies or club penguin to get on the websites, so I don't think using a keyboard will be a problem, although he does only use one finger on each hand to type. But then I do to because of the joint pains from the hypermobility syndrome. I'm still a fairly quick typist now, and I'm sure with practice, DS2 will be too.

I've tried my local councillor for help, it hasn't done much good, as my area is such high density housing now that they opened a new primary in September last year, and are planning another school here that will be a 4-16 academy school that will open in September 2015 apparently. Basically my dc's primary is the one that gets all the 'bulge' classes in for our end of town, and has a high percentage of EBD pupils, who get all the SEN money for SA/SA+ thrown at them, and quiet children who don't cause trouble get bugger all.

Loudlass, does your son's school have other laptops or desktop computers for use by the children? Aside from the computer that is probably used to 'drive' the interactive whiteboard in a class the children should have access to computers at some point in the week - if he was in my class I'd regularly 'steal' a laptop from the laptop trolley or else a desktop from somewhere so he had access most of the time. Obviously that wouldn't be quite the same as having a personal one but I'm sure it would be preferable to waiting for 2 years and it wouldn't be that difficult for someone to put on the software that he needs if he uses specific packages.

How bizarre that the school are being so unimaginative when it comes to something like a computer that can make so much difference with little effort .

Good suggestion SE13 Mummy, but if the classes are large and the trolley has only 24 laptops maybe the other teachers complain.
When I taught in a school with this system half the laptops had flat batteries and it was a nightmare making sure they were all usable, even though there was a TA with responsibility for keeping them all in working order.
You are right it does just need a bit of imagination.

If the classes have 30 children then they can share 1 between 2 so would only need 16 laptops in order for son of Loudlass to have use of one too.

At my last school we were lucky enough to have a laptop trolley per year group and my class (under my training) were the laptop police; they were much better than the adults at ensuring everything was plugged in properly and charged up because they realised they were the ones who missed out if the batteries were dead - it was a school where only 2 or 3 in the class had a computer/internet access at home so they were possibly more vigilant than some might be.

Flyingduchess, now that would be nice! I have found experts rely heavily on parents for info about the child and their opinions. Schools seem to forget this. The report they have in their hand, were practically written by the parents.

Wetaugust, how would you feel about these statements:

"All Muslims are terrorists"

"All autistic people have a special talent, like Rainman"

"All people who can't speak are stupid"

"All children with ADHD are violent and will be criminals"

"All people on benefits are lazy".

and then yours fits in well: "I hate all teachers"

Your comments on here about teachers are ignorant and you clearly aren't bothered if you offend people who don't come under your little one-size-fits-all judgement.

Yes, the whole system fucking stinks, and it can sometimes be down to teachers or to schools. But not always or, IME, often. Usually it's the over-arching SEN training and funding system. I can't be arsed expanding on that more as I don't think you will bother to try to think outside your own little world of blaming teachers for everything, but that is reality.

Peachy, duchess and others who have not joined in universal teacher-bashing, thanks. Peachy, your comment was what made me stay and I'm happy that I am some use! You're not crap though and you must never say that.

I don't see why I should go anywhere, tbh. Just cos one person on here dislikes hates me doesn't mean I have to go anywhere. I shall just return the favour - but at least I have a reason, as opposed to just hating someone because of their job .

give me.. Give it a rest. I don't know why uyou are insisting on personalising this. I stated that I hated teachers - you took that as a personal insult and now you are blatently insulting me in your posting above.

Nobody suggested to you that you went anywhere - I don't know why you think they did. I ceratinly didn't.

Lighten up

I'm afraid you made it personal, wetaugust, by making a huge generalisation, using the word 'hate' and then basically refusing to retract that generalisation when it was suggested that you might have offended members of SN who were teachers. So don't tell me what to do, thanks.

And it is personal when my job is very important to me, I give a lot of extra time to it and genuinely promote and care deeply for their welfare. So no, I won't 'lighten up' as, for me, being a teacher is a big part of who I am and I really deeply personally resent what you've said and what it means about you.

But yes, move on. You won't change your feelings on me and vice versa. I just wanted to respond, as is my right.

And 'give it a rest'? My last post was my first response. Was I not allowed to respond? Were you supposed to be allowed to say whatever you liked, without anyone challenging you? Not the rules of this board, as far as I know.

You responded at Tue 02-Mar-10 21:51:39 when you took what I said as a personal attack on you - which it wasn't. You then come back some 5 days later to have another pop.

I will not retract my 'generalisation'. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I have as much respect for the teaching profession as a vegetarian has for a slaughterman.

Do you understand what 'generalisation' means? You have put it in inverted commas, as though you believe that what you said (and are still saying) is not a generalisation.

I repeat:Wetaugust, how would you feel about these statements:

"All Muslims are terrorists"

"All autistic people have a special talent, like Rainman"

"All people who can't speak are stupid"

"All children with ADHD are violent and will be criminals"

"All people on benefits are lazy"

I object to anyone who makes sweeping, ignorant generalisations about anything. And I get particularly pissed off when it's directed at a massive section of society which I belong to, who are mostly people with very good intentions.

I have as much respect for you as the slaughterman has for the animals they kill.

I suggest we agree to disagree and you can carry on hating me and all other teachers, while I will just pity you for your rudeness, ignorance and random, indiscriminate hatred.

Get over it

Take your own advice, sweetheart

I've said, leave it. You have the 'issues', not me.

Guys, please, walk away from this for a bit. You're just hurting each other's feelings. You have both helped alot of people on this board and it is horrible to see that this is just getting you both more and more upset. There will be no resolution to it for now.

Leave it, choose to hide the thread and don't look at it, but please, both just stop.

Goblinchild has a child with sn.
Goblinchild is a teacher.
Goblinchild has known WetAugust for a few years now, and has regarded her as a mate.

Two simple questions

So do you hate me? and if so, why?

If you went down that route, as a parent of and SN child you'd end up hating an awful lot of people. I would have to hate all doctors because of the consultants who have messed up dcs treatment and told them it's all in their heads. I would hate all headteachers because of the one who refused dd access to the disabled loo. I'd hate all children because some of them make thoughtless remarks. I'd hate all parents for the same reason.

At the present count, the only ones that are currently safe from my resentments are that much-hated category, the social workers. Oh, and possibly health visitors. Love them. But hate everybody else.

I know how it feels when you have been let down. Particularly if you are let down again and again by members of the same group. But if you decide nothing good can ever come out of any one group, then you are going to miss out on a lot of good that could potentially come from members of that group.

Good post Cory.

This thread makes me very sad because a lot of us have taken on the whole world in that battle of our lives. It is horrible to see the in-fighting. If we are ever going to win the war for our children and those with less arms if we take on each other too.

I would hate to see Giveme or Wet or Goblin leave or post less as they have been so so valuable to so many people. I don't know how it can be reconciled tbh but I understand why things have been taken personally. I wonder if Wet could just agree to work on it and the others could try to understand at least how someone could come to that conclusion however unfair they feel it is, and perhaps everyone with a strong opinion leave this thread for a bit!?

WetAugust has been fighting the system for a very long time, and has amassed an enormous amount of knowledge. Not just on the law, but on loopholes and ways around and through insurmountable problems. And she's very good at sharing it with anyone who asks.
I'll just assume that life is even trickier than usual, and that her rage is directed against teachers that are actually obstructive, unhelpful or idle. Rather than me and teachers in general that she's not dealt with yet.
If I'm wrong, I'm sure she'll tell me.
I might be...