LEA's responsibilities?

[rebl]

My ds has a bilateral mod / severe hearing loss and is aided. He's just about to start primary school. He's not statemented. He has never heard well outside, he can't follow a basic command when 3m away from the speaker.

He has been issued with a radio aid (so the speakers voice is sent straight to his radio aids so no problems with distance or background noise) by the teacher of the deaf about 9months ago to be used at circle time. He gets on with it really well and his development and behaviour has really really improved. The radio aid he has been issued with has wires and so can't be worn outside due to safety reasons. So the 1 place that he really would benefit from the radio aid he can't have it on.

I am concerned that given he is going into reception in September where they have outside learning as well as outside PE he's not going to be accessing the ciriculum as well as he could be (if at all) in this area because he can't hear outside and he can't have the radio aid on. I would like him to have a wireless radio aid as this would get round the safety aspect. The lack of being able to hear outside is recognised on his Action for Inclusion Plan stating that an adult must be within arms reach for safety. The school have stated that they can't meet this. I argue that this wouldn't be a requirement if he had a wireless radio aid.

The county have wireless radio aids but they only issue them to secondary school children. They say that they have issued him with the standard issue equipment for his hearing loss and age and it'll have to do. I have been arguing that thats not acceptable considering it means he can't access part of the early years ciriculum. Do the LEA have to provide him with the correct equipment if they have it? Or do I have to raise a stupid sum of money and buy one for him?

Has your son had any contact with an educational audiologist? I'm sure one of them would back you up with what seems like an incredibly sensible request.

I don't know anything about the funding for such things but I do know that round here primary children are given equipment on loan from the 'sensory impairment team' e.g. one of our pupils is completely blind so we have a braille machine, photocopier and various other things supplied directly by the team for the benefit of that pupl. When she moves to secondary it will no longer be in the school.

Given the nature of the EYFS curriculum and the drive for children to use synthetic phonics then it makes sense that your son will need something along the lines of a wireless radio or else he will be seriously disadvantaged. Are there any schools near you that have units for children with hearing impairments? They may be able to tell you who funds the equipment their pupils use.

Hi Rebl

I would apply directly to teh LA for an assessment that may lead to him being given a Statement. Whe you're told that he needs something yet they won't / can't provide it then it is definitely time to try to get a Statement.

By doing so you will get a complete assessment of his needs and detailed support to overcome his difficulties. In the parental advice you can state that he requires this speciliast equipment to enbale him to access the cirriculum and as such it's a 'reasonable adjustment' that they should fund.

Should they refuse to Statement / provide the equipemnt you then have the opportunity to take your case to a Tribunal at which i cannot imagine the panel saying that he should be denied this vital piece of equipement.

Best wishes

SE14Mummy He doesn't have an educational audiologist. He has a community paed with an interest in audiology. Should I speak to her maybe?

WetAugust I have been thinking about this for a while. I've instigated a CAF which is tomorrow and transition to school and school provision is to be discussed. I've not mentioned statements on the CAF form but I have in my mind that if they continue to argue I will ask for one tomorrow.

I spoke with preschool SENCO today who I have to say I don't normally see eye to eye with but over this she's singing from the same hymn sheet. As soon as I mentioned that there are wireless radio aids she said thats exactly what he needs and it gets round all his problems in the outside environment. So maybe tomorrow she'll back me up on this (unlikely to back me up on other issues though). DH is of the opinion that we should start to try and raise the money to buy him one. They're very expensive though (£1.5k) which is a lot of money to raise considering the county LEA do actually have them.

Rebl

If school SENCO will support your request for an assessment for a Statement that's good - BUT, if she won't then you can (and should) make your own direct application to the LEA. You may get told that the LEA don't do Statements or there's no money available or.... - this is all rubbish so just ignore it.

The only question you need SENCO to answer tomorrow is "Will school apply for a statutory assessment or do i have to do it myself?".

I would hold off buying one yourself and focus my energies on getting a Statement.

It's truly prehistoric that in this day and age children like yours are not given the practical equipment they need to access education.

The RNID may also be able to advise.

Definitely speak to the paediatrician if her interest is audiology... she may be able to help. I find e-mail useful when communicating with medics (e-mail address is usually easy to find by ringing hospital switchboard or else googling the individual and finding research papers they've co-authored). Go ahead with asking for SA through school but asking the paed. is unlikely to do any harm.