Getting stressed out with the pre-school....

[pucca]

Ds (3.11yrs) has S+LD, global delay, SPD, conductive hearing loss so wears hearing aids and impacted bowel.

He is back in nappies, after a long battle, because he keeps soiling and now is wetting too. At the moment we are trying to get funding for him starting reception in Sept .

I had a private OT assess him, and yesterday the pre-school manager collared me to ask if i was aware that this OT report will be useless for the education side of things (the HT had also said the same to me), so i rang up the LEA who confirmed they WILL use the report and to send it in with a covering letter

How can this manager and HT NOT know this? this could put people off who are in a similar situation - feeling helpless and wanting to help their child in any way they can.

Another annoyance, is the fact that ds has been in nappies now for a few weeks, and NOT once have they changed him! he has come out a few times with a dirty nappy He is actually there all day today as it is his taster afternoon for reception(usually does mornings) and i have said very clearly that they need to check him i have even told them that they won't smell it, as it doesn't smell like normal poo...we will see.

Sorry rant now over haha

It sucks, but you will find this throughout his school career: headteachers will be totally ignorant of either LEA procedures or legislation relating to disability, the LEA will be ignorant of legislation (and sometimes of their own procedures, depending on who speaks to you): you will be the expert: never let anyone tell you anything can't be done without checking it up.

hi pucca

I think it depends on the private therapist to be honest, the LA like to know and check they are reputable before they accept anything from them, maybe this one is known to them already so is not a problem. I don't think the preschool have quite the right slant on it somehow.

Have you applied for a statutory assessment yet with a view to a statement? Sounds like you need some kind of care plan written so the staff are fully aware of his needs. They can't refuse to take a child in nappies and should have a procedure in place to deal with this. My dd3 is in nappies and this hasn't been an issue with the school at all, one of the few things that hasn't!

Hope his day goes well and that they have changed him during the day, just keep an eye on it and make notes of when these things happen, just in case you need to take it further. Of course a child can soil just as you go to pick them up but really it's not good enough to leave them in a dirty nappy for any time, never mind that the other children will notice.

Cory - You hit the nail on the head! i mentioned it to the pre-school manager this morning and she was like "Oh er right, well i will have to tell the HT too as she wasn't aware of that".

Hey Bigcar! How are you?

Yes we have applied for SA and yes it is in view of a statement too (loooooong way to go yet) This morning i clearly stated to his keyworker that he will need to be checked, i even offered to go myself to do it, she said they would. Yesterday when we got home, it had def been on his bum a long time, it was dried on .

Today is the first time in 6 years (dd is 6) that i have had a day to myself haha, i don't know what to do, feels so strange . I hope he is ok, i am sure he will be.

haha pucca, you will do what we all do and sit there worrying I can recommend tea and cake, works wonders! We're ok, just a few headaches with dd3s school, we have an emergency review next week, oh the fun

Do you feel you're getting somewhere now with ds and the SA? At least it sounds like they are listening and taking you seriously. Hopefully there won't be any more dried poo incidents, have you put anything in writing to them about his toileting needs? I would be tempted to, then they can't say they haven't been told.

7:16 Before deciding whether to make an assessment the LEA must issue a notice under
section 323(1) or 329A(3) of the Education Act 1996. The LEA:

ix. should tell parents that they may also provide any private advice or opinions, which
they have or can obtain, and that this advice will be taken into account.

BC....No feel like i am getting no-where really. I have just organised to go and see the HT in the morning, as i am just getting no support at all really from them, doesn't feel like they are on my side anyway.

I hope it goes ok with your dd3, the joys of meetings eh .

Lougle....Brilliant! thanks for that, where did you find it? i am going to print it off and take it with me to this meeting tomorrow.

ah yes, it's the whole them and us mentality that gets to you most isn't it. We have a lady from parent partnership that has been great and helped a lot, also one of the regional officers for the NDCS has been in contact with us and the school and she's fantastic. And here of course! Good luck for the morning

I think Lougle got it from here it's the sen code of practice, very useful for bashing the school with

BC....Definitely "them" and "us". I need to get in touch with parent partnership, they did contact me but then i had to cancel...be nice to have some support.

Great news that the NDCS is helping, i found them fantastic when i rang them for advice, very helpful and supportive.

I found it, thanks for the link, i am going to print that page off twice, make use of my snazzy highlighter pen and give a copy to HT and a copy to Pre-School Manager

Thanks and good luck with your meeting, hope all goes ok for your dd3's review

Btw this HT is also the schools SENCO i forgot to say that.

How did the meeting go today?

BC...Thanks for asking, meeting went ok kind of.

The HT did say i shouldn't have wasted my money on a private OT, and shouldn't bother wasting my money on a private SALT either.

She said that off the record, i would be happy by next Weds i can only assume she knows something i don't...what that is i don't know, but can gather it is something to do with support for ds in Sept.

I said all i wanted to say, and more and felt quite alright about everything until i picked ds up from the pre-school...

I only noticed when i got him home that he had a lump on his head, i asked him how it happened and he said he fell in school and hit his head on a rock! They also hadn't changed his nappy again and it was dirty again...

He also (this is a boy who in 11 mth has only done 1 painting! they say he doesn't like doing it) said he had done a painting today, i asked them where it was and they didn't know - no picture.

Roll on summer hols!

blimey pucca, that doesn't sound particularly reassuring! You'd think it's not rocket science to change a nappy, are you going to complain? With you on the holidays, end of term can't come quickly enough

Sick of saying tbh, just be glad to get him out of there.