What is SEN? explained in easy terms.

[shaz71]

Hi they have put my daughter on the SEN register but apparantly only for my benefit as i am a worried neurotic mum, she hasn't been diagnosed with nothing but she is really struggling in school, but because she is one of the younger ones they keep saying she will come on. My arguement is, is that she can concentrate i know she is easily distracted but she will try her hardest so it isn't like she isn't bothered, she is immature for her age still at the touchy feely stage and apparantly does go into her own world, she is in yr 2 and due to do SATS in May but to be honest i think she may pull a level 1 if she makes an improvement, she is struggling with everything, but i had a word with her speech therapist that she mishears words, but again no problem her grammer is immature, she said her attention and listening was adequate to immature, but this was in a quiet room and she spoke slowly so that wasn't true, she said her comprension was immature her expressive language immature her social was adequate to immature but i asked if she had assessed her in school to check her language in understanding etc she said there is no need as teacher said she is fine, so i am a bit cheesed off with that. The senco also said that because Melissa is under a speech therapist they will put her on the Sen register but if she is dismissed as she has a review in 6mths then will they stop her on the Sen register, i can't believe they dismiss my worries. She is social so i have that to be thankful for she just misjudges personal space and misreads peoples body language ie she will jump all over someone that she doesn't know well and obviously making people uncomfortable she has to be told i don't know how many times to leave the person alone she will then start all over again, she just doesn't get it. Even her friends she shouts in their faces and in their personal space i watched this girl trying to get away from her politely stepping backwards to gain the space but Melissa just followed her. Maybe i am concerned as her behaviour as deteriorated me and her father have decided to live seprately but the behaviour didn't start then, that was in September, it started in December and funnily enough i changed the room furniture around, she has gone worse since this, she even said the other day whilst looking at some photos with the furniture in how it was and said can we put it back and i asked why as she is always playing behind the sofa and chair now where as she couldn't before, she couldn't explain why she just wanted it back like that, she went to CAHMS about a week ago and they want to see me again in about another week, to discuss Melissa obviously when Melissa is at school. It just worries me as i don't want her either withdrawing into herself or going the other way and start lashing out, at the minuite she isn't disruptive in class but is starting to show some signs, the teacher said she does do some attention seeking behaviour she as also started taking things from school. I don't know what to do, why are the school being so dismissive, the more i am worried the more they stick their foot down and make me out to be neurotic. The senco said she is only on SEN register but it doesn't mean it will help her, just that there may be a problem in the future and to keep a closer eye on her. Is this right i don't know? We have tried alsorts at home with her like games, reading jigsaws, she is improving but very slowly. Sharon x

[shaz71]

Hi they have put my daughter on the SEN register but apparantly only for my benefit as i am a worried neurotic mum, she hasn't been diagnosed with nothing but she is really struggling in school, but because she is one of the younger ones they keep saying she will come on. My arguement is, is that she can concentrate i know she is easily distracted but she will try her hardest so it isn't like she isn't bothered, she is immature for her age still at the touchy feely stage and apparantly does go into her own world, she is in yr 2 and due to do SATS in May but to be honest i think she may pull a level 1 if she makes an improvement, she is struggling with everything, but i had a word with her speech therapist that she mishears words, but again no problem her grammer is immature, she said her attention and listening was adequate to immature, but this was in a quiet room and she spoke slowly so that wasn't true, she said her comprension was immature her expressive language immature her social was adequate to immature but i asked if she had assessed her in school to check her language in understanding etc she said there is no need as teacher said she is fine, so i am a bit cheesed off with that. The senco also said that because Melissa is under a speech therapist they will put her on the Sen register but if she is dismissed as she has a review in 6mths then will they stop her on the Sen register, i can't believe they dismiss my worries. She is social so i have that to be thankful for she just misjudges personal space and misreads peoples body language ie she will jump all over someone that she doesn't know well and obviously making people uncomfortable she has to be told i don't know how many times to leave the person alone she will then start all over again, she just doesn't get it. Even her friends she shouts in their faces and in their personal space i watched this girl trying to get away from her politely stepping backwards to gain the space but Melissa just followed her. Maybe i am concerned as her behaviour as deteriorated me and her father have decided to live seprately but the behaviour didn't start then, that was in September, it started in December and funnily enough i changed the room furniture around, she has gone worse since this, she even said the other day whilst looking at some photos with the furniture in how it was and said can we put it back and i asked why as she is always playing behind the sofa and chair now where as she couldn't before, she couldn't explain why she just wanted it back like that, she went to CAHMS about a week ago and they want to see me again in about another week, to discuss Melissa obviously when Melissa is at school. It just worries me as i don't want her either withdrawing into herself or going the other way and start lashing out, at the minuite she isn't disruptive in class but is starting to show some signs, the teacher said she does do some attention seeking behaviour she as also started taking things from school. I don't know what to do, why are the school being so dismissive, the more i am worried the more they stick their foot down and make me out to be neurotic. The senco said she is only on SEN register but it doesn't mean it will help her, just that there may be a problem in the future and to keep a closer eye on her. Is this right i don't know? We have tried alsorts at home with her like games, reading jigsaws, she is improving but very slowly. Sharon x

 

 

Sorry meant to put that the sencos argument is that she is one of the younger ones and could really be in year one which yes i do get her point but then i know a lot of children in year one are also ahead of her but i have heard that they don't normally help children until they are at least 2 yrs behind which she will have to wait until she is in yr4 as she is one of the younger ones by then she will have turned 8yrs old, and by then they won't have to do anything in their eyes as she will have caught up. The teacher did say she was lazy when she first met her, but i think by now that thought would have changed. Sorry for rambling. Sharon x

[Karen A]

Hi.Although some schools suggest that children need to be two years behind their peers to qualify for support there is nothing in legislation that states that is the case.If Melissa has been placed on the SEN register then school should meet with you to develop an IEP [individual education plan].I will find a link with some information that may be helpful.Karen.

[Karen A]

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1763

The sections on the page in the link above ''Education advocacy tips for parents'' and ''Education:individual education plan'' may both be useful.

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice/booklets/G...gExtraHelp.html

The information in this link explains what SEN is better than I can. Karen.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Karen A

[Karen A]

Hi again.I have spotted your post on another thread and thought it worth mentioning.It is possible for a child to be social but have social communication difficulties.I do not know enough to have any idea whether Melissa could have AS.I guess that the fact that you have found the Forum suggests you are wondering about it though.

Children who have AS may be social but may be social in a way that is unusual when compared with their peers.People [even professionals such as teachers ] who do not have specialist knowledge or experience of ASD may not recognise signs of AS if they expect that children with ASD will play alone and not attempt to be social.

Ben is 10 and has AS.He certainly wants to have friends .However he tends to interupt conversations.He does not understand personal space very well and tends to get too close.Ben's grammar and vocabulary is advanced for his age [age over 21 when assessed last month]So children with AS can also have advanced grammer but have difficulties with Social Communication.Ben was seen by a speech therapist weekly for 18 months between the age of three and a half and five becuase he had dysfluency [stammering] .The speech therapist did not have specialist ASD training or experience and did not spot that he had Social Communication Difficulties.

If the speech therapist is not an ASD specialist and you have concerns about AS then you could ask CAMHS for a referal to the specialist team in your area who assess children for ASD.The team may be part of the CAMHS service or may be within the Child Development Team.CAMHS may be reluctant to refer Melissa without having done further assessments themselves.However it might be worth asking if you have not done so.Karen.

[shaz71]

Hi again.I have spotted your post on another thread and thought it worth mentioning.It is possible for a child to be social but have social communication difficulties.I do not know enough to have any idea whether Melissa could have AS.I guess that the fact that you have found the Forum suggests you are wondering about it though.

Children who have AS may be social but may be social in a way that is unusual when compared with their peers.People [even professionals such as teachers ] who do not have specialist knowledge or experience of ASD may not recognise signs of AS if they expect that children with ASD will play alone and not attempt to be social.

Ben is 10 and has AS.He certainly wants to have friends .However he tends to interupt conversations.He does not understand personal space very well and tends to get too close.Ben's grammar and vocabulary is advanced for his age [age over 21 when assessed last month]So children with AS can also have advanced grammer but have difficulties with Social Communication.Ben was seen by a speech therapist weekly for 18 months between the age of three and a half and five becuase he had dysfluency [stammering] .The speech therapist did not have specialist ASD training or experience and did not spot that he had Social Communication Difficulties.

If the speech therapist is not an ASD specialist and you have concerns about AS then you could ask CAMHS for a referal to the specialist team in your area who assess children for ASD.The team may be part of the CAMHS service or may be within the Child Development Team.CAMHS may be reluctant to refer Melissa without having done further assessments themselves.However it might be worth asking if you have not done so.Karen.

 

 

Thanks for that Karen i have been reading more on aspergers as originally i was thinking more adhd as she is quite hyper, but then someone suggested asd and the more i read the more i thought god that is Melissa. She does have some obsessions and likes a routine but she knows it isn't going to kill her if she steps out of the routine but she can now express herself and tells me that she doesn't like it has it confuses her and does get a little upset about it but doesn't tantrum as much. She has gone hyper more so since xmas at first i assumed it was because of her dad leaving but he left in September, but i changed the furniture around in December and her behaviour deterioration coincides with this. She isn't too bothered about her dad leaving as when he comes to visit she says i don't want you to stay i want you to go back home so i know she isn't too bothered. But everyone who knows us just assumes it is her dad leaving that is making her this way. It is the constant challenges everyday that gets me down, i am on sick from work due to being stressed with everything, she as always been an handful but she seems to be getting worse now i don't know wether it is because she is also struggling at school which will cause behaviour problems as well on top of her challenging behaviour and also my younger daughter also been an handful and put them both together and we have dynamite, luckily i am quite an energetic person myself but by god when 9.00pm comes i want to go to bed i am so shattered. <'> But i wake up fresh the next morning with maybe a couple of disturbances through the night as both my youngest have nightmares as they scream a lot during their sleep, but i know my youngest suffers from reflux she is 2 next month but i also have a sneaking suspicion that Melissa does as we tested her saliva with litmus paper and hers turned pink for acidic after she had a drink but this other boy who had also had a drink stayed neutral so nothing to do with the drink, she is always throat clearing, she is due back to see a gastro specialist as she had an hernia op in November as she also has tummy aches a lot not sure wether it is to do with the acid now so will mention it to him. Thank you again for that it is just i don't understand why they have put her on the SEN register but doesn't get any more help as they did it for my benefit why put her on at all, they just said it highlights that she may have a problem. Sharon x

[cmuir]

Hi

 

My son is on the SEN register. My understanding is that the register should be accessible to any professional who is involved with your child. This includes health care as well as education, eg the school dentist was visiting my son's class and she rang me a few days before to get some background info and to formulate best plan for R to be seen, thus causing minimal distress to him. I think it can be a good thing for people to be aware in advance of meeting the child. There's perhaps more to it.

 

Caroline.