sue1957

When my daughter was away for a week on a residential trip with the school, she is marked as being present on the school site. I think this may have something to do with a school having to do a return of total absences, (not just unauthorised absence, ?) Anyway for some reason they are also recording sickness as medical/dental. Does anyone know if that is not counted as absence (as it might for example be classed as an appointment, but not missing the whole session), or is there any other benefit to a school in terms of statistics to use that code instead of recording a child with the code for sickness? Any help appreciated

My Mum gave me a copy of a bit in a recent magazine on how more potent were mixtures of 4 different additives tested, than when they were taken separately. Found an online article from December about it. Sorry if its been posted before. Shall be checking a couple of things that send my kids through the roof..... http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,5360498-103526,00.html

I've got that book, and his one "Healing ADD The Breakthrough Program that allows you to see and heal the 6 types of ADD" (The website now adds a 7th type, trauma induced). Dr Amen's own family are affected. There's a questionaire in the book for working out which type of ADD/ADHD is most likely, and then strategies (diet, supplements, behaviour management etc) for each type, and why different meds seem to work better for different types. I'd like to get his new book, but last time I looked it wasn't listed on Amazon UK, and its pricey from the US, so it'll have to stay on my wish list a bit longer

SPECT scans of 7 different subtypes of ADD. http://www.brainplace.com/bp/atlas/ch12.php

My OH is a gardener. Not saying I'm keen on strawbs but he has a polytunnel with a 14ft x 30 ft strawberry patch.......... Come the summer I'll be out there just picking them and eating them straight from the plant, yummm........ Some make it indoors to be had with a big dollop of clotted cream..... and when even I am of them, the rest get frozen for smoothies over the winter. Roll on summer!

Sorbitol is found in some toothpastes, so can be swallowed or absorbed through the gums that way. Also its sometimes found in vaccines, so it might be worth checking if he ever needs an injection, in case an alternative is available. Hope he feels better soon.

My son did have, doesn't seem to now, and no we avoided the system, because there just didn't seem to be the right help available at the time. The problems did impact significantly on his life (light sensitivity, hated bright colours, hated going outside (probably because of light sensitivity), speech problems, food phobia, gut problems, "couch potato syndrome" (for want of a better expression, balance, co-ordination problems, lack of energy etc). His light sensitivity and colour sensing problems were caused by fluoride in toothpaste. Don't know how rare it is, but in his case once fluoride was removed, his biochemistry has been adjusting itself naturally with a little nutritional help and removing all the chemical stressors we can. A lot of his sensory and physical problems just gradually went away. His light sensitivity went within days of changing toothpaste, he started coping with colours, it changed the clothes he picked to wear, he stopped only eating whiteish foods, so his diet improved, he started using the settee as a trampoline (we gave him a rebounder to use). He used it for ages each day, and then when he had caught up physically, he went to using it sometimes. His speech has taken the longest to recover, and is one of our signals that he is getting stressed. We have to be careful about dehydration, he has a very poor sense of thirst, also we are careful about keeping his blood sugar levels even. Fluoride is unlikely to be the only substance capable of causing the type of problems we have had, (although we have been lucky that this was the one major factor in our case, and my son is probably particularly sensitive) but if there was something that could be done to promote awareness of the dangers of some of the things we are being told is "safe" when it isn't...... and then have treatments for sensory problems as well..... Count me in!

Yes. Fabulous Act.

No. But I can feel another request under the Freedom of Information Act coming on.......... "Please provide documentation and information as to the conclusions reached in the last annual report on the effectiveness of the school's work on behalf of children with SEN, as required under Section 1 Para 27 of the SEN CoP. The information I require includes what consultation was done with support services used by the school, other schools and parents, and what in the light of their evaluation and the response to consultation the school governing body considered should be done to improve the policy, and the date the policy was amended."

Hopefully Tallship has a better budget, but unfortunately, with our budget the trick is doing anything at all. A basic method has to be acceptable because we don?t have another choice, and whatever else that can be achieved for an individual child using the space is a bonus. With a minimal budget, exact for each child isn?t going to be an option. Its part of a general stress management plan, using light and colour as simple tools, being done in conjunction with other things like a non-toxic environment, such as no chemicals, staff not using perfumes etc, attention to electromagnetic pollution, controlling noise, diet etc. At best it can help give the child a sensory break, and give a family a chance to explore options they might not know about. It?s about giving parents a break, and perhaps some complementary therapy themselves in as stress free an environment as possible. If a family has access to something better, then they won't be interested, and we are under no illusions that what we are offering is going to be perfect. Yes the full spectrum lighting we use may not be the best available, but its a straight choice between using it or not, or saving up and getting better and in the meantime doing nothing. Even if we only make a small difference, it opens up the possibilities that in the future someone who specialises like you do could do a lot more than we can, or other funding opportunities may come up. We can?t worry about how we will know we cannot make a big difference rather than a small difference by giving an accurate light. At the end of the day, if we haven't got the money, we can't spend it. But we can always dream.

Hi Tallship, Well I hope your budget is a bit bigger than mine but I?ll give you some of the ideas I have been using in my own therapy room, and the group of therapists I work with has given to parents/school staff/respite staff etc for children with ADD/ADHD/AS. They also form part of an overall plan for a very small respite centre we are planning (we now have a very small house, and next its finding the time to get on with the form filling, find the staff, finish the work etc etc. Anyway this centre will include attention to other sensory issues, nutrition, stress management for children/carers, complementary therapy etc, and we?re about to apply for funding so that we can offer some treatments and the training workshops free so that its available to more people). Anyway whatever scheme we came up with needed to be completely flexible, and in our case CHEAP! The basics ARE cheap. If we go on to get funding for expensive equipment then that?s a bonus, but it is the basics that are important. We work on the principle that any individual?s needs change. What might be right this moment, may be wrong the next, or this afternoon, or tomorrow. (So you working on a group scheme is even more challenging!) We will be working with different people on different days, so it has to be completely flexible. For us the basics are: white matt paint for all walls and ceilings. Everywhere. Keep walls as clear as possible of ?stuff.? If you need display areas keep them to a minimum. The rooms should be unstimulating. A blank canvas. The matt paint, not silk is important to minimise glare. We use full spectrum lighting, which gives a much better balance of light, and is less visually stressful to most. This is not the SAD lighting (which also has intensity as well as range of colour, and would not be suitable for use later in the day, as it could prevent sleep). (I can look out a couple of ISBNs of books, or an online article, but they are general light therapy or colour therapy books that happen to mention using FS lighting in classrooms, and its benefits to those with reading difficulties etc. FS lighting is very generally available now for anyone wanting to use them at home). Make the rooms very blank, very white, avoid shine. Although white is impractical for carpets, chairs etc they should be as neutral as possible, ie wooden flooring or bland carpets, no bright colours, or heavy patterns. The room can be used like this (well lit, less distractions when trying to say follow a normal lesson) or you can temporarily add colour for a specific purpose. The best way is to have an easily adaptable lighting system installed. In my therapy room (which is painted matt white) I use stage lights, and have a range of coloured filters that I can use to suit. I have a range of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, plus a couple of mixed shades that I frequently might use, (such as turquoise and lemon) or I can make anything I like by slotting in 2 filters together. I can tone down bright colours with special filters. (At home anyone could just use coloured bulbs if they need to create say a calming space for a while). You probably wouldn?t need anything like the range I have, (some I rarely use) and there are probably some much fancier systems available, which might be much more suited to a classroom. Anyway with a blank room and the ability to add some colour you could use the colours that most suit the group for the task or activity, but in the event of only one child using the room, you could use the colour that suits the one child for whatever the reason. (For example if a child finds blue relaxing, then say a counselling session might be appropriate in a room lit in blue). If you paint walls in any colour, you won?t have this flexibility. (Also find what colour, if any, an individual child HATES. If the colour orange makes someone nauseous you need to know about it!) Even if its plain white areas, it needn?t be clinical. You could bring in a few plants. In large areas you can get big canvasses and paint them in muted single colours (matt emulsion) for a large modern art piece that adds interest but doesn?t overpower the space. (In the home, in a small bedroom use small canvasses, or cardboard, and the art can suit the individual child, e.g. use 2 colours, circles, squares whatever, or just put up a couple of favourite pictures or posters). Even with a blank room and a low budget this can be really valuable, and any additional money you have could be used for introducing other things that would perhaps assist with other sensory problems. Depends on your priorities. Another idea is to use blackout blinds or curtains for certain activities, without the overhead lights on. This creates a dark, blank room, instead of a light one. Then use the colour of your choice to give light to the darkened room. Perhaps blue, or whatever. This will give a completely different sensory experience, and might be relaxing and suitable for say listening tasks, thinking time, relaxation, meditation, eating, sleeping. Using a single colour like this, the idea is that by reducing visual stimulation, you may be able to bring in more auditory, or tactile stimulation. Or in a dining area, they may be able to cope with the smell of food for example because their visual sense won?t be so overloaded. When it comes to sensory stimulation, if you start with nothing its easy to add. If you start with everything, it?s often not so easy to take away. Although it is better to go to sleep without a light on, if someone is afraid of going to sleep in complete darkness, then the right gentle colour in a darkened room might be more helpful than leaving the main lights on in a room. If the room is being shared, then a directionally pointed low wattage coloured light might make a difference to one child, without disturbing everyone else very much. Again if a child changes dorms then the bulb can be changed to suit the next child using the space. Bring colour into a space for example things like cushions in different fabrics, in different colours, which can give tactile and visual stimulation, in small doses, but can be easily removed if a problem, whereas with a coloured wall you can?t, and you will be more likely to have to remove the child. (For a family the cushions might be in the favourite football team colour, Thomas the Tank or whatever, but the principle is the same ? they are easy to remove or bring back during a time of stress, and can be easily changed as circumstances alter). Although for things like general laundry you would need the same colour sheets, items that need less frequent cleaning could, in terms of colour, be more individually suited such as a bed cover, a rug by the bed etc. In a classroom, each individual child could have a mat on their desk, which suits them visually. For example instead of looking at a book or a piece of work set against a shiny desk, it would be set against a muted colour mat, that suits them as an individual. You don?t have to use expensive mats, a piece of card from an art shop will do. Or a mat covered with a piece of coloured felt or something silky could offer tactile stimulation or reassurance as well. (Might be useful for a family i.e. a simple thing you could ask any school to do. Or for doing homework). Before spending lots of money, you could get a couple of stage lights and some filters, and a blackout blind (Argos do them) and white matt paint, and a full spectrum overhead light fitting. Just experiment with one room and see how it goes. Good luck with your project. If you are not too far from me, I'd love a nose at what someone with a bigger budget than ours can do.

Unfortunately the school would have 20 working days to reply from when the school reopens, but you might want to consider using the Freedom of Information Act. If it were me I would be writing to the HT with a request for information regarding the report of which you have a copy. Something like that "I note the report says X (and number the points you dispute). Please provide the documents or information that supports these decisions/conclusions reached as I had been led to believe differently. You will recall we have verbally discussed this report, and you had agreed that you would write a letter for me to provide in support of a DLA application, as you agreed the report does not accurately reflect (name's) current situation. To date this has not been forthcoming. Please either provide information as to the reasons for the decision not to provide this document to me as arranged, or alternatively provide the document. I appreciate that under the Freedom of Information Act you have a maximum of 20 working days in which to search for and provide me with the information I am requesting. However, as it should form part of a readily available file, I would appreciate your urgent response to this, particularly as this is holding up a financial matter relevant to the welfare of my child. " They have to answer "promptly" and in any event no later than 20 working days. I've used FOI a lot recently. After a complete p**s take for 6 months, I have finally sussed that I don't need to rant or call anyone a liar, under FOI a short, carefully worded request for information means that they cant ignore you, and they have to justify their decisions and actions. Worth getting to know the Act.

Brilliant.

My advice is hold on for the weekend, let the shock go down a bit. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Then when you are ready you could write or email them with a request for information (which is covered under the Freedom of Information Act) as to the basis on which it was decided that parental agreement had been given for it to be videod, as you haven't given permission what are your rights under law to insist that the video be destroyed/edited, who made the decision for your son to take part knowing his previous difficulties ....... etc The 20 working days the school have to answer won't start til they go back, so probably no need to rush it. But the FOI Act could well be worth getting to know.

<'> <'> Have you signed that they can video him? I thought parents have a right to ask that their children not be. If I hadn't I would be insisting on viewing the video, and if I wasn't happy they would have to hold the service again after Easter without him and video it again or do without it. Even if you have signed that its OK for him to be video'd then it would still be inappropriate to video a child in obvious distress, so you could try insisting they edit it to your satisfaction before anyone else gets a copy. Just be awkward as hell - maybe they'll think twice next time. Not that it would help now, but could you try exercising your right to opt out of religious events? If you are opted out, you could say to them that you will be happy to consider certain events/classes on an individual basis. Not sure if that could work, but Phasmid will know the rules better than me

Well the email on Wednesday afternoon resulted in a letter being sent out to us first class on Wednesday evening (within 3 hours) for information that we had been told the day before they would reply to by May 5th. We're not finished yet, and there's other complications to our case, but I have to say that the FOI Act has made a HUGE difference to getting answers. Hope you get some results soon too. <'>

I've found the Freedom of Information Act helps them remember. Big time Don't know if this helps as its not SEN related, but the principles are probably the same. At best you might find something useful from our experience, at worst at least you'll know that sometimes being a member of the Awkward Squad can pay dividends. We are in dispute with the LA after being told by the school that we would be reported to the EWO if we took our children on holiday in term time. We took them. It has gone to LA review, and has been going on for months, and with us being given the run around right left and centre. A complete pi** take. However, one thing I have very recently learned is to start asking questions under the Freedom of Information Act. Wish I?d realised right from the start, but better late than never. Its worth reading the legislation and there is a website http://www.foi.gov.uk/ that has been very useful. Also worth checking out the Governors Guide to the Law here http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrd...0Law%202006.pdf Chapter 13 para 78 to the end of the chapter. We have made a lot of requests for information, which have either been ignored or not answered in compliance with the Act. Its caught them right out, me too until I read it all properly and realised what a powerful tool the Act can be if used right. We are intending to submit complaints to the FOI regulatory body for everyone from the HT, clerk to the governors, the chief education officer, the chief executive of the council, head of governor services........ The LA have now twigged just what a mess it is, and are suddenly taking notice. A couple of examples....Rather than rant about a decision (which was getting us nowhere) we recently wrote and asked for information on the legal basis for the advice the LA gave to the HT that he was not to see us about anything at all without the CoG present. (We?ve been banned since November which is making the day to day contact with the school difficult, and the rumour is that we're subject to an ASBO) If its c*ap and they can?t come up with anything they will have to say the information (i.e. the legal basis for the decision) does not exist, in which case we demand they reverse the decision, and an apology. The answer we?ve got so far (on the last working day to comply with the Act) was that the LA legal department gave the advice verbally ? but that?s not good enough under FOI, the information we requested was the legal basis for the advice, not how the advice was given. The wording of the request is crucial. The advice to look information up on the Dfes and teachernet websites when we asked for copies of all directives from the Dfes to the LA on holidays in term time for the previous 18 months also breached the Act. We have made objections about the information provided (along with bits I haven't mentioned here) through the council?s procedure on information requests. They have replied that they will respond within 10 working days. They sort it, or after that it?s another complaint to the FOI regulatory body. If it goes to the regulatory body, from what I see the worst that can happen for us is that our complaint isn't upheld. We have used FOI to get minutes of a meeting that the school didn't want us to see and our children?s attendance records. (Both of which have prompted more enquiries). Refusals or any breaches (and there were several before they or we realised) are going to the regulatory body for FOI. We can always withdraw them later if we make friends with the school and LA again. The schools don?t have to count school holidays as working days to provide the information, but we have now told the LA (who wrote not to give us some information, but when they calculated the last day for compliance under the Act to be taking into account the holidays) that they don?t shut in the same way so we expect information ?promptly? and no later than 20 working days, for information we are waiting for from them not the school. They have now taken over the requests for information from the school, and calculating the latest possible day for giving us very simply obtainable information for which no search was required showed that they were not intending to answer "promptly" which we believe also breaches the Act. We might be wrong on that point but its up to them to justify themselves if it goes to the regulatory body. We?ve been polite, to the point, and don't get emotional (Which is not easy I know, so I usually have a rant on paper, then 24 hours later we revise the letter or email before sending it - revenge is a dish best served cold) but we have asked carefully posed questions and are probably considered to be a total pain the *rse. We now have an LA officer appointed to co-ordinate all our requests to the school and the LA. If we are polite, asking legitimate questions about our child, or our child?s school they would be hard pushed to say we are ?vexatious.? We cant get caught for asking repeatedly if we ask once, and if they fail to follow the Act we report them under the published procedure. There are exceptions to what they must provide, but then they have to justify the exemption, but we are asking for information relevant to our complaint, or our children?s welfare, which any reasonable parent might be expected to request. If enough of us start using FOI, the climate of fob off, ignore and threaten parents might start to change. We give them a fair chance first, and now head the email "request for information". If its information that a school or an LA should be providing freely to us as parents but have been giving us the run around, (like the minutes which my husband was refused sight of and turned away from the school office by the HT and Clerk to the Governors ) I am now putting something like ?It is a disgrace that as a parent I am forced to invoke the Freedom of Information Act to get information which should be openly available to me at the school.? If it eventually goes as a complaint to the FOI people (or the Dfes, MP or anyone else) then it doesn?t hurt that they know we are being forced into it by the attitude of the school or the LA. We?re getting clued up on the Act, wording everything carefully so it?s a request for information that supports a decision they?ve made about my child, or provides the legal basis for a policy, or the reasoning behind a decision or whatever. They ARE answerable, we've just got to get the questions right and work the system. If the information they provide is what we asked for, even if we don't like it, if its accurate and legal (and we check that, because a lot of what we've seen isn't) we can decide what to do next and move on. At the start of our complaint it was the stress of waiting and not knowing when or if they were going to reply that was the problem. Used right FOI removes a lot of stress. It makes them accountable. NOTHING is done verbally now, and we request read receipts for all emails, and try and copy a second person in if we can, so there's no excuse no-one got the email or letter. I don't know the circumstances well enough Pinksapphire but a threat can be followed up with a request for information that they provide documentation to support the legal basis for their threat to ....... when your child's circumstances are............................... or documentation/information to support the legal basis for their decision about (school to be attended, new attendance policy or whatever)........................ Its then up to them to prove they are right, not for us to prove that they are wrong. Turning the tables is worth a try, and at least it will give them something to do apart from come up with some very nasty tactics to try and stress us out. The EWO hasn't hammered on our door yet anyway Now what else do I want to know???????.??

You could try asking for the full ingredients list, including fillers, of what they want to inject, plus any explanatory leaflets that come with the vaccine, so that you can make an informed choice. My informed choice is that if I wouldn't let my child eat it, then they aint sticking it into his arm. As far as vaccinations go, the health people gave up on me a long time ago.

Had the same problem with my son. It stopped when we changed his toothpaste, he is VERY sensitive to fluoride. (Our water isn't fluoridated). Within a few days he started to be a lot less rigid with what he was eating (it previously had to be white bread, every speck of crust removed, etc). He started eating a much wider range of foods, and as a bonus he became much less light sensitive as well.

I've seen an adults hazel eyes go mainly blue after a detox. With my son, his eyes are a giveaway when he's not coping. They are much greyer and the pupils seem permanently enlarged. Also when he hasn't drunk enough water, he also gets dark circles under the eyes as well. When he comes out of school I just take one look at him and know from his eyes if he hasn't drunk enough and is stressed. Its an early warning system. Its better now that I've seen the school and insisted he has water in the classroom (he doesn't sense the need for water very well) but sometimes he leaves his flask in the cloakroom. I've done a couple of iridology courses and its amazing what information the eyes offer. I've got the iridology torches and charts etc but don't really have the time to do much with it. When anyone in the family is ill I get the torch out - its usually enough to have 'em running in the opposite direction

I had to dash to the school to pick son up, rant at daughter who was staying on to go to a science competition but wasn't being supervised from when school finished til they leave to go to competition, and was just wandering out of school (would rant at school but we're banned from seeing HT without CoG present because we wrote to the governors to ask them to review an attendance policy, so getting annoyed will probably get me arrested ). Finally got hold of my husband, was asking him to get stuff for tea, then suddenly realised that there was complete silence and I was talking to myself (so whats new ) and then phone went dead. He's just rung back and what's for tea will be...... oven fish and chips, which I hate. But I'm past caring. And I still haven't had the phone call. Hope you all have a lovely tea.

At the moment, nothing. I've run out of cash, thought I'd scrounged some off my husband this morning and he's forgotten to leave it. Could head over to the bank, or to the supermarket with the one credit card that I have that I can only remember my pin number on on a good day, (and today isn't a good day), but I've been waiting all day for an important phone call, and the answer machines broken so sod's law I'll miss the message. Tried ringing husband to bring something with him on his way home but his mobile is switched off. So what's for tea is one of life's little mysteries at the moment.

Fortunately it doesn't happen often but if my son gets a cold he tends to get a cough with it. The worst bit is when its a dry cough that doesn't seem to bring anything out, it just seems to drag on and eventually he just gets sore chest muscles then he's doubly miserable. (My daughter's colds go more to her head and ears). I've found for him that cold drinks make him cough more, so I stick to warm drinks, little and often suits him best. Cough medicine as a last resort, (for example if he's desperate for a couple of hours sleep). Otherwise I think that maybe something in there needs to come out, and the warm drinks (usually warm juice with a bit of honey) seem to help that, and stops his throat getting sore. No school and bed rest during school time til he's moaning he's bored. (Then its one extra day and then back to school) Now that he doesn't have any food issues, during the time of the cold its also no dairy products or sugar, and simple foods like porridge, fruit, soups etc.

I remember seeing a programme a couple of years ago about string theory. Didn't really get it, because if everything is made of strings then er..... where did the strings come from? As for the big bang, where did what went bang come from..... I sometimes feel like I'm stepping between parallel universes when dealing with the school...... Dunno which theory that fits! Think I'll go watch the Matrix. Makes it so much clearer.

There was an excerpt in one of the weekend newspaper supplements a couple of weeks ago (I remember I was in bed with a cold, and its the first time I've read a paper in months). It was the story of one of the girls in the class, but it was a really sad story, have hummed and ha'd since whether to get the book. Thanks for the review so far, will probably get it now.