Anneuk

Hi Every one <again> I have just recieved a copy of dd new IEP for June to Dec this year < not sure where the old IEPs are that I requested> My daughter is year 7 secondary. I have been told to add comments but need some help and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction Firstly the areas of concern are stated as: communication difficulty - semantic pragmatic nature Can anyone offer me a plain speak definition of this ? Target 1: to ask for clarification when an instruction is not understood Achievement criterion 1 Observed to ask with / without cues on 3 occasions. poss resources and techniques 1 Visual cues, Clear precise language avoiding use of metaphors. Poss strategies for use in class 1 test Ideas for support staff 1 Use questioning to check dd has understood remembered what she has heard. Target 2 To be able to compromise when there is a misunderstanding or disagreement. Achievement criterion 2 Observed by staff involved on 3 occasions poss resources and techniques 2 Discusssion, work sheets, role play. Relevant stoires or texts. Poss strategies for use in class 2 Talk through disputes with ddwhen she is calm and help her to see both points of view. Ideas for support staff 2 Discuss the concept of compromise Target 3 To begin to resolve problems in school and not transfer them to home Achievement criterion 3 Observed daily over a period of 4 weeks poss resources and techniques 3 Ensure that dd is clear about all tasks and instructions. Poss strategies for use in class 3 Ensure that dd is calm before she leaves for home. Ideas for support staff 3 Encourage dd to discuss difficulties, praise achievement. Parent contribution encourage dd to approach class teacher for clarification of instructions. Student contribution Tell an adult when she has not understood an instruction. Try to see another persons point of view. Try not to transfer anxieties of the school day to home. Discuss anxieties calmly with parents. Recommendations *DD is entitled to 25% additional time for all assessments *dd struggles with literal interpretation of language *avoid use of metaphors. ensure language is clear and instructions precise. *Please read the info on semantic pregamtic disorders and ASD's as this will apply to dd. * Ensure that dd understands instructions and tasks. Parents Comments?????????? I really am not sure what my comments are supposed to be, are they to add to the targets etc or comment on the iep as a whole? All help as usual very gratefully received. Anne

I received an IEP from school this morning but it is the IEP dated june 06 to dec 06.... I wonder why they haven't sent me the previous one!!! Should I be asking for a copy of the older IEP's for my records? I doubt they have been kept up to date of even done hence why I have not been sent them. Anne

The LEa provide passes for all children so that they can get buses upto a certain time <6.30pm I think> We don't have set school buses in this area they use their passes to use public transport, so yes they don't have problems doing the extra hours.

OK Update... All comments again gratefully accepted.... I have now been in contact with the LEA and they have told me they do NOT have a SEN specific transport policy! I am not really sure where totake that bit now.... Today dd went to her after school club and the taxi came at the usual time for her so she had to leave the class, the taxi driver told her and the teacher that they were not allowed to accomodate the extra hour, I will rinf the LEA tomorrow and confirm that they have told the transport company this. Now after speaking to the DRC they have handed over the case for discriminiation to IPSEA <excuse spelling> I have been in hospital for 4 days so haven't caught up with things yet but the man from IPSEA just rang and told me to ring him about the case... I am hoping to try to prove that the LEA is discriminating against my daughter as they won't allow her special transport needs to cover her 'extended' education. The extended education is open to ALL children and according to all the new inititives the government seem to want to get all children taking part in all bits of school life including the extended hours. However to me if a child can't go because they have a dissability and require special transport which dissalows them from going, surely this IS discrimination? As said, all pointers that I can discuss with this man on Wednesday gratefully received, hopefully if I can get somewhere with my LEA it may affect others too!! Anne

Just to update you, I got a phone call this morning from my daughters best friends mum who had been contacted about the incidents by the head of lower school. We talked for about an hour about what had happened, she was quite shocked when I told her what had gone on, as her own daughter had been bullied at school... (talk about the bullied going on to bullying) She was really appalled and promised me that she would speak to her daughter when she gets home and try to get to the bottom of it. Until my dd gets home I will not know exactly what has happened. This girls mum however did make it clear that if things can be resolved she would really like her and my daughter to become good friends as they do get on very well together usually and she knows that my daughter is one who has stood by her through all the rest of the stuff... Ahh well Anne

For some time I had suspicians that my 8rl old has AS too. She is very erm how can i say it... she doesn't seem to care about many things, like if i was to ground her she just accepts it, when she does get upset she is totally OTT but their doesn't seem to be anything behind it.. no real emotion if you get what I mean. Unlike my eldest diagnosed Aspie she has walked on her tiptoes for years and only recently as she finally got to a specialist about this. My daughter also wees herself a lot, not just at bedtime but often is damp in the day time. When i took her for an assessment about her walking on tiptoes the Orthopaedic doc told me he thinks its not AS but that she was maybe a missed mild cerebral Palsy... She is now having extensive physsio to lengthen her achilles and pelvic tendons and has to go back in plaster in two weeks to straightern her feet some more. I am waiting for a paed to see her, as Although some of it fits with Cerebral Palsy, some of it also fits with AS so I am interested as to what will finally pan out. Someone did mention copying my Aspies behaviour, but the traits I think she has are ones that my diagnosed aspie doesn't have, and the ones they do share are not the obvious ones such as the stiff cuddles and the empty kisses. Anne

Her friend does know about her Aspergers syndrome and I have sat with her and her mum and expalined some of my dd behaviour. This isn't the first time my daughter has been bullied by this girl, recently she held up some drawings my daughter had done and showed everyone in the class how 'silly' they were. When that occured I did speak to her mum, but I did find her very defensive. We did sort it though and they were all right for a few weeks. As for today it turned out that the head of lower school wasn't in so nothing was said, BUT things were OK for about an hour, then this girl saw J's purse and said ' wow, you've got loads give me 10p (not for anything in particular) J didn't have lots but things are tight at home just now so she had a lot of loose change from a piggy bank raid! J said NO ( I am really proud of her) it turns out she often 'lends' money to her! After that, her friend then walked away and J could hear her telling all the boys that " you won't belive what she watches on TV she is such a baby, gets scared at movies etc" and then told them about the hitting incident, and other stuff that J sometimes does such as silly games she sometimes plays. She rang from school again and told us this but she managed to keep it in till home time. I don't want to ring this girls mum now because I am so upset and I am very blunt so I will end up making things much worse. Anne

On Saqturday night during a sleepover for her best friends party, two girls got rather silly and tormented her <at 2.30am> pinching her pillow and jumping on her. My daughter ended up snapping and hitting her best friend in the face. I wasn't called by the mum and no injury was sustained, the next morning everything was fine, my dd and her friend talked things through and they made up. Yesterday however, her friend and another girl went around all the class telling everyone what had happened exagerating the incident <although I am not trying to lessen the fact that she did hit her> they were all sniggering and then her best friend told everyone that her birthday had been ruined and certain people shouldn't be invited to parties! My daughter was distraught but told me she didn't want to interfere.... this isn't the first time this sort of humiliation has been instigated by her 'best' friend and each time the whole class is brought into it... I told my daughter I was going to interfer at this time as I felt things needed to be sorted so I sent her with a letter today to tell her head that I wanted it sorted. She is really frightened about the repurcussions so have I done the right thing? Anne

Aw Biker Gal you have so much on your plate at the moment. It seems that some schools prefer children to be very average so that they don't have to put any extra effort in, it's funny how they take the credit when our kids do well though isn't it... At our school no children are 'streamed' until year 8 so all classes are mixed ability and we haven't yet been told where are kids are going in September... My daughter is bright in English too level 7's in several assessments, but they won't give her any extra work to keep her occupied and at that level , in fact when the Senco heard my daughter talking about having just finished Romeo & Juliet and Of Mice and Men, I was told she shouldn't be reading exam texts at this stage becuase it will put them in a difficult poition later on!!! It breaks my heart to see all of us fighting so hard to get our children educated properly.... Anne

duh... I live on the PC and I never thought about emailing the request in!!

I am just formulating my letter to my daughters school. She is on school action plus. I have never seen the IEP or signed it, can anyone let me know is their a set time things should be reviewed or will this be individually stated in the IEP itself? Should I have a more active role in the IEP or is it not unusual not to see it or get feedback. Thanks again in advance Anne

<'> I really can't say much, as their are many more qualified to say more than me, but I too have been in tears today with my dd school... You are not alone, and tomorrow things will seem brighter.... Maybe we can get your teachers and my teachers and shoot them all together? Anne <'>

I couldn't get through to the dept this morning as it was engaged for ages then spent an age on the above calls followed by trip with my other daughter to have the casts on her wonky legs removed, have a hosp apt tomorrow but am going to try agin tomorrow afternoon to get hold of this document. Thank you for all your help Phas

way to go Luke.... congratulations on your brill results!!

Hi Phas, yes I know that it isn't her responisiblity to sort out transport, but the LEA man told me he was going to seek her opinion. What I didn't put in my previosu post was that last week this same teacher told the LEA man that my daughter was friends with another girl and on the basis of this coversation they had, my daughter was taken a different route from normal and a second child put into the taxi. This was very disturbing for my daughter as she had had no preperation for this. That was the reason I spoke to the senco to inform her of this and to make sure that she didn't make 'offhand' comments that could lead to another unsuitable decision. Unfortunately as this was a telephone conversation no third party was present. I am in the process of writing a letter going over some of the points that came out of the conversation and I have asked that the letter be added to her school records. This way I am hoping to firm up the conversations we have, as whenever I write to her she always rings me and thus nothing is ever in writing! I spoke to my daughters paediatrician this morning who said that I should put in an official compalint that my daughter was placed in the situation with the taxi, and she said this should not have happened and that my daughter should not be placed in transport with anyone else as she can be unpredicatable... Unfortunately my daughter also got upset the other night and hit her friend in the face, her friend has now been telling everyone in school about this incident... I just feel so sad at the moment. Anne

Big rant!!! I am so cross with my daughters secondary senco, I have just followed up with her a few things that were outstanding from our last discussion about a risk assessment for my daughters transport, and she was so insulting, she told me: 1. She has nothing to do with travel, she only looked after people in school and it was nothing to do wth her, when I asked her what she would be saying to the person conducting the risk assessment she said that it was nothing to do with her. I asked her who else could be asked then as dd spent most times in school she then said: 2. Maybe my dd should be in a special school rather than main stream, I asked her why a high functioning little girl with a big IQ should be sent to a special school, she said if she is that unpredictable then maybe she should be their, I then went on to say that she should be getting help to reduce stress within school not being ignored. 3. She then went onto to ask me what made my dd special when one of the staff who has two sons with AS had to struggle with transport requiremnts all the time! I told her that this other little boy who I know and who is in my other daughters class at primary is totally different from my daughter, and that she shouldn't be discussing other pupils with me anyway. 4. She then went on to tell me how busy she is and how do I expect her to do anything when she has statemented children to care for!! I told her that my child shouldn't be treated any differently from any other child who was statemented. 5. She told me I shouldn't try to put words into her mouth and that I should not be telling her what to tell the risk assessment team, I told her that I am only asking her to give the whole truth and not one off comments that could be misconstrued. I told her if she was to speak to these people she must give a complete review other wise it would be biased and unfair. I then asked her why I had never seen my dd IEP she went on to LIE to me that I had been told I could see it anytime, I told her that at parents evening she herself had told me that she would send for me to discuss it!! she was stuck for words at this point. I am SO cross, who the heck are these people... they get paid for what they do, why should it be so much hassle for them... Sorry, for ranting but I so needed to get this off my chest. Anne

Hi Bikergal, My 11 yr old aspie has had a taxi since she started secondary school, she isn't statemented as she doesn't have an educational learning difficutly. and as an eduational learning difficulty can be seperate from a dissability which Aspergers can be depending on how it agffects your child then your transport isn't dependant on a statement. The LEA are the ones who sorted our transport out,, it was a 3 month struggle to get it as they wanted to know why she couldn't travel on a bus so they spoke to her paed, psychiatrist, SENCO etc. It has worked really well up to now BUT see my post on here posted the last couple of days regarding what has now happened. It seems even when you feel you have won they then try to move the goal posts.. Their are some good links to various papers regarding why they should be providing proper transport. Anne Good luck with the transport

Can I also just add this link I found (huge apologies if this is here already) http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ I read the publication every child matters - changes for children in school... I am printing it off ready with my highlighter pen. I really hope that these changes do happen, Anne

You are all so brill!!!!! I have now just found a "SEN code of practice for wales", am just going to troll through its 129 pages to find out if their is anything of relavance... thinking of the LEA bubbling away in a sea of their own paperwork!!! LOL

Phasmid, this does clearly talk about planning in conjunction with LA's <is this the same as LEA?> parents and school and clearly says IT IS discrimination not to include out of ours and social activites... I will print this off to show the senco at school. Thanks so much... Anyone else who has more??? I am in the mood to bombard... I am fed up of her being told 'no can do!' Anne

Just finished talking to the DRC. Their answer was... "under section 4 of the discriminations act, it seems that the LEA are fullfilling their basic role in getting her to and from school, However, she says that a collegue believes that their may be a case to answer against discrimination because all the other children who attend the school get a travel pass from the LEA which allow them to access all the after school clubs wheareas because J is restriced to a taxi becuase of her dissability and because the LEA won't allow her to have variable taxi times, then it seems she may being discriminated against." They are going to call me back on Monday after they have had time to go through all relavent literature... SO if anyone else <thanks Oracle / phasmid> has any further information or 'legal' pointers then please do let me know so I can add them in on Monday when I get the call back... Gardenia, I will let you know how I get on so you may want to relook at the way your child has been treated... Why is it always such a fight!! Anne

We too had problems with the local authority swimming teacher who insisted all the kids jumped into the deep end and got their heads wet. Before J could swim she refused to do this so most lessons she would end up getting upset or sent out of the pool, it took me months to sort out and afterwards she ended up babying her so rediculously we couldn't win either way! As for you being wet. WE know our kids and they are ours to protect. it annoys me so much when we are made to feel like over protective mums..... yes we need sometimes to protect them more becuase they have problems but that doesn't mean we are 'over protective' in the derogitory sense of the word. Your child should be treated like an individual and his dissability taken into consideration, if she wanted him to do a swim in a certain way SHE should have made herself clear!!! Anne

My 11 yr old daughter gets a taxi to and from school due to the fact she is considered at risk on public transport due to her unpredicatble behaviour if she gets upset. At present she has been travelling to school by taxi on her own and as such has been able to take part in some after schools clubs such as music and tennis which is really helping her confidence. I have now been told another child will be travelling in the taxi with her so she is no longer allowed to go to the after school clubs. I have asked if this is fair and have been told that the LEA ONLY have a responsibility to get her their and back at either end of the day and as after schools classes aren't education, then she can't go. The NAS have told me it could be a discriminatory issue and I am as I speak on the phone to the DRC (dissability rights commission). My question, has anyone else had this happen? what are peoples opinions? I myself have a liver disease and am often unwell and even if I could afford the diesal I am not really able to collect her from school every day, her SENCO was behind me but has today changed her mind and has suddenly decided that Aspergers isn't even a dissability it's a condition!!!! She went on to tell me that it's basically tough! My argument is that the LEA provide school bus tickets for all children and they can use these at all times for school activites including after school clubs but as Jacqueline is on a seperate form of transport she has to come and go at an exact time? How can this NOT be a discrimination issue? I get everything going fine, then the walls come tumbling down again!!! Anne

My daughter finds it hard to be with strange supply teachers too, but i would be appalled if they decided to send her home because of this, as far as I'm concerend they themselves have to find a way aroound this even if it means one to one with the senco... Funnily enough just this minute received a call from my daughters (she's 11) secondary, she had cut her finger and become very very upset, the call was from one of the SENCO's saying J wanted to come home but she asked if I could try and talk her into staying. J and her friend were in the office and I chatted to her for about 20 mins talking about the reasosn she got upset and why she had acted in the way she had and why her knee jerk reaction was to want to come straight home. At the end, she herself said " I think I'll be fine now Mum it was just a shock with the blood" I am so proud of the way she handled it AND the way the school handled it! Anne

I too have wondered about my self since my eldest daughter now 11 was diagnosed with Aspergers. Personally I know I have lot's of the traits that I have read about in the books about Aspergers and also those that my daughter has. I don't want to go down a diagnosis route now as I am who I am even my kids think I am just eccentric! Well at least we're all different!! Anne