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Valiant_Skylark

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About Valiant_Skylark

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  1. Hi NobbyNobbs, I have pm'd you. Thanks, VS
  2. Thanks TheNeil, I will pm you. Sorry, didn't realise one shouldn't ask for such specific info on the list. VS
  3. Hi Canopus, I was just a bit concerned because Dragon will need at least: an Intel Pentium 2.4 GHz Processor, 1.6 GHz dual processor core or equiv AMD processor; 1GB RAM; 2GB hard drive free space; L2 Cache 1MB. Texthelp is supposed to need Pentium 111 800MHz or above, 256 MB RAM or 512 MB RAM on Windows Vista, 600MB free disc space, sound card and good quality speakers. Now I'm a complete novice when it come to understanding computers so are most laptops capable of running all this plus Word, excel, powerpoint, digital camera, etc etc? Even the �400ish ones from computer stores? Sorry to be so "slow", but I really don't know what I'm doing. Thanks, VS
  4. Hi All, Hoping someone can help with suggestions for makes/models of laptop to buy. DS2 needs to have a laptop (rather than an AlphaSmart because of visual problems). It would need to have a largish screen and be capable of running TextHelp and, additionally, possibly/probably Dragon Naturally Speaking. He has very poor motor skills, so a keyboard etc that would be easy to use would be imperetive. Internet access a must too. Does anybody run anything similar or am I asking the impossible? Any ideas welcome on what might work. Thanks, VS xx
  5. DS1 (13, ASD & severe dyspraxia) has been doing RDA for over 6 years now. We have to pay �9 for a half hour with 2 or 3 other teens in the group, term time only. The instruction is very, very basic, but the effort the instructress puts into the social side is outstanding. DS1 is just learning to canter a few strides and has his RDA tests 1 & 2 and the Cub equestrian badge. DS2 (10) didn't make the RDA group as there was too long a waiting list. He has gone to a v good (but v expensive) BHS approved yard which does not do RDA, but really puts itself out to cater for any child or adult with a disability. We had a shaky start (the "normal" instructress was losing her confidence with DS2 - as DS2 could do things one minute... and then almost had no balance the next...) so DS2 was moved immediately onto about 12 or 15 x 1/2 hour lessons on the lunge with a BHSI, who spent much time getting his position absolutely correct and teaching him not to tip forward or backwards ie posture and balance training. Two years on he can ride a neat dressage test and even be well placed against able NT children. He has, so far, kept up in his mainstream lesson, where he has made several firm friends. He is able to canter and is starting jumping. He has his Cub equestrian badge. The yard continues to really think about how best to help him and have been absolutely brilliant. Dare I say - the ponies here are better schooled and have far better conformation than the RDA ponies, so they are actually much easier to ride. Of the two boys, DS2 is less affected by either ASD or dyspraxia, but he still comes out with some areas below 2nd centile that would affect his riding. DS2 has learned and progressed far more in 2 years than DS1 has in the 6 years, but we've spent about the same overall on each child's lessons so far. We did try DS1 at the other yard for a couple of lunge lessons with the BHSI, and she improved his balance and position dramatically in that short time. Bottom line is we can't afford to spend �60 a week on lessons for both boys anyway, and DS1 missed his RDA group! DS1 also found the language used at the BHS yard was too fast and complex, but I'm sure they would have adapted that had we stayed on for more lessons. Sometimes DS1 watches DS2's lesson and learns that way. I don't feel DS2 would ever have progressed anything like so far at RDA, but perhaps that is not the role of RDA overall anyway? I know DS1 has the potential to ride a lot better - as they always say:"Good horses make good riders" and, from experience, I'd say the RDA riders can't learn what they are never taught! You pays yer money and yer makes yer choice, I guess. Hope you find something you enjoy. VS
  6. Depends which school you can get them into?! If you need to consider home-ed, there is a group online which communicates only by email and is only for people home-edding special needs children. The support is awesome. Google HE-SPECIAL-UK. Many on the list have children on the spectrum. If you are seriously considering the home-ed option, you may get a lot of help and advice there. VS xx
  7. If you look at the list of pinned topics above, you will find the one labelled "Home education". Hope that will help a little to id the home-edders. VS xx
  8. Oh dear! I didn't mean to cause people to fall out over this... DS simply is v black and white over his beliefs (lack of beliefs) & has an unbelievably inflexible attitude to the study of RE, which spills over and then totally ruins all the other subjects that he would otherwise concentrate on were that RE study put to the side until he was more ready to understand it all (and what it means to other people). He has been withdrawn, with my consent, from RE topics in the past because, as one particular school put it, he had "an aversion" to the topic and it was felt that this was the best way to move him on generally. We have made the decision to withdraw him from the Short Course GCSE (Yrs 9 and 10) and all peace has returned across the remaining curriculum. Eventually submitted the following letter: I am writing to ask that my son X be excused from both religious worship and religious studies with immediate effect as is my right under Section 9 (3) of the Education Reform Act 1988. This seems to have been accepted by the school and we all move, gratefully, on. Many thanks to those who offered help and support, including those who sent pms. VS
  9. I've also had someone e-mail me with the following, but, again, I'm not sure it is the right law for mainstream secondary schools? ie s71 School Standards and Framework Act 1998 states: "Exceptions and special arrangements etc. 71 Exceptions and special arrangements; provision for special schools (1) If the parent of a pupil at a community, foundation or voluntary school requests that he may be wholly or partly excused? (a ) from receiving religious education given in the school in accordance with the school?s basic curriculum, (b ) from attendance at religious worship in the school, or (c ) both from receiving such education and from such attendance, the pupil shall be so excused until the request is withdrawn. (2) In subsection (1)? (a ) the reference to religious education given in accordance with the school?s basic curriculum is to such education given in accordance with the provision included in the school?s basic curriculum by virtue of section 352(1)(a) of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996, and (b ) the reference to religious worship in the school includes religious worship which by virtue of paragraph 2(6) of Schedule 20 takes place otherwise than on the school premises. (3) Where in accordance with subsection (1) a pupil has been wholly or partly excused from receiving religious education or from attendance at religious worship and the local education authority are satisfied? (a ) that the parent of the pupil desires him to receive religious education of a kind which is not provided in the school during the periods of time during which he is so excused, (b ) that the pupil cannot with reasonable convenience be sent to another community, foundation or voluntary school where religious education of the kind desired by the parent is provided, and (c ) that arrangements have been made for him to receive religious education of that kind during school hours elsewhere, the pupil may be withdrawn from the school during such periods of time as are reasonably necessary for the purpose of enabling him to receive religious education in accordance with the arrangements." Help, which one gets a very anti-RE ASD teen out of RE?! VS
  10. I've had a quick look at this: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/disapply/disapp.shtml but it seems a lot more complicated than the ACE handbook makes out? Help. VS (Justamum, how, exactly, does one withdraw them for the reason you mention?)
  11. It goes on basic living costs. Enough to splash out on a hobby or extras? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... VS
  12. In my ACE handbook it states that parents can have their child disapplied from RE, but it doesn't say exactly what section of what act allows for this. Can any of you clever lot tell me where, in law, it says this then? If anyone has a link to the exact section, I'd be very grateful. (I'm thinking of years 9 and above here.) Many thanks, VS
  13. Just to let anyone who still remembers us know that we have now been home-edding for a while. We found a 25 hour statement basically unenforcable on the ground, despite jumping through all the legal hoops to try to rectify this. A change of school fell through and the situation left was just not going to work, especially with the catatonic speed at which our LEA would work to sort out another school. (If they ever manage it, they can come back to me.) We've joined EO and an on-line list for home-edders with special needs kids, and the support is invaluable. Luckily DS just loves the subscription to Learnpremium and will now work from books with little fuss. We're plugging the problem of what to write and how to structure it with an excellent programme, "Writing Skills" by Diana Hanbury King that I had shipped in from the USA via "Better Books". This programme was recommended by an EP (private) who specialises in dyslexia. DS has made huge progress with "Writing Skills Book A", but there are still 3 more workbooks to go. DS usually hates workbooks, but he can see the progress he is making and is just so much more cooperative at home than he was at school. He types and we glue his paragraphs etc in. Home-ed is certainly easier for us than school, but I've always loved teaching, having taught as a private tutor for various subjects and more formally at a university anyway, in the past. Doing "privates" is like slipping into an old glove really - quite cosy! I'd forgotten how much fun learning can be - if it is geared specifically to the actual child. Rather sad at how sour the current education system made us... and how that defeated feeling crept up and numbed our brains so we felt, for so long, that any other option was somehow "wrong". Now we feel free-range rather than battery, and the enthusiasm for going out and about and learning is returning. Yeah. Anyway, it's good to be able to report that we are happy rather than distressed. Wishing all faces, old and new, all the best. Take care, VS xx
  14. I looked into this at one point and spoke at length with one of a well-publicised provider's top bods. It wouldn't have worked for DS as the lessons are never differentiated - simply produced and fed out to the students with no individual modifications at all. They were also unable to help with the dyslexia or dyspraxia side of things, including being unable to deal with sorting out exam concessions like extra time, scribe/ammanuensis, laptop etc. At that time (about a year ago) they mainly dealt with children who had things like chronic fatigue syndrome, who simply need a system which enables them to replay lessons when they feel well enough. I don't know how much they have changed things now, but I agreed with top bod that it probably wouldn't be a good match for us. VS xx
  15. This post took me back (mine now 10 and 13). Since going GF/CF a huge amount of faddiness has gone for us. Lunchboxes are now something like rice crackers/ gf crackers or gf bread toasted, small pot GF/DF "butter" (+ plastic knife) plus a dollop of "topping" such as salmon and mayo, tuna, sweetcorn and mayo, ham, egg mayo, marmite, roast chicken and mayo or roast chicken chopped. It could be left over roast pork or beef sliced thinly. To this I add either 2 GF/CF sausages or roast chicken portions or boiled eggs or whatever. I cook in batches and freeze in portions ready to take out and defrost in the fridge the night before (or on the morning if the weather is v hot). They then have a piece of fresh fruit (apple, pear, banana in a "bananaguard" to stop it getting squashed, grapes in a tub). Then for break time they have a small pot of say sultanas or raisins and cashew nuts, dates with stones removed or figs with top bit cut off, dried apricots. I might put in just one or 2 (if they are small) GF/CF biscuits as this stops them from feeling they are missing out on "tuck". It may be one of Sainsbury's GF/CF "Free From" bars. I did put in muffins for a while, but the boys have outgrown these and say they are not really hungry after eating their main lunchbox. Finally they have a small carton of pure juice (apple, orange, pineapple, cranberry...) and a bottle of water, which they refill from school during the day. I don't think my boys would have given up their awful diets unless they had gone GF/CF as they were too addicted and it was just too hard to give up the foods they relied on for their fixes. Now they eat far more widely and are never hungry at or on return from school. We freeze the juice cartons to keep the lunchbox cool and you can do the same with water bottles so that the food says fresh. Putting all the food in separately does mean a lot of wrapping portions but it means the boys can enjoy putting their own lunch together and be as faddy as they like with that bit! ASDA sell little tiny tubs which helps. I do have a lot of washing up! VS
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