cdat / medical diagnosis

[KateBall]

I had the annual review yesterday and it went ok for the most part. After digesting our discussions 1 thing has been bugging me.

The ed psych said that ds had been referred back to SALT for further assessment. SENCO now convinced (as we have been for many years!) that ds has a communication disorder. The cdat assessed ds some 2/3 years ago and concluded he was merely "socially immature" (load of rubbish we have always said and school now agrees and annoyed they had no input in the assessment process). Anyway up to now "communication delay" has been mentioned - well thats rubbish too as we all knew. But Ed psych said if I wanted a diagnosis other than autism I would have to ask my GP to deal with it - as it would involve a medical diagnosis.

 

I just wondered what you all thought since surely the cdat - stands for Communication Disorder Assessment Team and they shouldn't just be looking at "autism". Surely if my ds has a communication disorder - as we all think - whether its autism or not - then thats also for them to assess??

 

Also HT said she would prefer ds not to do SATS next year as he won't cope with them and would have to have a reader for the paper and it would upset him and the others doing the test. Ed psych said give him a bogus paper and that will help his self esteem.

 

Do your children do SATS and are you bothered?

[rach04]

sorry i cant comment on the first bit as i have no experience with this.

 

 

but sats..... my ds1 took his at 7 in a different room with a reader.(real paper) these are sort of put in to classroom work at this age and neither of my boys really knew they were going on.

But the ones he has in may i have suggested he doesnt do as hes stressed already this year about going up to seniors and the extra work load he has had to cope with, these are in proper exam conditions which will stress him out too as he has to sit in once place and be quiet.

At my nephews school (nt) they dont do them at all!!!

Edited December 8, 2007 by rach04

[Mumble]

Sorry, I don't know about the first bit either, but:

Also HT said she would prefer ds not to do SATS next year as he won't cope with them and would have to have a reader for the paper and it would upset him and the others doing the test. Ed psych said give him a bogus paper and that will help his self esteem.

This sounds to me like HT doesn't want the bother of arranging a reader and another room. Of course a reader would disturb other kids - that's why it's done in another room

You have to decide whether you want your son to do the SATs (would doing them distress him more than not doing them when the other children are talking about them) and then, I'm afraid, very bluntly tell the HT to do her job and put in place special arrangements - spearate room, reader, scribe if necessary, longer time, regular breaks . . .

[JsMum]

J has learning difficulties and for his year 6 sats they are having a interpretator and someone to read the questions, I want J to do Sats as I want to know his strengths as he is very capable in science, maths so It would be very interesting to know his ability, he is doing English as we want to know know his level though we know it will be substantially lower, it still will be interesting, he has level 1 at the moment, so working at level 2.

 

we are hoping for level 3s for science and level 2/3 for maths.

 

Js main problems are reading, processing, time to input and out put, and then displaying his answer, been dyslexia he will mix letters and mumbers the wrong way round though he may of actually have given the right answer.

 

Both me and the school have agreed that J will do it alone with a representative and an interpretator with no other children and in a small area away from distractions, the school can do a lot to support the child in SATS if you feel that your child has ability in some subjects so do discuss this, if they are suggesting he wont manage it they need to put in writing with the reasons he can not do it.

 

We are going for it as J attends secondary school in september.

 

JsMum

[KateBall]

Thanks Rach- sounds like could be very stressful to do the real thing.

 

Mumble - yeh I did wonder if this was the reason although she also genuinely said that there was little point as he wouldn't be able to do them. However I think I need to know what's involved in the SATS - so I can also judge whether he can do them or be stressed by them. I think you may have hit nail on head. When SATS were an issue a year of so ago (can't remember) he did seem perturbed by being the only one not doing it. But then would he also be perturbed by the only one doing them in another room? Hence might be best to take up Ed Psychs suggestion of giving him a false one that we know he could do.

 

JSMum - I think your're right too and I need them to let me know in writing their reasons he can't do it. I think thats what I'll do - ask her to elaborate on what will be involved for him if he does it and why she thinks he can't.

 

Is it going to mess up her target figures he if does it and brings the level down? Is that what its all about? Or am I really being cynical here.

[rach04]

Is it going to mess up her target figures he if does it and brings the level down? :

 

 

yep

Edited December 8, 2007 by rach04

[MichelleW]

J did his SATs last year , but I'm not sure how it was done. I expressed my concerns and was told by teacher that it was done over several days and incorporated into the general lessons so he wouldn't know any difference. She did feel that his level of attainment would be knocked down by his inability to use imagination for writing stories. He is also unable to structure stories so she was going to ask if she could give him extra support for that. I also wondered if they were more concerned about their ratings! I would rather have had a realistic grade, as I would hope it would be used as evidence when I do start the statement process. As it is, he appears to have gone down a level - maybe the teacher in his junior school is more realistic.

 

I'm not sure when J would have to do more SATs, but I'm sure when the time comes, I will try to get as much detail as to how they will deal with it.

 

Does your child have one to one sessions in other areas? If he does, then doing work in a room on his own with a support assistant may not be new to him.

[rach04]

they do sats at 7 so year 2 and then another lot in yr6.

[KateBall]

Does your child have one to one sessions in other areas? If he does, then doing work in a room on his own with a support assistant may not be new to him.

 

 

That's true.

[KateBall]

they do sats at 7 so year 2 and then another lot in yr6.

 

 

When he was supposed to do SATS - and thanks Rach it must have been year 2 - I remember I had some doubt as to whether he was doing them. He became very stressed and had a naughty incident of some sort and I said I put it down to SATS going on but they said he wasn't doing them so it couldn't be. Then later they said he did do them. So I think this time I must get clarification.