Lsa questions and annual review

[bluefish]

Hi, I have ds first annual review in a couple of weeks and have been given the form to fill in, can anyone tell me if the questions relate to the lea or the school?in terms of "what do you feel we can do to support your child further "etc

 

My second queestion relates to the lsa what I can expect and how to handle my huge concerns.

I was parent helping in school today in the foundation stage where ds is, so saw first hand his lsa in action(or lack of it) I have been concerned by his home school book that he seems to get almost no 1-1 and is doing things that he was more than able to do at least a year ago. He is being taught jolly phonics which have totally confused him and words he could read(recognise) before he started nursery (almost 2 years ago) he now cant do as he just does actions and sounds. It was recomended he be taught to read by whole word recognition and this has been ignored. At parents evening a week ago I brought up my concerns about the phonics and that he was confused, and I was told "all children do this he is not blending sounds yet" I mentioned that I thought they might teach him whole word recognition as recomended and was told "he is the best in the class for phonics,he has got it really well stop worrying" Ds has a photographic memory of course he can remember the signs grrrrr the problem is he has no idea that they have anything to do with reading!

I saw first hand today lsa turn up 15 mins late, then do 10mins 1-1 sentences with words ds knows and has known for a long time.. then... NOTHING she wandered about and chatted to teachers while he played. then it was music and ds was led off with the others and still she chatted and joined the class about 10mins later????? at break she stood and drank coffee outside while ds "played" then it was IT and ds went with the others and again she did not go with him untill at least 10mins later! when the children were having a story she was not sat with him and he kept shouting out random things. she also approached me with a huge smile and said "we are not bothering with his visual time table as it was a waste of time last week he knows what to do"

I really want and need to raise my conserns but ok HOW it is not personal I like the lsa but she clearly has no clue about autism and seems to think as long as he is not kicking off her job is done.

ds is as (well hfa) and has ability to do well but school think as he is coping no problem!

I deal with the meldowns at home when something has been changed, also he is "into" numbers and before reception he was able to recognize over 1000 and do sums so am suprised he his not getting any 1-1 with math and his book is coming back with worked on 1-5???????

School see me a a pain in the backside as I have had to question every thing and make sure they are doing their job.. I am tired of being hated and can not believe I am going to have to tackle them AGAIN.

How do I tackle the way they are implementing his statement?

Help....

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[bjkmummy]

hi, i feel for you. my son is now 7 and dont think we have progressed past reception age and hes in year 3. hes just got a new lsa - ive never met her but things she writes in his book make me feel uncomfortable. a few weeks ago a child was upsetting ben so he told the child to leave him alone, ben got told of and lost his place on the 'golden cloud' he had never been off the golden cloud before so was distraught when he came home as he felt he would lose his golden time on a friday - i put a note in his book and noone replied. ny concern was that ben should have a lsa with him all the time - i finally got a reply today and the lsa said she was unaware as to what had happened so where was she then????

 

i would write down your concerns and raise then with the school - sorry im nut really much use but just really wanted to know that i had read your thread

[Karen A]

Hi.I understand how you feel.Ben is in year 6 and has had a Statement for the last three years.We are still fighting to ensure that provision is provided as per the Statement three years on.

I would suggest that you document your concerns as you have written them here and submit them in writing to the Annual Review.The SENCO should have written fourteen days before the AR asking if you wish to submit anything.If the Statement clearly documents the amount of 1:1 and documents what the TA should be doing and/or you have reason to suspect that support is not being provided as per the Statement then it would be a good idea to state that clearly in the letter.

You can write to Children's services [the SEN section on the Statement probably the senior statementing officer.If you phone the council they will be able to tell you the name of the person you need].Write and complain that your child is not being provided with support in line with his Statement]I will find the draft letter in a minute and post the web site.

If you find on looking at the Statement that it might not be specific enough to show that the TA is not providing the support you were expecting you could also try asking at the AR for the Statement to be amended so that it is tighter.

Parent Partnership may be able to support you although some are more supportive and independent from the LA than others.You could also take somone else to come with you to the AR to support you and take notes...a friend for example.

From painful experience I would suggest that you are very clear about your concerns now.We were less forceful in the early days when I was new on the Forum.The school just continued along their merry way.

I am tired of being hated too. Karen.

[Karen A]

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1068&a=6741

This is the NAS info on Annual Reviews.

[Karen A]

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/sevenfixes.htm#NonImplementation

This is the IPSEA draft letter re provision not being given in line with the Statement of SEN.

[Karen A]

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

This is the ACE information on Annual Reviews.

You could also have a look at the information in the Code Of Practice.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Karen A

[bluefish]

Thank you for replies and support!

 

will keep you posted....

Parent helped again today and ds recived 8 mins where lsa was present in a 1 hr period of 1-1 support and that was with another child ds choose to paint a picture with while lsa wrote in his diary and did not even engage with my son.....

at one point he left the area and it was almost 15 min before she noticed... and then slowly and causualyn went to find him. unbelievable.. yes True.... YES

I have spoken to his class teacher and am due to meet at lengh after school tomorrow to discuss my concerns about the lsa and what school are doing not only to educate ds but to keep him safe

[peaches]

Does she know who you are? Mind you thats not the point. I really cant believe she has the cheek. I dont know how you manage to compose yourself. Dont you feel tempted to tell her to get on with what she is supposed to be doing? I think you need to complain formally so your child gets the support he needs.

 

I used to be a year one teacher. We had a nursery nurse who consistently did as you describe. None of the teacher's wanted her as she was either off sick or getting a coffee or doing something totally irrelevant. She always had a cast iron alibi though! She had worked in the school for years and I think when she first started her job there wasnt much to do, but as more and more children came to the school with increasingly complex needs, her time was in great demand. I used to regularly feel like tearing my hair out as I had a child in my class who hadnt been statemented but needed one to one as he functioned basically as a 2 year old. The problem was, it wasnt my job to discipline her, that was for the head to do, but I had to plan units of work around her and she never fulfilled the requirements. She wasted my time and the children's time. I left the school, she is still there and apparently still as useless as ever.

[Karen A]

Thank you for replies and support!

 

will keep you posted....

Parent helped again today and ds recived 8 mins where lsa was present in a 1 hr period of 1-1 support and that was with another child ds choose to paint a picture with while lsa wrote in his diary and did not even engage with my son.....

at one point he left the area and it was almost 15 min before she noticed... and then slowly and causualyn went to find him. unbelievable.. yes True.... YES

I have spoken to his class teacher and am due to meet at lengh after school tomorrow to discuss my concerns about the lsa and what school are doing not only to educate ds but to keep him safe

 

If you have concerns about the ability of school to provide a safe environment then please do put that in writing too.Karen.

 

[bluefish]

Hi and thanks once again for all replies.

I met with is teacher and head of foundation and the gloves were off. I left no stone unturned and told them everything I was unhappy with. I highlighted "Personal safety" I also explained how disgusted I was with the casual approach to his needs.His teacher openly admitted she does his time table and has no idea what to put so plucks things out of the air... that random timetable is then given to an lsa who is just marking time....

Why oh why are special needs so neglected?

However I had contacted specialist advisory teaching service with conserns about him being unsuported and also to find out when they would visit as he has 12hrs a year imput from them on his statement. Well lucky for me me they made an on the spot visit the day after I raised my HUGE concerns. Lsa had REMOVED visual timtable as "he knows what he is doing" and although I have not spoken to her it seems she backed up everything I said and more.

The following day his teachers were using signs and sent home lots of word flash cards for whole word recognition!

That was yesterday. I had told his teacher as she did not know how to do the timetable and what sort of things/activities it should include I said I would help so have spent most of the day printing off 1-1 and small group activities for ds for school to use and info sheets on social stories etc

I feel that with what I have seen so far I am the only person capable of teaching him...But he loves school and I dont want to take that away from him(yet unles I have to) I spent all of last night making school a visual timetable that will work for ds.I just hope that things will improve? I meet again with alll staff incliding senco and head on wednesday.And his annual review has been brought forward.so watch this space....

 

I have been very nieve thinking lsa's would be trained in autisum. I have been very nieive thinking everyone would care and take it as seriously as I do

 

[Karen A]

Hi and thanks once again for all replies.

I met with is teacher and head of foundation and the gloves were off. I left no stone unturned and told them everything I was unhappy with. I highlighted "Personal safety" I also explained how disgusted I was with the casual approach to his needs.His teacher openly admitted she does his time table and has no idea what to put so plucks things out of the air... that random timetable is then given to an lsa who is just marking time....

Why oh why are special needs so neglected?

However I had contacted specialist advisory teaching service with conserns about him being unsuported and also to find out when they would visit as he has 12hrs a year imput from them on his statement. Well lucky for me me they made an on the spot visit the day after I raised my HUGE concerns. Lsa had REMOVED visual timtable as "he knows what he is doing" and although I have not spoken to her it seems she backed up everything I said and more.

The following day his teachers were using signs and sent home lots of word flash cards for whole word recognition!

That was yesterday. I had told his teacher as she did not know how to do the timetable and what sort of things/activities it should include I said I would help so have spent most of the day printing off 1-1 and small group activities for ds for school to use and info sheets on social stories etc

I feel that with what I have seen so far I am the only person capable of teaching him...But he loves school and I dont want to take that away from him(yet unles I have to) I spent all of last night making school a visual timetable that will work for ds.I just hope that things will improve? I meet again with alll staff incliding senco and head on wednesday.And his annual review has been brought forward.so watch this space....

 

I have been very nieve thinking lsa's would be trained in autisum. I have been very nieive thinking everyone would care and take it as seriously as I do

 

Hi.Just don't be too keen to do all of the school's work for them.I did that and am still doing it three years on.The TA was used to do all manner of things last year while I was kept very busy indeed being helpful.....providing Social Skills groups,OT etc at home .In the end we have had to fight to have OT programme put back on the Statement because OT was not doing anything whilst I put the hours in. am a nurse and worrked in Rehab and also trained as a TA.

It might be worth asking for training for the TA and the whole school.That is what the advisory teacher is there for.Karen.

Edited November 9, 2008 by Karen A