Choosing a high school , help.

[Suze]

Hello everyone, back from holiday from hell!(thats another post in itself!).A few questions for all you wise ones.I,m currently looking at high schools AS son in year 5 and will start HS sept 2006.Been advised by LEA to look now as annual review is this month and HS will be discussed then.Been to both local HS,s one seems to have more of an idea of AS than the other one.Also been to HS 15miles away as it has an AS resource.The teacher who runs this was fantastic and appearred to have a good understanding of the problems our kids have in school.But my main concern is has anyone managed to disapply their child from certain subjects before they enter the high school.Both the local HS,s won,t disapply him from a language, and insist he do one for the first year.I find this pointless as he is Dyslexic and can,t understand the english language yet.I would rather he spent the time when he should be doing french learning typing skills so he can access a computer to work on.The HS with the AS resource can do the curriculum to suit the child so my son can do more maths and english and less of the subjects that would be of no use to him. He has a reading age of 6yrs 6mnths ,but a very high IQ so I need a HS to recognise this and give him lessons to suit.He currently is statemented for 13hrs lsa.Also we have a real issue with homework and I have stressed to the sencos from the HS that I won,t be able to get him to do this ,he simply refuses and I can,t cope with the fights that happen because of this.The senco,s from the local schools said all children were expected to do homework.The senco from the AS resource school said he could do his homework at school with LSA help, a better idea I think.So has anyone managed to get a school to disapply a child pre-admission for certain subjects and how do you cope with the homework issueand how understanding have you find High Schools are to this problem.

[Helen]

Suze,

 

It was agreed before my son left primary that he ought to be disapplied from the French and Welsh language subjects.

The senco from the AS resource school said he could do his homework at school with LSA help, a better idea I think

My son has an issue with homework, he will agree to do a piece of homework during part of his disapplication time as this takes the edge of him when he has any homework to complete at home.

 

The disapplication and the 'homework exercise in school' approach has been written into his Statement.

He currently is statemented for 13hrs lsa.

Is the LEA's teacher for Dyslexia involved in your son's education? Does your son have a Dyslexia programme - which should be implemented by a trained member of staff? Does he have a handwriting programme? Has he been given an ICT assessment by the LEA's ICT officer to see if he's eligible to use a laptop for his schoolwork. You should be asking for more LSA hours - your son has a dx of Dyslexia, the English language is used throughout the national curriculum and therefore your son ought to have support throughout the national curriculum.

 

Here are a few links to do with disapplication:

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=1576

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.ph...t=0entry10163

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.ph...t=0entry11745

 

I vaguely remember typing a post about Dyslexia and disapplication - I provided a link to a Dyslexia website that had information about disapplication... sorry but I can't find it.

Edited April 14, 2005 by Helen

[Suze]

Thanks Helen, he has 2hrs specialist literacy provided by a lea specialist teacher each week.Also one hr typing tuition to help him to use a computer when he is able to type effectively.He does have a specialist Dyslexia programme I think it,s the Hickey course.Shall mention the ICT assessment.Thanks for allthe links glad to know the dissapplication is possible prior to starting school.Shall also push for homework stratergies in the statement.Links are brill thanks Suze.

[Helen]

Shall mention the ICT assessment.

Suze,

 

I didn't know until now that your son is receiving typing tuition... in that case, take caution in mentioning the ICT assessment.

 

The typing tuition has already been acknowledged as a valuable aid to support your son in a specific area of weakness, if you enquire now about the assessment the ICT officer could review your son's typing provision and rule out the use of a laptop due to budgetary reasons, whereas if you don't mention anything for the time being then the natural course of action would be for your son to continue receiving the typing tuition and then have access to a laptop when his typing skills have improved.

 

Gauge the situation as you go along, if the typing tuition is suddenly withdrawn and there isn't any mention of the use of a laptop then request an ICT assessment.

Shall also push for homework stratergies in the statement

As homework is an issue for your son you could ask for a reduction in homework, flexibility in extended deadlines and permission for your son to do his homework on the computer (if this method suits him) - if a school has certain expectations of your son then the school ought to meet your son half way. Edited April 14, 2005 by Helen

[Helen]

Suze,

 

As the SATs are looming I was wondering if you have approached the headteacher with a request for extra time for your son during these exams? If you haven't done this, then make the request - officially it may be too late as plans for exam arrangements tend to be made around the month of December, but it all depends if you have a generous headteacher, he/she could agree to your request.

 

My son was diagnosed with AS during the month of March, I asked for the time concession a little while later and was granted it, along with a prompter if need be and a quiet room if need be.

 

As you have the annual review this month you can provide four extra examples of needed support from this thread, for these examples to be written into your son's Statement.

*more LSA support

*disapplication

*homework reduction etc

*extra time in external and internal exam conditions.

 

The following link will take you to ?Dyslexia Parents Resource, Test and Exam Arrangements (UK):

 

http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/statement3.html#top

Edited April 15, 2005 by Helen

[Suze]

Thanks so much for all this help Helen you sound very knowledgeable(is that a word ?).The one hour typing was provided in his statement because he finds writing such a struggle(2 words a minute and over half spelt wrong).I was going to ask them to increase this at the annnual reveiw, so that hopefully by high schooltime he could use a computer and acccess the curriculum better.I,ll go nuts if they take this away although I don,t think this would happen as the school believe none of his hours will be taken away. He does,nt have his sats this year but has just done the annual tests for literacy and maths.All 50 of his spellings were incorrect, his reading age had improved and his maths had made little headway.He did,nt complete some of the tests and it was all read to him.His lsa wrote down the answers for him.I shall definitely make sure concessions for exams are in his statement.Homework is a huge problem, the suggestion of it brings on a huge frown, I have to get rid of the other kids and try and keep the area quiet.Then keep him on trackcoax him bribe him.If he does,nt understand, makes a mistake etc he begins a strop which very often results in throwing chairs shouting, he goes to his room cries I cry ,wrecks his room and slams the door.The result is a ruined sunday morning and both of us upset.No work completed!My daughter has begun to mirror this behaviour and thats why I feel so strongly that if this homework could be done at school it would be a huge help.Suze.

[Helen]

He does,nt have his sats this year but has just done the annual tests for literacy and maths.

Sorry Suze, I misunderstood somehow...

He did,nt complete some of the tests and it was all read to him.His lsa wrote down the answers for him

... sorry to be so precise but I take it that it was your son who provided the answers and the LSA wrote these answers on his behalf? This method of support ought to be written into your son's Statement - a person who writes from dictation is known as an 'Amanuensis'.

 

Check out the link below, certain concessions are mentioned on page 1 under the heading 'For Key Stage 3 and above' - have a look at the last paragraph, some of the concessions in that paragraph were offered to my son when he took his Key Stage 2 SATs - Amanuensis is mentioned in the paragraph.

 

http://www.oaasis.co.uk/Documents/edu/Exam...rrangements.pdf

[Suze]

Thanks again Helen, yes his lsa wrote his answers down for him.Thanks for all the info shall compile a wish list for the annual review.Suze.

[admum]

Just a thought - would you consider a specialist dyslexia school? Increasingly they seem to be taking asd children. My son is at such a school that also specilases in dyspraxia. Hes also year 5 and we're looking at the mo and facing his review shortly. His dx is aspergers, adhd and dyspraxia. I dont think he will cope in mainstream and didnt want an lsa next to him all the time. He prefers the small class size - 8 but does get a bit frustrated as his reading ability is way beyond his contemporaries. But his maths is several years behind. the social side is the worst and i cant see hoiw he wouldnt be bullied in a large mainstream secondary. He was in a large mainstream primary and wasnt coping. Have a look at the gabbitas guide for sen. Good luck