A FEW BASIC IDEAS

[mike charles]

I believe that I should set out a few basic tips that I have learned over the years from working with the wonderful children and parents in this field of the Law. As you may have read, I have spent years working with professionals in this country and beyond (USA), and have learned a lot from preparing legal cases, and cross examining experts.

 

A number of parents that I have lectured to, during my free parental workshops that I have conducted over the years have often spent time telling me that they believe that they have a better statement on the basis of the "number of hours" written within it.

 

Many seem to believe that learning support hours is the golden key to success - let me say; while it can help, it should certainly not be seen as a substitute for the "specialist help" that a child with ASD WILL almost certainly require. Also please take care as the wording within a statement for learning support should be specific, as often parents believe that their children are getting this support when in reality it is simply "available" in the class. Watch out for words such as "X shall have access to 10 hours learning support" - this does not mean that the local authority are obliged to actually deliver it on a regular basis, provided that "access" is given . A child may have access to support but may not actually request it. For a little one with language problems the prospect of "asking" can be a very daunting prospect indeed. It is a troublesome word! Other words such as "opportunities for" is another. Case law has established that statements should be specific and please look out for these phrases within statements. Very often local authorities may argue that these phrases are necessary for "flexibility", and while I agree that flexibility can have an important part to play it should not disquise the importance of the statement making actual provision, and neither should flexibility be built into a statement in an effort to avoid specificity or to under resource a school.

 

Please remember that learning support is just that; "support" but that means "support" for learning. It does not replace the need for "teaching" but should actually reinforce the teaching. That is all the more reason why expertise is required in the first place, through the specialist teaching services and therapists, with that work being reinforced by the majority of those learning support assistants who are truly dedicated and who usually provide a very important service.

 

 

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See also the pinned topics at the start of this Education board.

 

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