not getting on with SENCO help!!

[Feather]

Hi, I am new to the forum and have a recently diagnosed 15 year old son, on the Autistic spectrum. He has a statement in school for ASD, and has 12 hours support. The SENCO is not much help at all and is constantly on the phone to me complaining about his behavior, which is from our point of view down to his autism, and school not meeting his needs. She was constantly using the word suspension as well! She is new to the job and doesn't seem to know what she is doing, and would rather blame my son than her own incompetence. He is out of school and in a centre at the moment for sick children, and only does 2 hours a day in the afternoon. They are very good and help him with work, but why should he have had to have gone there because he wasn't coping very well in school and was allowed to get to the point of losing it regularly. The SENCO is not bothered that he has only just been diagnosed and has had no intervention until now, and the Head teacher seems to have the same opinion. Has anyone else had these problems and could give me some advice? Poll

[Sally44]

If the SENCO is having problems at school they should be asking for outside professional advice from the Educational Psychologist or the Autism Outreach Teacher.

Are you also sure that all the support outlined in the Statement is being carried out. I have recently found out that aspects of my son's statement are not being fulfilled when I was led to believe they were. So do check.

If he is being excluded is that being recorded properly. There are procedures that the school has to follow. Phone IPSEA for specific advice on this.

Do you have any contact with your local Parent Partnership. They are based and employed by the LEA and their job is to support parents with these types of issues. They can come with you to meetings at school and know the procedure that school should be following. So it is useful to have them there. You can also ask them to make notes of the meeting so that they are witnesses to anything said or agreed at these meetings.

Ask the SENCO to put in writing to you the difficulties they are having with your son in school.

Also send in a 'clarification' letter stating what the SENCO has told you, and asking them what advice they have sought from the EP or AAT whose job it is to give advice in these situations?

It sounds like he is currently not in an educational placement that is suitable for his educational needs.

When is your Annual Review for the Statement?

Have you spoken with the LEA exclusion officer about this situation?

Again, remember to put everything in writing, because if you do end up at an educational tribunal asking for extra support in the Statement and a different placement (maybe ASD specific?), then you need the written evidence of all these difficulties. So it is VERY important that it is all recorded correctly by school and detailed in letters or reports.

[Sally44]

If the situation is so bad you can request an emergency review of the Statement. Again the National Autistic Societies educational helpline or IPSEA should have more detailed information on that. The ISPEA website also has template letters that you can use to help you write to school.

[Feather]

If the situation is so bad you can request an emergency review of the Statement. Again the National Autistic Societies educational helpline or IPSEA should have more detailed information on that. The ISPEA website also has template letters that you can use to help you write to school.

HI, thanks for your advice. We have got a review meeting for January. This is because we are going back to see the specialist again for some more strategies and advice. I do have someone from parent in partnership who is very good, but can only do so much. School have had two people from the LEIS service into school, one recommended social stories last year and nothing has been done. The second one only looked at his behaviour, not strategies for his ASD. I have been told that his funding only pays for two visits, which he has now had. The LEIS is now on their third new person, and school is now on it's third psychologist. It is ridiculous they come in and know nothing about your child, and don't look at what was recommended before. Probably like everyone else with their child, it all looks good on paper, but not much of it is actually carried out. He goes to speech and language and a programme has been sent into school, and I know they are not doing it with him. I would love to have changed his school, but it is too late as he is now in year 11 and well into his GCSE's. I do also have advice from the NAS, and do suggest things in school, but again it goes in one ear and out the other. As I said before it is easier for school to blame my child. From Poll

[smiley1590]

i now nearly 20 still 19 years old i have a part time job but ..... thought this help you hearing this hope it does .....

 

my parents struggled battled fought for years with my SENCO and paedtrician in my juniors school my muum had to insist that i was assessed for dyspraxia as known then child Clumsy Syndrome (CCS) paedtrician didn't want to do assesment on me but my mum pleaded and begged him to see whether i walked in and show any of my 'normal' physical signs of it which i did he reckons i didn't show hardly any didn't tick no boxes i ticked nearly all of them!!! my mum wrote down my difficulties looking back in my SEN paperwork folder also overlaps over to AS too!

 

it took ages for them to agree and it to come to anything as my Senco had a word with paedtrician he agreed with her and what she said and thought that my mum was 'overprotective' and wanted attention for herself and was making up she said why would i make up my child suffers from this condition to make it harder and difficult for her!!! my school weren't that supportive and helpful towards my 'individual needs' i know they didn't understand ASD back then and AS weren't even know but i do angry and hurt when i heard what they put my parents through it disgusting hideous it thanks to my parents all way through this long winding road ive been through i found education so tough for children like myself such a hard struggle batltle everyday so lost confused and frustrating affects your low self-esteem

 

even when bullied nothing was done to protect me keep me safe i kept quiet thought it was 'normal' friends did that i that had no friends 2 dinnerladies 'my angels' i used to hang about with a lunch felt safe then i couldn't find the words i labelled 'naughty' etc send out a alot which i had no control over!!! so painful even now thinking about it that why awareness,knowledge and understanding is needed all time tyo be updated on SEN types to prevent this from becoming in this complicated sticky awful mess my school couldn't be bothered it more work and effort for them if they did something about it so wrong! as you still look back and think things over now replay them over thinking how could been challenged and handled much better positive way!!!

 

they asked me to 'try harder' which i always did how ever difficult it was and frustrating i used to angry so played as knew i was different to my peers they could 'do things' i just couldn't and i wanted to know 'why' i blamed myself for having it! (still do) thanks to that low self-esteem but having them around didn't raise it once lost hard to get back and i'll never have back 'my childhood' they stole and robbed harsh words but my reality no one should make to feel 'small' not wanted /needed or respected that why now working in childcare myself i glad to see more equality with development and learning with 'open eyes' to rescue others for our nightmares of hell!

 

so i know how it feels and how situation can be easy to fall into 'the trap'

 

take care

good luck

XKLX

[Sally44]

Have you heard of an organisation called BIBIC?

They are a charity that carry out assessments and make recommendations on therapies and strategies to be used in school and at home. They can't force school, but it is good advice. They see all kinds of neurological problems including ASDs and they see children up to the age of 18. Their advice and assessments might be useful to you?

Their address is www.bibic.org.uk

[Feather]

i now nearly 20 still 19 years old i have a part time job but ..... thought this help you hearing this hope it does .....

 

my parents struggled battled fought for years with my SENCO and paedtrician in my juniors school my muum had to insist that i was assessed for dyspraxia as known then child Clumsy Syndrome (CCS) paedtrician didn't want to do assesment on me but my mum pleaded and begged him to see whether i walked in and show any of my 'normal' physical signs of it which i did he reckons i didn't show hardly any didn't tick no boxes i ticked nearly all of them!!! my mum wrote down my difficulties looking back in my SEN paperwork folder also overlaps over to AS too!

 

it took ages for them to agree and it to come to anything as my Senco had a word with paedtrician he agreed with her and what she said and thought that my mum was 'overprotective' and wanted attention for herself and was making up she said why would i make up my child suffers from this condition to make it harder and difficult for her!!! my school weren't that supportive and helpful towards my 'individual needs' i know they didn't understand ASD back then and AS weren't even know but i do angry and hurt when i heard what they put my parents through it disgusting hideous it thanks to my parents all way through this long winding road ive been through i found education so tough for children like myself such a hard struggle batltle everyday so lost confused and frustrating affects your low self-esteem

 

even when bullied nothing was done to protect me keep me safe i kept quiet thought it was 'normal' friends did that i that had no friends 2 dinnerladies 'my angels' i used to hang about with a lunch felt safe then i couldn't find the words i labelled 'naughty' etc send out a alot which i had no control over!!! so painful even now thinking about it that why awareness,knowledge and understanding is needed all time tyo be updated on SEN types to prevent this from becoming in this complicated sticky awful mess my school couldn't be bothered it more work and effort for them if they did something about it so wrong! as you still look back and think things over now replay them over thinking how could been challenged and handled much better positive way!!!

 

they asked me to 'try harder' which i always did how ever difficult it was and frustrating i used to angry so played as knew i was different to my peers they could 'do things' i just couldn't and i wanted to know 'why' i blamed myself for having it! (still do) thanks to that low self-esteem but having them around didn't raise it once lost hard to get back and i'll never have back 'my childhood' they stole and robbed harsh words but my reality no one should make to feel 'small' not wanted /needed or respected that why now working in childcare myself i glad to see more equality with development and learning with 'open eyes' to rescue others for our nightmares of hell!

 

so i know how it feels and how situation can be easy to fall into 'the trap'

 

take care

good luck

XKLX

 

 

Thankyou so much for your reply, it means alot to me at this time. I am so glad that you have come out the other side of the school system as such a strong person. I am also really pleased that you are working, and what a good job in child care. What you have described is exactly what we are going through right now, especially my son. I sometimes think he hates us for getting him diagnosed, but know that he will come to terms with it all eventually. It is nice to hear your side of it, and that you did appreciate what your Mum did for you, and the battles she had to go through, as well as yourself. Take care xx

 

[purplehaze]

hello Poll, My son is 15 and I took him out of school last year to attend a specialist SEN outreach programme as I was having similar problems to you. Professionals were supporting us but the school just didn't understand him at all and we were all getting annoyed with them-so it just wasn't working.

 

Have you tried phoning someone from your parent partnership to support you-sometimes they are good sometimes they don't do much it depends!!!! or your local autism group may help????

 

You need to look at his statement and IEP-do they match-is your son getting the right support? What support is he getting, what support do you think he needs???

 

I always found it best to write this stuff down and know exactly what he was getting or should be getting what he wasn't getting and what he needed and know the legal stuff-look in the SEN code of practice, know the statement objectives, call a interum review if they are saying they might exclude or are sending him out to somewhere else etc

 

 

[Feather]

hello Poll, My son is 15 and I took him out of school last year to attend a specialist SEN outreach programme as I was having similar problems to you. Professionals were supporting us but the school just didn't understand him at all and we were all getting annoyed with them-so it just wasn't working.

 

Have you tried phoning someone from your parent partnership to support you-sometimes they are good sometimes they don't do much it depends!!!! or your local autism group may help????

 

You need to look at his statement and IEP-do they match-is your son getting the right support? What support is he getting, what support do you think he needs???

 

I always found it best to write this stuff down and know exactly what he was getting or should be getting what he wasn't getting and what he needed and know the legal stuff-look in the SEN code of practice, know the statement objectives, call a interum review if they are saying they might exclude or are sending him out to somewhere else etc

 

Hi there, thanks for your reply. What is the specialist SEN outreach programme? I haven't heard of it before. I do have a parent partnership person for support and she is very good. The centre he is in at the moment have told school that he is doing really well there and working hard, and don't understand why school are having problems with him. The problem is the SENCO not doing her job properly! All the things like the IEP etc look good on paper but school are not carrying things out properly and are dragging their feet over things that should be in place. We are going back to see the specialist in a few weeks for some advice and I have asked for the review to be held after this, and it will be in January now. Poll xx

[teresa london]

Hi poll, I so do understand what you are going through. I just this year understand part of all this system with SEN and schools. If it wasn't for a parent at the Autistic Society saying: "He needs a statment" and me asking what is a statment? and then going to a PP to find out also advised by a parents Aut. Soc. meeting. I would not even know was on Action Plus and school should do certain things to suport them. My son is only in year two and since I asked SENco Is $ on Action or Action Plus the problem statted with SENco. The more knowlege I have the more I understand they school has the obligation of informing you of every step. The thing is again it is on paper on the IEP which I now know what it is but nothing is done. They call him stuborn and so on... Met with head and said he would apply for assesment to LEA and all involved had a meting and agreed EP, etc and then in a meeting with EP she said she would never support a statment because he was achiving according to teacher. Yesterday, teacher showed that he is on a low year 1 ($ atends year 2) and I should work with him on this that and the other for him to improve. I continue to get contradiction of information. I thought to expose it to Board of Governors and did but never got an answer. Even when I asked for school records under the DATA PROTECTION ACT they sent me some IEP copies and leter I wrote to school.

 

So having a statment does not seem to work anyway. It is all over the country this problem of parents fighting for their kids rights. I think we all should think of a way to come toghether (even parents of kids with other disabilities not beeing ASD) and make a protest to the goverment. The Lamb report did not work either.

 

I hope you get through to get the school to understand but ..... it is very sad that people who have a responsability and duty to children let them down.

 

All the best and let us know how you get on.

 

Kind Regards

[Feather]

Hi poll, I so do understand what you are going through. I just this year understand part of all this system with SEN and schools. If it wasn't for a parent at the Autistic Society saying: "He needs a statment" and me asking what is a statment? and then going to a PP to find out also advised by a parents Aut. Soc. meeting. I would not even know was on Action Plus and school should do certain things to suport them. My son is only in year two and since I asked SENco Is $ on Action or Action Plus the problem statted with SENco. The more knowlege I have the more I understand they school has the obligation of informing you of every step. The thing is again it is on paper on the IEP which I now know what it is but nothing is done. They call him stuborn and so on... Met with head and said he would apply for assesment to LEA and all involved had a meting and agreed EP, etc and then in a meeting with EP she said she would never support a statment because he was achiving according to teacher. Yesterday, teacher showed that he is on a low year 1 ($ atends year 2) and I should work with him on this that and the other for him to improve. I continue to get contradiction of information. I thought to expose it to Board of Governors and did but never got an answer. Even when I asked for school records under the DATA PROTECTION ACT they sent me some IEP copies and leter I wrote to school.

 

So having a statment does not seem to work anyway. It is all over the country this problem of parents fighting for their kids rights. I think we all should think of a way to come toghether (even parents of kids with other disabilities not beeing ASD) and make a protest to the goverment. The Lamb report did not work either.

 

I hope you get through to get the school to understand but ..... it is very sad that people who have a responsability and duty to children let them down.

 

All the best and let us know how you get on.

 

Kind Regards

 

 

 

Hi thanks for your reply. Did you know that when you write to the governors you need to find out who the SEN governor is, and address it to them We had a school meeting that the SEN governor attended, and the Head was not happy. I have some good news for everyone, my son's specialist invited the SENCO to attend his next appointment, which was yesterday. He told her that they were not addressing my son's ASD needs, and making the classic mistake oft treating him as a child with behavioural problems, instead of addressing his ASD needs. He is sending a letter to the Head about what they need to be doing and then we have got the next review in January. I am hoping they will take it all on board, but I wont hold my breath!! At least they can't keep blaming my son anymore for their incompetence. Will keep you updated. From Poll

 

[purplehaze]

 

Hello Poll, good news about the school getting told they need to support your son more.

 

The outreach programme my son goes too-is part of a sencondary SEN school but he doesn't go to the actual school classes -it's based in another smaller biulding not that far away from the school, he does different things instead based on his interests (there are about 7 children that attend and they all have individualised timetables), but they do things (depending on the children) like work experience, cooking, social/leaisure stuff (swimming, pool, cinema etc), entry level maths & English. My son loves cars & bikes so he has driving lessons with a small group, work experience in a garage, college course in welding & basic engineering etc-but he really struggles with the social/leaisure stuff and as yet hasn't been able to do any. He gets picked up and dropped back each day, it has been a life saver literally-as he was not coping at all in mainstream although I kept being told he should be in mainstream.

 

It all started by me wanting him to go to the SEN school but due to him having a great fear about moving he began by going for one lesson a week and over the months things started to get really bad at mainstream and one day I just asked the head of the SEN school what my options were and she mentioned the outreach programme they run-and literally they offered him a place within weeks and it has been the best thing that has happened education wise.

 

I hope it all gets sorted out for your son-it's just a shame that it doesn't seem to come naturally to some mainstream sencondary schools. good luckxxx