Therapsits/professionals coming in to school

[Athena]

Quick question, DD has OT, SALT, ASD advisory service and specialist teaching at her mainstream school. She cannot tell me who is coming in to work with her; do I have any rights as a parent to ask the school to record who is coming in and working with her at school? She has a home/school contact book, so it would be relatively easy to get them to "sign in" and write a few lines about what they are doing.

 

I'm sure school will agree, but wanted to know where I stand legally.

 

Thanks!

[Sally44]

How is their input detailed in the Statement?

Does it mention weekly sessions, or termly hours etc?

 

What my son's SALT does is she sends me a card (similar to a hospital appointment card - so their service has them). And she lists the next 4-6 visits so I have it on file and on my calendar. She also likes me to go into school after one of the sessions so that we can talk and update eachother.

 

It is hard to keep tabs 'exactly' on the amount of time being spent. But if you know when the appointments are, the SALT is more likely to inform you if she cannot come one week and then you agree how the time will be made up. For example, the SALT had a few hours owing to my son and we agreed to carry them over to the beginning of this year so she could spend more time with my son and his new TA.

 

I think it would be best to contact each professional rather than the school and see if they can forward you the arranged appointments per term. And, if you want, you could ask each professional if they would like you to go into school to meet with them once a term for an update.

 

Out of interest, what kind of programme is the OT doing in school?

And do you know how the specialist teacher is going to work with your daughter. Will it be in discret 1:1 sessions with them, or is she going to advice the teacher/TA on how to differentiate her work.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Sally44

[Sammysnake]

I don't know about legally but I know the school where I work as a Special Needs TA would certainly tell parents when someone is coming in and as a parent I think you have every right to ask. The speech therapist only comes in a few times a year to see the child I work with to assess progress and discuss with me new materials which I will then work on with her. As soon as I know she's coming in, I jot a note in the child's communication book. Parents don't need to come in for the meeting but I know they would want to be informed. I would be very surprised if it would be a problem for you to be told whose coming in. I would simply ask the teacher informally and if they don't know they can find out from the SENCo for you.