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How do I get my child the extra help in school she needs?
by Noel Swanson
http://www.good-child-guide.com
(This mostly applies to the UK situation)
The British government has mandated that "a child with
special educational needs should have their needs met" (sec.
1.3, SEN Code of Practice, 2001). With limited resources,
this is almost certainly a promise made to be broken.
However, the rules are there to be enforced!
So, how do you make sure that your child with special needs
gets the help they need in school? First, understand how
your school is set up. Second, even with governmental
promises, there is still a limit to the resources. You need
to develop a good working partnership with your school so
you can state your concerns and be confident that they will
be resolved.
a. social interactions and communication skills (e.g.
autism, speech problems) b. general learning and reasoning
(e.g. poor memory and/ or concentration, low IQ, dyslexia)
c. emotional development, social development, behaviour,
sensory and/or physical disabilities (e.g. deafness,
paralysis)
If you have concerns about your child's educational
progress, talk to her teacher and/ or the SEN Coordinator
(SENCO) at her school. If they think she's having problems,
they will add her name to the Special Education Needs
Register, if they haven't already done so.
If the school acknowledges special needs, then they are
responsible for meeting them. There may be a variety of ways
to do this, but the important thing is for all parties to be
in agreement. That means that parents and school officials
must have the same goals in mind for the child.
Once the school have identified that there are special
needs, they then have the responsibility to meet those
needs. There are many way by which this may be done. But the
important point is that everyone (which includes you, the
parents) should agree on what goals you are trying to
achieve for your child.
The goal-setting process is usually accomplished through the
development of an IEP (Individual Education Plan).
On this IEP certain targets are identified and worked on,
with these targets being reviewed every six weeks or so.
These targets might be academic such as reading or writing,
or there may be behavioural such as putting a hand up to ask
a question, they might be social such as getting along with
other children at play time or indeed they may be physical
if the child has any particular physical or medical needs or
disabilities.
Parents should normally be invited to take part in the
process of drawing up and reviewing these IEP targets.
Indeed, you will best help your child if you are fully
involved in the process, as there may be things you can do
at home that would support what the teachers are doing in
school.
Occasionally it will become apparent that the school alone
does not have sufficient resources to solve the problem. In
that case, outside experts are brought in to assist. Often
times this will consist of an educational psychologist or
some other type of professional. These experts may extend
their advice to the school, which is called "School Action
Plus".
Sometimes when the child's needs are severe, the
intervention by school is not enough. In those cases, you
may apply for a Statutory Assessment of SEN, which is
usually conducted by the Local Education Authority (the
county council). If the Authority's assessment agrees that
the needs are severe, they may issue a Statement of SEN
which further documents what the needs are, and what the
school (and others) are legally required to do to meet those
needs. Should the LEA refuses to complete a statutory
assessment or issue a statement, you have rights (as the
parent) to appeal their decision.
Just because the LEA grants a statement, that doesn't
necessarily mean that the school will receive any extra
money to do provide the services as indicated in the
statement. The school will continue to be put in an awkward
position of determining how to divide up their limited cash
amongst all the SEN children in their school.
Instances such as this are just part of the reason why it's
important to have a close working relationship between home
and school. It's easy to develop an antagonistic
relationship with the school, but it's important to remember
that the school is not your enemy; fighting with the school
is unlikely to result in your child receiving the help he or
she needs. Try to maintain a good working relationship by
being polite and friendly; listen to what they say about
your child. Of course, you know your child best, so don't be
afraid to discuss a concern with the staff, especially if
you are worried that something is being missed or overlooked
completely. After all, your job is to be your child's
advocate.
Hopefully, if the educational needs can be appropriately
identified and targeted, then your child should find school
to be a less stressful environment and, therefore, be more
settled, not just in school, but also at home.
To receive a free copy of the SEN Code of Practice call the
following number: 0845 602 2260.
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