How to get help for child with SEN

[Billywhiz]

My daughter who is now in her last year of primary school has Turner's Syndrome. Up to now she has been fine in mainstream education but the effects of the Turner's are now beginning to make themselves apparant. She will need a lot of extra help at High School if she is to cope. I know that the first step for this is for her to have a statement of special educational needs but I don't know where to start. Her primary school has been useless. This is the first year since my daughter started at the school that they have had a designated SENCO.

[Nystagmite]

Have you contacted your LEA? Secondary schools should have a SENCO.

[Heidi Rees]

If your going for a statement then good luck, if she's obtaning anything from low average up you may as well give in (I've been fighting for 1 for my son for over 3 years). They are trying to get rid of statementing altogether as they have brought in school action and school action plus (my son is on school action plus) which basically means they need the help but the school have to fund it! Approach your school and ask what stage your daughter is at and ask for them to get the educational psychologist in to do a review to see where she's at ability wise. If your going for the statement then its best to seek support from an outside agency - we have snap cymru in wales who will come to any meetings with you and help fill in paperwork etc (not sure where you live) but I'm sure you will have something similar where you are!

[Billywhiz]

Thanks for the helpful advice. She's average ability wise so probably no chance. It's behaviour and the bullying she gets for being different that is the problem.

[Joannefred]

School action and school action+ have been around for a while and rather then replacing the statementing process, they are the first steps towards it. If a child needs a little extra help in class they will be placed on SA. This means the school will try to meet their need with different materials, a different teaching strategy or get in special equipment.

If the child still makes no progress they will go onto SA+ this is the point where external agencies such as a Speech and Language Therapist or an Educational Psychologist become involved with the child. As well as the use of external services, SA+ requires more detailed planning of interventions for children whose progress has been limited. The child should also have an IEP at both the SA and SA+ stage.

Where a child is still not making adequate progress then the child's school or parents can request a Statutory Assessment.

You wouldn't get a statement based on bullying. And you don't have to be below average academically to stand a chance. My son is well above average and is on the gifted and talented for both Science and Maths yet he still has a statement.

 

The best thing to do would be to get in touch with your local Parent Partnership. They will be able to advise you and if needed they help you through the statementing process.

Good luck.

[uneverdid]

Parent partnership are fantastic get the gp on side as well get as much documentation as you can and ask the school senco to arrange a multi agency team meeting. You need to discuss transition as this will need to be done carefully. Statements are seen less and less.now as it has a lot of implication so should not be done lightly. Good luck let us know how you get on.

[uneverdid]

Schools get allocated a certain amount of funding depending where.it is this could be taps or msg and school have to top it up but if your daughter needs extra support then she should get it.