Educational help needed

saucy77

My son is now 12 and has been struggling with mainstream school for the last 3 years.

He was excluded in yr 5 of one primary school, and until he was able to get placed into another school via a managed move, he was receiving 1-2-1 lessons twice a week for a hour at a time. This continued from 3rd June to the 3rd week in Sept. He has had an IEP throughout.

Year 6 started as I said the 3rd week in Sept, where he struggled still... not coping at all in school and often not in class but elsewhere in the school grounds or worse still roaming the streets until someone found him. The school were close to excluding him a month before the end of the school year, but didn't due to the fact that he was leaving them in a short time.

Year 7 has been somewhat turbulent, with much of the same actions as stated before being repeated. Not being able to concentrate in class, unable to interact with he's peer's, again leaving lessons and wandering around either in school grounds or out of them. They decided to move him into a different part of the school, where the class numbers dwindled from 30+ to just 5, and he was still struggling.
So they reduced he's learning time to 1 and half hours a day for what seemed like an eternity. He has been temp excluded 3 times in the last 2 months of yr 7.

Just starting yr 8, which he hasn't officially started yet.
He has been given a timetable of the following:
Mon 8.30 - 1pm (Lessons - English, Maths, Cookery)
Tues 8.30 - 12pm (Working on an allotment, and the last hour English)
Weds 9.00 - 3pm (Working on a farm, and general housekeeping of Horses, including learning to ride them)
Thurs 8.30 - 10.30am (Taking part in a study of some kind, dealt with by an outside agency)
Fri = Nothing
This is to be reviewed in 2 weeks, and if all goes well, hours may be increased. But I still feel this isn't helping him to get a decent education.

He's educational age is 8yrs old, so surely there is something else I can do to help him. I just envisage him leaving school with the educational age of a yr 7.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I have looked at home schooling, but not having that much of an education myself I fear I won't be able to understand what I am supposed to be teaching him.

Currently seeking to get him statemented to help aid he's progress, but what can I demand with it?

Thanks in advance

fernliebee

Not got much advice really, but hopefully the extra curricular stuff will have a real impact on his ability to manage his more academic subjects. I've worked as a forest school teacher and the groups of secondary children we have worked with (issues similar to your DS) have really improved in their classroom work.

Another thing to consider if he gets on with the hands on stuff OK, is that from 14 they are entitled to do core subjects in school but attend college to start NVQ1 in a chosen field (I used to do sessions with children studying NVQ in outdoor leisure ie mountain biking/ kayaking etc to progress to working in leisure industry.)

Hope he manages to find a route he is happy with, mainstream school/ education really isn't for everyone and this is not a sign of being less intelligent, just that they learn in a different way. Maybe in trying lot's of new things something will take his fancy. I am fairly academic, but if I don't enjoy what I am doing I cannot get through it AT ALL!!!

Wishing you both all the best for this school year, and his future.

Savvy_Sue

Does he have a diagnosis of any kind? Doesn't matter if he doesn't, he can still have a Statement because it's his needs which matter, not why he's got them. Just if he has a diagnosis then there may be other places we can point you to.

Meanwhile I shall settle for IPSEA. They may be able to advise you on what the school OUGHT to be doing, and help you get them doing it.

Also just wondering, does he cope OK on a 1:1 basis or is that not working either?

saucy77

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Does he have a diagnosis of any kind? Doesn't matter if he doesn't, he can still have a Statement because it's his needs which matter, not why he's got them. Just if he has a diagnosis then there may be other places we can point you to.

Meanwhile I shall settle for IPSEA. They may be able to advise you on what the school OUGHT to be doing, and help you get them doing it.

Also just wondering, does he cope OK on a 1:1 basis or is that not working either?

He seems to prefer 1:1, but he gets bored and loses sight of what he's doing very easily. He's not been diagnosed with anything, the doc's and specialist's are very quick to point out that he has learning disabilities but won't put anything in black and white.
He has always had problem's since the age of 3 where he had shown signs of Autism, ie not adapting to change, very quiet and withdrawn and not interacting with he's peers.
This changed after he's 1st 2 years in primary school, although he was still getting help with speech therapy, and 1:1 support sessions, he started to talk alot more and went from being the quiet kid to a loud and boisterous little monster. I hate to say it, but even I hated him at times.

Since then Autism and ADHD have kept being mentioned, but no-one is prepared to stand up and say "YES, we got it... this is what is wrong".

It's been terribly hard on me and the rest of the family to hold it together during the whole process, but just when I think i'm finally getting somewhere - something or someone takes us back to square one again.
I used to work - but that became increasingly difficult with the phonecalls from school every other day, sometimes daily. No-one wants to employ someone who needs to run off every 5 mins, so with he's behaviour and my need to be there for him hasn't helped, and is also one of the many factors with my current mental health. I have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression through the stress of it all, since feb this year.

Is it worth contacting my local MP to see if I can get anything from there?
We have a special needs school locally, but DS says he don't want to go there with all the (for the want of a better word - and he's words not mine) "retards". I can understand the need to try and keep him in mainstream school, but I don't think it's working for him.

Pinkylouloubell

Hi.
BIG HUGS for you first of all, you sound like a fantastic mum who really cares for her sons wellbeing!!

I only read through your posts quickly so please excuse me if i get something wrong.

I work as a TA in a school, but also have some SEN background and training due to my son being dyslexic/dyspraxic.
I agree with you, its so hard to get anyone to diagnose for sure.

I struggled with the school for a good few months before they agreed to get a Ed Phsyc in.

The autisim, aspergers and ADHD are all under the same umberella and from my experience, all merge into one another.
No two children will have exactly the same difficulties, but EVERY child has the right to an education.

I would say that any work/interaction he is doing at all is better than him doing nothing and try not to comapre him to what other children are capable of.
Hes individual and unique and will have his own level of competence (sp?) so push him as far as he is able to go.

Will he work with you at all at home??
Could you get some resources off of the school or visiting teacher??

Getting him statemented should give the school some extra funds to allow a 1:1 for him.

I have found in the past when working with SEN pupils that praise is key.

They are so used to being told they have done it wrong or the work isnt good enough that they dont expect anything else from themselves as they believe they are not capable.
But as soon as someone says well done for a piece of good work, they learn to love pleasing someone.

I really feel for you hun, I suffer with anxiety myself and have had some pretty bad times.
Try to always take some time out for yourself when you can, coz if you dont it will all seem harder to cope with.

Take care
Pinky

Pinkylouloubell

Also, what does his IEP state??

saucy77

Pinkylouloubell wrote: »

Also, what does his IEP state??

The last one we had was some time ago, i'm trying so hard to remember what is said.
I think it was somewhere alone the line's of he's behaviour mostly.

To acknowledge when he has trouble, and ask for help (he still won't)
If he is feeling the pressure, to show he's time out card and be allowed to exit the class room to the safe haven of he's guild manager (who he has a good rapour with).
And I can't remember what the last point was.

Maybe it's time to get that reviewed again.