South Devon / Exeter (Hele Road) college & SEN

Indie_Kid

Looking at going back to college to do some GCSEs. I live in Plymouth. The provision for SEN at City College Ply,outh is non existent. I asked about support there last year and was told:
-I don't have Autism and it's just anxiety
- they don't have to give support me
- I don't need any of the help outlined in my DSA assessment

We have no other adult education here: so my only option is another college in another city. Have attended Cornwall College; but I struggled with getting home due to it being an evening class and had to drop out because of this.

GlasweJen

Have you contacted student support at the college directly or just the department you wanted to study at?

For DSA they can argue that any equipment you got on your first grant can do for any subsequent course so you'd need to write a reason why a new or different piece of equipment is needed.

For the support section it does depend on your circumstances. For my undergrad I got a person who helped with proof reading and no support for transport, for post grad the degree was through OU and SAAS paid transport for a carer plus their expenses to allow me to go to England to sit the exams.

The best thing to do is contact the people at the college again and ask for their reasons to not support you in writing, then contact the LEA and ask them what their take on it is given that they gave you X and you're not any less visually impaired than you used to be.

Depending on your previous course you might hit a stick wicket if you already have equivalent qualifications or higher from your previous study.

Indie_Kid

Thanks for your reply. They (Plymouth) told me to use the equipment I have, which was fair enough. They noticed that I had various non medical helpers (note taker and someone to help me get from the train station to the college as we were taught in a different city) and I was told I don't need any of these and was told they don't support disabled students - even though there are laws regarding this.

They said they won't support me because I "don't have Autism". She went on to say that her father probably has it, I'm nothing like him, therefore can't possibly have it. This is despite a diagnosis, being told by the psychiatrist that I more than likely have it and being told by various people, including a relative who is about to graduate with a masters in psychology and a friend who has known me for 11 years who also has Autism, that I do have it.

It was the OU and another university who did both DSA assessments. The only assessments I've had from Plymouth College is one for Dyslexia and Irlens Syndrome.

GlasweJen

I'd start by complaining to the college about the person who said you're not autistic, unless she's also a consultant psychiatrist then she should have kept her mouth shut regardless of how she felt.

I'd then ask Plymouth and the OU if they still have your old paperwork from the DSA application and then submit these along with a list of support you'd like (and why) and ask to speak to someone more senior/less of a tit to fill in your application.

Fact of the matter is the LEA dictate support not some idiot with an opinion who works in the college.

Indie_Kid

Thanks. I've given up on any prospect of going to Plymouth. I know I've got the paperwork from my first DSA assessment and I have my Irlens report too. The only real difference between first and second was the addition of the enabler.