Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site          NEEPS Forum Index -> Green Parenting animalcrackers lack of learning one of my sons is really struggling wilth school socially and academically any sugggestions as to what i should do he is six IainC Maybe worth trying to encourage him with learning at home in addition to school, but done in a way so he doesn't realise he's learning stuff. If the schoolwork gets easier maybe he'll be more relaxed there? It's hard to know how to help them get on with other kids though, inviting other ones around to play or something may help I guess? monkey nuts The 8yr old I look after struggles also (and some of the time the school and other kids struggle with her!!) We have managed to get her into the local Base unit and thus into a small class. She copes better but not brilliant. My advice would be to make sure the school is fully aware of the situation. Speak with the teacher, head teacher and maybe even the Education Psychologist too. Sassinak Might it help to invite one or more of the children home so that he can get to know them on his own turf and will then have someone who is familiar at school baldowrie One thing you should ask about is 'the buddy system'.  An older child is asked to play with your son, they have training, and encourage other children to come and play. Just be aware some head teachers know very little about this school integration system, so make them find to about it If he is not happy he won't learn. Just check he is not being bullied by any one including staff. Do express your concern regarding him being a slow learner and as what they are putting in place for him. Oh make sure you write everything down they tell in front of them stopping the conversation to clarifiy if needs be and and if possible take someone with you as a witness.  This may seem very heavy handed but I know from experience that when the promised help doesn't arrive your credibility will be called into question. Hopefully you will have a good school and they will help, but far too many talk the talk whilst you are there and 'forget' about when you are gone and NEVER log it so you have no proof. animalcrackers thanks for all the advice I had a meeting at school today with an educational psychologist and a learning support teacher and his teacher. finally, i am not thought of as a paranoid mother who expects their child to be better than he is. i am not convinced anything will change for him but they have decided he has dyslexic problems. i am more worried about he views himself more than anything IainC You can get some coloured glasses which are meant to help dyslexic people. Think it helps some but not all so might be worth checking them out to see if it helps. baldowrie You can't just get coloured lenses, you need to see a colourist to be properly assessed. However this site may help http://www.beingdyslexic.co.uk/ However I can't stress enough that you log the details of your meeting for future reference. With dates and who said it.  You should receive mins of that meeting (the word is should) and if they are not going to help nothing will be mentioned in the mins regarding assistance....it will never have been said! IainC baldowrie wrote: You can't just get coloured lenses, you need to see a colourist to be properly assessed. Yeah, that's what I meant, you can go and get seen by someone who will try out the various colours to see which works best for him. baldowrie This THE man http://www.jordanseyes.com/ Maria Hi there Animalcrackers You've good reason to feel vindicated, I've heard too many stories working with dyslexic folk (15-65!) who struggled at school because no one could understand why an otherwise happy, go-lucky, conversational and clever kid became upset, distruptive and then took that upset home.   Wonderful that you're pushing, and that something's happening to support him at school. Dyslexia is much better understood now, and it's estimated that 1 in 10 of us are dyslexic to some degree or another. Have a peek at this...   http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/indications.html and see if you recognise any of the indications. If so, lots of what's here will be useful for you. Don't trust to a quick school 'guess' at what might be the matter...you and your son will know best!!! Iain C wrote Quote: You can get some coloured glasses which are meant to help dyslexic people. Think it helps some but not all so might be worth checking them out to see if it helps. Some folk are light/colour sensitive and reading through coloured lenses can be really helpful. It called Maeres-Irlen Syndrome, but doesn't effect everyone with dyslexia. It's worth asking at school if they have any colour overlays that your son can put over any reading he's doing to see if black on white is a prob. I had some somewhere...but don't think I've got them anymore or you could have had them. Animalcrackers wrote Quote: i am not convinced anything will change for him but they have decided he has dyslexic problems. i am more worried about he views himself more than anything Don't give up - dyselxia is not a problem in it's self- for some it is a marvelous thing. Albert Einstein and Richard Branson were/are dyslexic. For some it means amazing communication skills (way above their peers) and the ability to solve the most complicated of problems, because they see the 'big picture'. Unfortunately dyslexic kids have a hard time at school because of the way we still teach. If your son does have dyselxia, the school should praise him for his possible strengths such as being innovative,creative, and lateral thinking, and not only the possible weaknesses, like hesitant reading or poor organisational skills. If you agree with the indications from the dyslexia association site this newsround info might help your son know he's not alone...has famous dyslexic folk etc. There's a lot more stuff like this on the web if you have a search. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi...slexia/newsid_1747000/1747089.stm On a practical level, the school should now write a Personal Learning Support Plan (i'm pretty sure they do this here in Scotland in primary) with your son, to look at what might best help. I hope things get better for you both very soon. Oops, just previewed this and it's HUGE...apols. Can you tell it's a subject I'm passionate about?   animalcrackers thanks for the advice to everyone. i have been informed that in general he will be assessed i.e. for autism ,ocd,  dyspraxia etc, i have mixed feeling as to where this will lead to - i see little point in him being labelled unless appropriate help is put in place baldowrie Quote: he will be assessed i.e. for autism ,COD,  dispraise etc SO who is going to do this assessment? Are they qualified to to this assessment as for him to assessed by an unqualified person in each particular field you have mentioned is detrimental to him and his learning.  Teachers, Education Physic are not qualified.  They can only highlight areas of concern.  This is a specialist field and autism can only be assessed properly via CAMHS...Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services animalcrackers how do i go about having him assessed by CAMHS - does he have to be referred by someone? Forget-me-Not Dyslexia Hi, I've missed any of the thread before Maria's so sorry if I repeat anything. My daughter is Autistic and has a full diagnosis. She was diagnosed when we were south of the border for a while but I had to fight for it. With her, things were evident from when she was tiny. I started to keep a diary of anything I thought relevant, * reactions to change/people * communication * style of play * strengeths and weaknesses * any marked differences to my elder non-autistic child, i.e. eye contact, she never pointed to anything, she never reporte anything to me or showed me anything, she hand flapped. I started telling the health visitor/ doc etc. None wanted to know until she was two. Then I took five pages of notes in, including our conclusion that she was autistic and why we thought so. At that meeting she was referred to a Paediatrician, had hearing and blood tests and then he put her on his rolling multi-disciplinary assessment. Several weeks, one afternoon a week, each week we met a different professional, Occupational Therapist, Physio, Paediatric Psychiatrist, Paediatrician, Nursery nurse, speech therapist. At the end we got a firm diagnosis. She was two and a half. We were very lucky. I know many parents still struggling for a diagnosis. Personally we didn't see it as a label, it was a key to help and we used it as such and have had lots of support.  The progress she's made with support has been mind blowing. The support hasn't just helped her either, it's helped us to be far better parents t her, to understand how she experiences the world and how we can help her. It's made day-to-day living far easier. (Not always easy depends on the professionals you meet but I find written notes to give them each time and an attitude of my child needs all the help he can get and I intend to make sure he gets it, in a very friendly info sharing way, get's results.) I don't know your situation other than the last two posts. I don't know if your son is at school. (My daughter is in Gordon Primary.) If you need a chat. I'm here. Beth        NEEPS Forum Index -> Green Parenting Page 1 of 1