Monday 4th Sept - Homeschooling, day 1
Ok, I've submitted and started a blog.
Hopefully this will help negate a nervous break down, trouble shared is a trouble halved and all that.
I'm at home on emergency leave from work because, unlike other 11 year old children, my son has no school to start. We are waiting for our tribunal against the LEA, but until that time we have no-one to teach my son, so I am having to do it. I risk losing my job as I cannot work from home, I have no idea what we are going to do when I have to go back next week. I can't (and won't) send him to an unsuitable school, I have no family in the area and I can't afford a tutor to come in. If I don't stay at home and educate him or send him to school I face prison, if I stay at home and educate him I lose my job, my home, everything.
I've spent the morning teaching him chemistry at a level, according to our overlords (known as government), is at a 12 to 13 year old level.
He is currently working on his English and given is disabilities is making good progress writing a news article on a robbery.
You would think that after more than 4 years of wrangling his educational needs would be sorted out, but no. Thanks to the LEA ignoring both me and the school for 3 and 1/2 years my son has gone from moderately dyslexic to severely dyslexic. When the LEA finally submitted and had an educational psychologist assess him the result was severe dyslexia and possible APD (Auditory Processing Disorder).
The only way to get a real diagnoses of APD is at Great Ormond Street Hospital from the specialist team there. We've had the referal, we are just waiting for the appointment. Hopefully this will be before tribunal in 5 weeks time as it is key to our case.
People with APD are greatly affected by background noise, distractions and disturbances. In my son's special need statement it is recommended that he his taught in small classes, but in state schools this just isn't possible. Can you imagine trying to get a class of 28 or more children to work in complete silence (no scraping of chairs, no chatting, no whispering, no banging desks)?
We thought that we had reached a resolution back in April when he was offered a place at a specialist school which teaches dyslexic children. The school teaches national curriculum, but also helps the children develop learning strategies so they can return to mainstream education after 2 years there. These skills ensure that the children can carry on accessing education throught their life and become productive members of society. This was dashed when the LEA refused to fund 2 years at the school. I then spent my summer trying to find funding. As it turns out charities would have helped if my son was at risk at home (violence, abuse, etc) or if he was in care, but because he is a much loved and well cared for child no-one is willing to help.
I tried the press, both national and local, but no-one cares about children with hidden disabilities. The mentality is that of "if we can't see it, it doesn't exist". Even when I posted in the BBC's Have Your Say forum they still didn't want to know.
Personally I think I'm beinging to lose it. I'm tired and constantly on the verge of tears. Friends keep telling me how strong I must be to keep fighting, but I'm not strong, I'm scared. I'm scared of what will happen to my son without an education, without the strategies to cope with everyday life when I'm no longer here. I can't be filling out forms, etc for him when he's 60. He needs to become independent from me, but I can't see that happening if I keep having to help him at every turn. There is a report recorded in the House of Lords of a 50 yr old dyslexic called Dave. He had failed at school, but was skilled with his hands. With the help of his parents (filling in forms, dealing with banks, ect) he set up his own business and was successful. Sadly his mother died and his father was hospitalised. Social services saw a 'normal' 50 yr old male and refused him support. David fell in to trouble with taxes, the banks, ect because of his disability and eventually took his own life.
More tears now. Even writing about our problems and my fears.
It's taken me so long to write this drivel that my son has now finished his English and is ready for lunch. The upside is at least I know he's eating healthily.
History after lunch followed by ICT. My son is happy for the moment, but is already missing the interaction of other children - which is funny given that for the last 4 years in primary school he hated it because of the bullying.
Even the 'easy option' isn't because it would leave my son without someone fighting his corner.
Hopefully this will help negate a nervous break down, trouble shared is a trouble halved and all that.
I'm at home on emergency leave from work because, unlike other 11 year old children, my son has no school to start. We are waiting for our tribunal against the LEA, but until that time we have no-one to teach my son, so I am having to do it. I risk losing my job as I cannot work from home, I have no idea what we are going to do when I have to go back next week. I can't (and won't) send him to an unsuitable school, I have no family in the area and I can't afford a tutor to come in. If I don't stay at home and educate him or send him to school I face prison, if I stay at home and educate him I lose my job, my home, everything.
I've spent the morning teaching him chemistry at a level, according to our overlords (known as government), is at a 12 to 13 year old level.
He is currently working on his English and given is disabilities is making good progress writing a news article on a robbery.
You would think that after more than 4 years of wrangling his educational needs would be sorted out, but no. Thanks to the LEA ignoring both me and the school for 3 and 1/2 years my son has gone from moderately dyslexic to severely dyslexic. When the LEA finally submitted and had an educational psychologist assess him the result was severe dyslexia and possible APD (Auditory Processing Disorder).
The only way to get a real diagnoses of APD is at Great Ormond Street Hospital from the specialist team there. We've had the referal, we are just waiting for the appointment. Hopefully this will be before tribunal in 5 weeks time as it is key to our case.
People with APD are greatly affected by background noise, distractions and disturbances. In my son's special need statement it is recommended that he his taught in small classes, but in state schools this just isn't possible. Can you imagine trying to get a class of 28 or more children to work in complete silence (no scraping of chairs, no chatting, no whispering, no banging desks)?
We thought that we had reached a resolution back in April when he was offered a place at a specialist school which teaches dyslexic children. The school teaches national curriculum, but also helps the children develop learning strategies so they can return to mainstream education after 2 years there. These skills ensure that the children can carry on accessing education throught their life and become productive members of society. This was dashed when the LEA refused to fund 2 years at the school. I then spent my summer trying to find funding. As it turns out charities would have helped if my son was at risk at home (violence, abuse, etc) or if he was in care, but because he is a much loved and well cared for child no-one is willing to help.
I tried the press, both national and local, but no-one cares about children with hidden disabilities. The mentality is that of "if we can't see it, it doesn't exist". Even when I posted in the BBC's Have Your Say forum they still didn't want to know.
Personally I think I'm beinging to lose it. I'm tired and constantly on the verge of tears. Friends keep telling me how strong I must be to keep fighting, but I'm not strong, I'm scared. I'm scared of what will happen to my son without an education, without the strategies to cope with everyday life when I'm no longer here. I can't be filling out forms, etc for him when he's 60. He needs to become independent from me, but I can't see that happening if I keep having to help him at every turn. There is a report recorded in the House of Lords of a 50 yr old dyslexic called Dave. He had failed at school, but was skilled with his hands. With the help of his parents (filling in forms, dealing with banks, ect) he set up his own business and was successful. Sadly his mother died and his father was hospitalised. Social services saw a 'normal' 50 yr old male and refused him support. David fell in to trouble with taxes, the banks, ect because of his disability and eventually took his own life.
More tears now. Even writing about our problems and my fears.
It's taken me so long to write this drivel that my son has now finished his English and is ready for lunch. The upside is at least I know he's eating healthily.
History after lunch followed by ICT. My son is happy for the moment, but is already missing the interaction of other children - which is funny given that for the last 4 years in primary school he hated it because of the bullying.
Even the 'easy option' isn't because it would leave my son without someone fighting his corner.
posted by Yatesies at 11:24 AM
<< Home