Are funds for children with special needs being cut in Sheffield?

[blue-kat]

hennypenny has forwarded the above info. If you want further details or wish to join the protest against the changes please contatct ACCT :

 

On Thursday 19 June parents are to hold a demonstration about this matter outside an LEA meeting in the Salvation Army building in Psalter lane. If you are free between 9.15 am and 10.15 am and wish to support this demonstration please contact Claire on clairelefeuvre@aol.com or tel 268 4960.

 

of ACCT ( Aspergers Children and Carers Together) http://www.acctsheffield.btik.com/

[espadrille]

hennypenny has forwarded the above info. If you want further details or wish to join the protest against the changes please contatct ACCT :

 

On Thursday 19 June parents are to hold a demonstration about this matter outside an LEA meeting in the Salvation Army building in Psalter lane. If you are free between 9.15 am and 10.15 am and wish to support this demonstration please contact Claire on clairelefeuvre@aol.com or tel 268 4960.

 

of ACCT ( Aspergers Children and Carers Together) http://www.acctsheffield.btik.com/

 

See other post on As.Mods.can you merge this with others?

[espadrille]

Meeting was held last night to decide what to do and we urge all of you to write to your MPs if any of you are affected by any changes in education.I.e., if you have a child with a statement , or have a child with a need without a statement.

 

From September onwards, changes will come in and all kids, irrespective of needs will be affected as the teachers will be asked to teach all kids together with a reduced amount of support for those with a specific need.

For those with autism and behavioural problems, this will have a huge effect on their support and also the other kids in the class will be affected due to integration of the others.

As far as I am aware, there has been no mention of any extra training that the teachers will get to teach them how to deal with all of this and some of the autism team have been disbanded and moved on to ther jobs in the council.

I have on occassions called schools to offer my support and servcie with my training and have so far not been able to get even a meeting with anyone.

This is of course down to a lack of funding as usual and no specila measure being put in place to deal with all the potential issues that these changes will bring.

teachers will of course have to have extra training to deal with kids on the spectrum and so far, they have not even got it.

Please,lets all join together and do what we can.Call up your MPs and get an appointment. I am meeting with Richard Caborn, Sheffield Cenral MP at the end of August, so please let me know what you think and I am willing toput views forward if you are in this constituency.

[honeyb35]

I might sound thick but does this just affect children with autism / asd ect? (not that there is any JUST about it) my son is due to start school in January and will need a statement, but doesnt have any autism spectrum disorder. He will be going to a special needs school as he would be unable to cope with mainstream.

[espadrille]

I might sound thick but does this just affect children with autism / asd ect? (not that there is any JUST about it) my son is due to start school in January and will need a statement, but doesnt have any autism spectrum disorder. He will be going to a special needs school as he would be unable to cope with mainstream.

 

It depends what his need is as to whether he will get a statement and to be honest it may not be worth the paper it is written on for long.

[honeyb35]

he will basically need help with everything, he cant do anything for himself, he's like a very young baby, right down to limited head control

[espadrille]

he will basically need help with everything, he cant do anything for himself, he's like a very young baby, right down to limited head control

 

Well, I guess that he may be able to get one as he will I assume he will have to be in a special school,I suggest that you call the LEA to check your position on this as you need to know what will happen as soon as possible. The idea is that special needs in mainstream will be integrated in to classes, but I am not sure if they have to go to a special school.Need to check up I guess and hopefully they will be honest with you, though they have not been honest with parents so far.

[honeyb35]

yes I'll check with the nursery teacher as she's quite 'in the know'. Is this all schools or just sheffield? My nephew is due to start school in September, he has ADHD and has just received a statement, but he's in norfolk.

[espadrille]

yes I'll check with the nursery teacher as she's quite 'in the know'. Is this all schools or just sheffield? My nephew is due to start school in September, he has ADHD and has just received a statement, but he's in norfolk.

It started in Rotherham, and the same woman who brought this in in Rotherham is now working with LEA in Sheffield. Please pass this info on to all parents that you know.

Jayne

[espadrille]

I went to another SAPAG meeting last night( have Aspergers coming out of my ears at the moment, it has taken over my life)

 

The jist of it all is that special needs statements for kids in a mainstream school will be reduced, in so far as they will be given ,we think 3 terms of support and when that has gone, they will be integrated in to class with all the other kids.

 

The impact that this will have can be viewed in 2 ways. the kids with the statement will now be able to be taught alongside all other kids in the class without the stigma of being different and although has a different need, they will not be made to feel any different to the others.

We all know however that teachers often struggle with classes of 30 kids as it is and if they have to deal with autistic or hearing impaired kids along side all the others, they will be under more pressure.Also, the other ordinary kids will be affected in that the quality of their teaching will be diluted as the teachers have to increasingly cope with the issues that the special needs kids have, and have to give more time to those children as they do need that help.I know that it will help kids to understand that other kids with a disability have a need which is sometimes greater than theirs and that is good, but without the effective training, I do not see how the teachers are prepared.Most arent even aware this is happening!!.Of course it is really jus a cost cutting exercise.

So that is a summary of the proposals. Make of it what you will.

I have, of course been in touch with some schools to offer my training, only to be met with, well, we dont have any money in the budget to pay for that!!.

NO money in the budget for staff training???Why ever not? Mismanagement of funds, or, a complete disregard for the needs of some kids say with Asperger Syndrome who have a hidden disability and because you cant see it then it doesnt need fixing.

Of course, as you can imagine, the Autism Alliance is furious at all this and we are frantically putting pens to paper to get responses from MPs. As mentioned, I have a meeting at the end of August with mine, but if you are at all concerned with these changes, then please do the same.make sure you check your postcode with the relevant constituency and either make an appointment, or write a letter to voice your concerns.