tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post6518545446508072279..comments2024-03-20T00:30:11.702-07:00Comments on Home Education Heretic: Home education and special educational needsSimon Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-6226623885828355342009-10-17T12:36:11.234-07:002009-10-17T12:36:11.234-07:00Dear Sue,
Sorry I have not yet got round to respo...Dear Sue,<br /> Sorry I have not yet got round to responding to you. I was looking through my old stuff and came up with the sort of thing that you seem to be talking about. A child of almost four had not yet started to talk. His hearing had been tested and so that was not the problem. He seemed to have difficulty not just with expressive language (talking), but also with receptive language (understanding). He was very active and easily furstrated and a provisional diagnosis of MBD was made. This was over twenty years ago. MBD stands for Minimal Brain Dysfunction or Minimal Brain Damage. A beautiful diagnosis, because of course it is impossible to prove or disprove. In other words, the child's problems were assumed to be neurological. If the child's mother had left it at that, she would have simply accepted that her child suffered from MBD and that would have been the end of it.<br />I wonder if you would care to guess what the real nature of the problem was? It actually required a simple operation to cure. In fact he had Glue Ear. The gunk in his ears was not draining properly and so grommets were fitted. This worked perfectly. When he had his hearing tested, it was one of those times when his ears were OK. Later, when he was being tested, he was, in essence, deaf. So the assumption was made that he simply did not understand what was being said to him because he had some sort of learning difficulty.<br />I loved the reference to Diary of a Nobody. How long have you been a fan of the Grossmiths? Have you read the very clever seuqls written by Keith Waterhouse? If not, you might enjoy them. I have to say that my wife chuckled over your post!<br /> <br /> Simon.Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-60370957825019605962009-10-11T23:28:16.161-07:002009-10-11T23:28:16.161-07:00Part 2
I want to emphasise that although the psyc...Part 2<br /><br />I want to emphasise that although the psychiatric taxonomic system might not be fit for purpose, this does not mean that the children who acquire labels through it do not experience developmental, learning and behavioural problems of organic origin. Many children with Alphabet Soup syndrome have subtle sensory abnormalities; in my son’s case, his large saccadic eye movements mean that although he can read using whole word recognition, novel words and spelling present significant problems, because he cannot reliably track the position of the letters within the word. Ironically, like many other children with similar difficulties, he would not have been seen as having an Alphabet Soup Disorder or even special needs at the primary school I attended in the 1960s, since all pupils there were seen as having a unique range of strengths and weaknesses that were developed or supported as appropriate. Of course there is no clear dividing line between a child with SEN and a child without. Many children who are slightly unco-ordinated and clumsy may actually have the same cause for their poor co-ordination as a child diagnosed with dyspraxia, but in the former the clumsiness is not sufficiently severe to impact on their ability to participate as expected in school life.<br /><br />Now a word about ODD. There’s a book about ODD by Philip and Nancy Hall called “Educating Oppositional and Defiant Children”. I borrowed a copy from the library because I thought ODD was such a daft name that I wanted to see how anyone could possibly justify its use. I was surprised. What is apparent from this very insightful and practical volume is that children diagnosed with ODD might or might not have a ‘condition’ and might or might not have the same ‘condition’, but they clearly have visual and/or auditory abnormalities and Hall & Hall share some very practical strategies for coaxing these children into developing sound interactive relationships with their parents or peers.<br /><br />I’m happy to continue this discussion if you are interested. <br /><br />Suesuzygnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-26042830100522453562009-10-11T23:27:28.241-07:002009-10-11T23:27:28.241-07:00Part 1
A few years back, puzzled by the wide dive...Part 1<br /><br />A few years back, puzzled by the wide divergence in explanations of my son’s failure to meet some of his ‘milestones’ and by the apparent lack of agreement in how his learning difficulties should be supported, I read a book on inclusion. The authors, both as far as I can ascertain respected academics working in education, were of the opinion that the some of the perception of children with special educational needs as being qualitatively different to other children arose from an unproven assumption that there was some inherent abnormality in the child’s brain. <br /><br />The example they cite is ‘phonological awareness’, questioning the existence of such a phenomenon. Their understanding of how the brain works appears to be derived largely from the work of philosophers, with a nod to biology in the form of Lashley’s work on engrams in the 1940s, and Wittgenstein’s thoughts on cell differentiation (or not) in seeds, although more recent work questioning the concept of innate abilities does get a look in. A similar critique of brain research has been published by an eminent Oxford philosopher. <br /><br />A problem is that the students of Thomas, Loxley and Hacker do not rush off to check these assertions against work by people who spend their days comparing MRI scans or mapping brain tissue under a microscope, because they don’t have the time or possibly the inclination to do the necessary crash course in biology. However, they show no reluctance in inflicting their lack of knowledge on small children who might have had an undetected ear infection as toddlers or whose glutamate levels might be a bit variable. Auditory processing abnormalities are not uncommon in young children, many of them originating in the narrowness and angle of the Eustachian tubes, leading to frequent infections. And of course complex auditory skills such as speech processing depend on reliable auditory input, as does auditory attention and working memory, essential pre-requisites in the modern school. <br /><br />Fine-grained auditory processing difficulties are not generally picked up because they are not tested for unless the child has significant problems with speech and language. So mothers of every social class can find themselves with a child who, for no apparent reason has significant problems with concentration and comprehension absent in his siblings, and who then gets a label of ADHD or being badly behaved or worse, depending on the opinion of whoever bestows the label. Of course, middle class mothers are much more likely to read up on their child’s symptoms, so the conclusion mothers from different social groups come to might be a function of their educational level rather than their denial that there can be anything lacking about their child. Which brings us to the ‘cryptic letters’ to which you refer. I think what you are actually criticising is the outmoded categorisation system used by psychiatrists for what are broadly referred to as ‘mental disorders’. You are right to do so. This system, and often the practitioners who apply it, are 150 years out of date and in urgent need of what I believe is euphemistically called ‘modernisation’. (Why is it, I wonder, that psychiatry appears to have escaped the Blair/Brown modernisations?)suzygnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-38458388766904106722009-10-11T23:26:19.429-07:002009-10-11T23:26:19.429-07:00Too many characters. I'll split it.Too many characters. I'll split it.suzygnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-66691481980540384172009-10-11T23:24:18.213-07:002009-10-11T23:24:18.213-07:00Thank you SharonThank you Sharonsuzygnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-43756129167146312322009-10-11T23:11:30.454-07:002009-10-11T23:11:30.454-07:00I was not joking about disability, Charles. I was ...I was not joking about disability, Charles. I was pointing out that a lot of the disorders that people on the HE-UK and EO lists say that their children are suffering from are actually common childhood behaviour. I can tell you now that I find it very offensive, working as I do with families of severly disabled children, to hear the mother of a child who is late reading or who is a little more impulsive and careless than is usual, describing her child as having special educational needs.Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-41121658492398330562009-10-11T23:07:58.042-07:002009-10-11T23:07:58.042-07:00Joely, I am honestly not sure what all the talk ab...Joely, I am honestly not sure what all the talk about sock puppets is. Could you explain?Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-76474483697180307842009-10-11T20:59:17.168-07:002009-10-11T20:59:17.168-07:00You are so judgemental!. I too have a child I have...You are so judgemental!. I too have a child I have managed to find ways around helping their Hyperactivity. But I don't go shouting of at other parents they are doing wrong or right. One thing works for one child and not another.<br />I can hardly believe that with an attitude like yours, you even are allowed to work with children.<br />Good Grief you should be sacked with an attitude like that. So you have time to joke about children's disablities while working. SICK!!!<br /><br />You provoke and deserve the comments you get. About time you taught your self some decency if you don't want flap, then don't be cruel about children and decent parents.<br /><br />Charles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-69420021002433210352009-10-11T16:17:38.673-07:002009-10-11T16:17:38.673-07:00"what are we to understand by that gnomic int..."what are we to understand by that gnomic interjection, "<br /><br />What's not to understand? Put the sock puppet away please. Easy.<br />JoelyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-31422798417831647382009-10-11T15:43:06.684-07:002009-10-11T15:43:06.684-07:00If you are using Firefox you need to right click i...If you are using Firefox you need to right click in the comments box, go down to 'This Frame' and choose 'Open Frame in New Window'. You will be able to copy and paste in the comment box that opens.Sharonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-34552745168712725512009-10-11T11:59:45.987-07:002009-10-11T11:59:45.987-07:00I have tried (and failed) to paste in this box som...I have tried (and failed) to paste in this box some comments about the origins of some SEN so have emailed them to Simon. I hope he will be willing to share them with his readers.<br /><br />Suesuzygnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-85202575993822742732009-10-10T11:47:17.825-07:002009-10-10T11:47:17.825-07:00Carole,
I am someone who elected to HE because m...Carole, <br />I am someone who elected to HE because my daughter's autism made school a nightmare; in retrospect I suspect that I would have enjoyed home educating the majority of my children had I even considered it (or really known about it) at the time. I do also have a profoundly disabled son too for whom school is a "good thing" - he gets 1:1 care there and there are 2 full time nurses on the staff to cope with his medical needs. So although I am someone who came into home ed as a matter of need rather than choice (we did later take another son out too for different reasons) I wouldn't change the path my daughter has taken for a moment - I can't see that she would have benefitted from any type of school (mainstream or specialised ) more than she has at home.<br />That isn't always the case though with some of the families in my HE group - they do struggle to meet their childrens needs at home and some probably wish things had turned out differently for them. We are fortunate that in our area we have been able to access the ed psych service relatively easily for home educators, and the primary and adolescent mental health services, I also had good service from speech therapy even when out of school; but I know there are families who would appreciate some flexi schooling, if only to give themelves some respite care and those with children with either SLD or a learning disability would welcome more access to teachers with appropriate qualifications and to materials especially!Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-90631000097016762142009-10-10T10:55:03.165-07:002009-10-10T10:55:03.165-07:00Julie I have two autistic sons with a firm diagnos...Julie I have two autistic sons with a firm diagnosis of autism, one also has a serious visual impairment. I am also aware that some families can have a torrid time actually getting a diagnosis, which does not make their children any less autistic. <br /><br />I am in contact with parents who are all eager to comment on the SEN proposals of more support included in yesterday's announcement. I hope that by Wednesday I will have a clear picture as to what the parents that have contacted me and who I am in contact with think about this.OneVoicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350101697411045771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-37138004871851317272009-10-10T10:46:57.041-07:002009-10-10T10:46:57.041-07:00Yes Simon I gather that we will be meeting on Wedn...Yes Simon I gather that we will be meeting on Wednedsay. Thank you for answering my question.OneVoicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350101697411045771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-24051067697151141252009-10-10T10:07:43.450-07:002009-10-10T10:07:43.450-07:00Carole,
Firing a question at you.... hope that is...Carole, <br />Firing a question at you.... hope that is okay... I have an autistic daughter so do have an interest in all this...do you think that most of the parents that you represent will be happy with the SEN proposals of more support in yesterdays DSCF announcement - or more alarmed?Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-768780700076843222009-10-10T09:48:46.933-07:002009-10-10T09:48:46.933-07:00No Carole, the information is not incorrect. I act...No Carole, the information is not incorrect. I act as an advocate for families in East london who have children with special educational needs. I gather that we shall be meeting on Wednesday?<br /> Simon WebbSimon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-54995334355607736632009-10-10T09:37:50.612-07:002009-10-10T09:37:50.612-07:00Simon can I just ask what your connection is with ...Simon can I just ask what your connection is with special needs at the moment? I understand that you have said that you work with children with special educational needs. Please forgive me if this information is incorrect.<br /><br />Carole RutherfordOneVoicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350101697411045771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-36232672294778942872009-10-10T08:28:33.716-07:002009-10-10T08:28:33.716-07:00"It seems to be more the parents who are aski..."It seems to be more the parents who are asking for the stuff. I don't know if anybody else has heard of this?" Certainly both children of friends and some of the parents at the autism group I belong to have at least been asked by teachers "have you asked about medication?" - so the idea is around if not as yet being insisted on!Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-83408820580077696912009-10-10T08:19:27.638-07:002009-10-10T08:19:27.638-07:00I run a message board for home educators on a sit...I run a message board for home educators on a site (mostly used by women) that includes lot of boards for babies and various parenting categories, including "children with special needs". The vast majority of parents who post on that board have children in schools, and there are a large number of children with issues (most of which arise in school) which may or may not turn out to be some kind of ASD or ADHD. They therefore seek support from other parents and whilst DLA does come up, the majority of pressure for diagnosis does seem to come not from the parents themselves but the schools... clearly, for whatever reason the schools cannot cope with a particular child and hope to get more funding for themselves; so if they are encouraged to claim DLA it is all down to the pressure for a diagnosis.<br /><br />I have to say that there is more mention of claiming DLA on home ed boards in general than on this special needs board that I have just mentioned. I am not making any judgement about the worthiness or not of such claims, but I do believe that the subject has become of more significance in the lives of some home educators since the govt cut income support for single parents of children over 12, or whatever the new limit is (and it goes down to ?7 next November). Having a child on the middle rate DLA thus exempts single mothers from having to sign on and look for work...so I can see why it is tempting to make a claim if you have a child with unspecified issues and you are in that position.Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-88368303747104797512009-10-10T08:13:48.890-07:002009-10-10T08:13:48.890-07:00what are we to understand by that gnomic interject...what are we to understand by that gnomic interjection, Joely?Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-60465079617640313132009-10-10T08:09:35.250-07:002009-10-10T08:09:35.250-07:00Put the sock puppet away now.
JoelyPut the sock puppet away now. <br />JoelyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-56678513729466546032009-10-10T07:51:24.218-07:002009-10-10T07:51:24.218-07:00Ah pstar, would this be a DLA scam you are talking...Ah pstar, would this be a DLA scam you are talking about?Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-41599644501473145102009-10-10T07:45:19.412-07:002009-10-10T07:45:19.412-07:00I have heard of many parents wanting their child t...I have heard of many parents wanting their child to get "ritales" as they get more benefit...pstarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-25478583782333914502009-10-10T07:36:10.122-07:002009-10-10T07:36:10.122-07:00It was Mouse :) Thnx for the apology which is acce...It was Mouse :) Thnx for the apology which is accepted.<br />JoelyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-21620563292542770842009-10-10T07:12:29.980-07:002009-10-10T07:12:29.980-07:00Joely, Sorry I misread Simon's quote.
I have ...Joely, Sorry I misread Simon's quote. <br />I have no idea who said it now.<br /><br />Mrs AnonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com