Accessing resource teacher without assessment?

yellowber

Hi, I've read through the recent posts on this issue, but was hoping for some clarification. My child is 7 and his teacher has indicated that we may need to apply for an assessment as he is being inattentive in school which is causing him to fall behind with some of his work. He is generally capable of doing the work but seems to have trouble focusing in the school environment. I don't want to see him falling any further behind, but I understand there may be a significant wait for a NEPS assessment, and going private probably isn't an option for us at the moment. From the NEPS info, I understand that, in theory, he should be given a Classroom education plan, and possibly a School education plan (involving the resource teacher) as the first ports of call, before an assessment is done. Is this what I can realistically expect to happen in practice? Should my son be able to access learning support within the school while awaiting a NEPS assessment? Any advice much appreciated.

byhookorbycrook

The term resource teacher has been superseded by "SEN teacher." If your child is falling behind, it's up to the school to decide what level of support he will get. The class teacher has primary responsibility for all the children in their class, so the 1st thing they need to do is to put in place some strategies and record these on the class support plan- ideally the teacher needs to meet with you to discuss strategies to be put in place, so that you can both work on them.

If, after a term, your child is still struggling and is in need of more support, the next step is a school support plan, where an SEN teacher works with your child. The caveat in that is that SEN teachers are in very short supply, so if your child needs help with maths but is getting scores of STEN 4 in their SIGMA/Drumcondra they won't qualify for support teaching.
NEPS waiting lists are huge and your child realistically won't be assessed if they don't qualify for school support. Even with an assessment, if they are above the STEN 3 cut off, they may not qualify for support with the SEN teacher.

Have you noticed the lack of focus at home too?If it's only in the school setting, it's not going to be something like ADD/ADHD. Do you need to remind him to stay on task all the time?Is his organisation poor?Do you need to repeat instructions repeatedly-can he follow more complex multi-step instructions such as " go and get your rain coat, then find me a biro and let the dog out for a run."

So, what can you do?I'd meet with the class teacher with a view to setting up the Classroom Support Plan and to be clear on the strategies to be used by you both to address his falling behind sooner rather than later.The plan is time bound, usually a school term and is then reviewed to see what happens next.

I always get parents to check hearing and vision, to make sure their child is getting quality sleep - no screens in the bedroom , ideally, but definitely not for an hour before sleep. Does he eat a good healthy diet?Does he get outdoor exercise of some form each day (not easy in this weather!)

Colour code books/copies with stickers on their spines. red stickers for maths etc, this means the child finds the books more easily and doesn't spend half the lesson rooting in their bag Likewise, a see through pencil case means less searching ,but ensure it isn't overstocked. Is he the sort to enjoy attention for any reason- positive or negative? How is he at settling down to homework, is he independent in an age appropriate manner or do you find yourself sitting beside him all the time (whatever age he is, that not really a good strategy in the long run as his teacher can't give him one to one all the time in a class of 30.

It’s quite premature to be talking about an assessment without the steps above . Has the lack of concentration being raised by previous teachers?

Sorry for throwing up some many questions for you!

yellowber

byhookorbycrook - thank you for your detailed reply, it was hugely helpful. I find the whole thing a but daunting tbh, so it's great to get some clarification. The inattentiveness can be an issue at home too, but definitely to a lesser extent than at school because there are so many more possible distractions there. He does tend to be very impulsive too (he could walk away from me to talk to a total stranger when we're shopping, for example). He gets distracted by everything and anything in class. Yet at home, once he has sat down to do his homework (with a bit of encouragement from me, getting him started etc), he is actually pretty good at getting on with it and tends to prefer to get it done and out of the way. So I am a bit torn as to whether it could possibly be ADHD etc, but I do see it as a possibility in the back of my mind. Following a series of instructions is definitely a weak point for him - it would nearly need to be 1 instruction at a time (2 max if I've managed to get his proper attention).

His lack of concentration in school has been a recurring issue since he started (now in 1st class), so the teacher mentioning a possible assessment wasn't completely unexpected. His hearing & vision have been checked and both are fine. So I think I'll do what you suggested and arrange to speak with his teacher with a view to putting a clear plan in place to monitor and address these issues. I'll try the tips you suggested for organising his books and stationery too, thank you.

rainemac

Do some research into Neurodevelopemtnal Therapy, it's to do with retained primal reflexes and alot of the symptoms are what you've mentioned. Therapy in my area is €250 for the initial assessment, and €100 every 8 weeks, therapy is done at home daily and reviewed by therapist every 8 weeks, might be worth looking into.

byhookorbycrook

rainemac wrote: »

Do some research into Neurodevelopemtnal Therapy, it's to do with retained primal reflexes and alot of the symptoms are what you've mentioned. Therapy in my area is €250 for the initial assessment, and €100 every 8 weeks, therapy is done at home daily and reviewed by therapist every 8 weeks, might be worth looking into.

I have yet to see NDT , Brain Gym, Primary Movement help any child . I’ve been teaching 30 years and have seen these come and go.

GalwayGrrrrrl

rainemac wrote: »

Do some research into Neurodevelopemtnal Therapy, it's to do with retained primal reflexes and alot of the symptoms are what you've mentioned. Therapy in my area is €250 for the initial assessment, and €100 every 8 weeks, therapy is done at home daily and reviewed by therapist every 8 weeks, might be worth looking into.

Do not do this. If you can afford this then pay for a proper educational psychologist assessment with someone recommended by your school teachers. Then you can access services for free if needed, depending on the results.