An update of sorts
Well it really has been a while since I last blogged here. A couple of reasons really... Twitter being a bit of a culprit but hey ho. You can find me on there by the way if you like. I have imaginatively called myself @michelletant LOL
The other reasons include my all consuming midwifery course. I kid you not, it has the potential to completely take over your life. Plus of course my family.
So I am here today for an update of sorts.
You may have read my post about my son with (amoung other things) sensory processing disorder ( http://michelletant.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/supermarket-meltdowns.html ) and we have been going through the statementing process with him. What that means it that we applied for a 'Statement of Additional Needs'. You have to apply through the county and it has to sort of be done on your behalf by the agencies involved with the child. So in our case it was the Speech and Language Therapist, the Occupational Therapist, the Educational Pyschologiest, the Early Years Special Educational Needs CoOrdinator... and us (quite nice that they do regard the parents as having some sort of expertise with our children).
Everyone submitted their reports to the county board and we have now heard back that a statement is to be awarded to him. This means that funding is released to the school and now the school has recruited an 'INA' (Individual Needs Assistant) who will be with him for 4 hours per day including lunchtime which is one of his flashpoints. If you'll excuse me for a moment....
WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Its amazing particularly as anybody we have spoken to about it have said how hard it is to get a statement for a child. It was a strange situation because I knew that to us, and to the people who work closely with him it was perfectly and abundantly clear that he needed an INA but would the 'powers that be' recognise that too. Quite nerve wracking really and the relief is immense. If you are a parent of a child with additional needs reading this and are yet to brave the system, just go for it.
So that has been taking up a lot of time and energy but its been a battle worth the fighting. My beautiful boy deserves the opportunity to live his life to his full potential and he is being given that opportunity now at school too.
It remains to be seen whether this will have any impact on our home life. I hope so because we are literally exhausted, every minute of every day. There was this woman who we were referred to by the Paediatrician. She apparently specialises in behaviour 'management' in children with additional needs. She rang me and said that she runs a course, its every tuesday for 6 weeks. I couldn't make it due to starting uni and she basically said thats a shame. Helpful much. I asked if she had any tips or recommended literature and she said no. She then said to ring her when I have more time. So essentially I am the bad parent who can't make time for my child.
Lady, you have no idea.
So the other 'thing'. Midwifery. I have been a student midwife now for 2 months and it's been a rollercoaster. So much learning to cram in, so many new experiences to process, so many changes to adjust to. As I haven't been to university before I didn't really have anything to compare it to and on discussion with people who have a previous degree, actually this course is not really comparable.
Now that we are out in placement I feel like I am really starting to make the connection between the theory and the practice element and my confidence is growing in my practice already though I'm under no illusions about the amount I have to go... literally the more I learn, the more I see I have to learn which in equal parts is exhilarating and frightening all at once. Every now and then the responsibility of the role hits me like a train.
Its worth every second though. In some ways I even see my children more which is an unexpected bonus. I find I am more careful with my time though which only benefits the kids hopefully.
Well I will write again soon, believe me I still have plenty to talk about; I just tend to witter away on twitter now instead.
The other reasons include my all consuming midwifery course. I kid you not, it has the potential to completely take over your life. Plus of course my family.
So I am here today for an update of sorts.
You may have read my post about my son with (amoung other things) sensory processing disorder ( http://michelletant.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/supermarket-meltdowns.html ) and we have been going through the statementing process with him. What that means it that we applied for a 'Statement of Additional Needs'. You have to apply through the county and it has to sort of be done on your behalf by the agencies involved with the child. So in our case it was the Speech and Language Therapist, the Occupational Therapist, the Educational Pyschologiest, the Early Years Special Educational Needs CoOrdinator... and us (quite nice that they do regard the parents as having some sort of expertise with our children).
Everyone submitted their reports to the county board and we have now heard back that a statement is to be awarded to him. This means that funding is released to the school and now the school has recruited an 'INA' (Individual Needs Assistant) who will be with him for 4 hours per day including lunchtime which is one of his flashpoints. If you'll excuse me for a moment....
WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Its amazing particularly as anybody we have spoken to about it have said how hard it is to get a statement for a child. It was a strange situation because I knew that to us, and to the people who work closely with him it was perfectly and abundantly clear that he needed an INA but would the 'powers that be' recognise that too. Quite nerve wracking really and the relief is immense. If you are a parent of a child with additional needs reading this and are yet to brave the system, just go for it.
So that has been taking up a lot of time and energy but its been a battle worth the fighting. My beautiful boy deserves the opportunity to live his life to his full potential and he is being given that opportunity now at school too.
It remains to be seen whether this will have any impact on our home life. I hope so because we are literally exhausted, every minute of every day. There was this woman who we were referred to by the Paediatrician. She apparently specialises in behaviour 'management' in children with additional needs. She rang me and said that she runs a course, its every tuesday for 6 weeks. I couldn't make it due to starting uni and she basically said thats a shame. Helpful much. I asked if she had any tips or recommended literature and she said no. She then said to ring her when I have more time. So essentially I am the bad parent who can't make time for my child.
Lady, you have no idea.
So the other 'thing'. Midwifery. I have been a student midwife now for 2 months and it's been a rollercoaster. So much learning to cram in, so many new experiences to process, so many changes to adjust to. As I haven't been to university before I didn't really have anything to compare it to and on discussion with people who have a previous degree, actually this course is not really comparable.
Now that we are out in placement I feel like I am really starting to make the connection between the theory and the practice element and my confidence is growing in my practice already though I'm under no illusions about the amount I have to go... literally the more I learn, the more I see I have to learn which in equal parts is exhilarating and frightening all at once. Every now and then the responsibility of the role hits me like a train.
Its worth every second though. In some ways I even see my children more which is an unexpected bonus. I find I am more careful with my time though which only benefits the kids hopefully.
Well I will write again soon, believe me I still have plenty to talk about; I just tend to witter away on twitter now instead.
Wow! That is a lot of different people involved for the Statement of Additional Needs, but I'm so glad there is a system there to help out with raising your kid (Never heard of sensory processing disorder until I've read your blog - thanks for bring awareness to that). And it sounds a lot better than how I had it here in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI was actually sort of a child with additional needs too. Didn't start talking until I was five years old. Was diagnosed with slow speech development. And was taken out of class twice a week for thirty minute sessions for six years. That was about it. Would have been helpful to learn I have social anxiety disorder on top of that. Oh well! But I'm glad that your son is getting the best of care and attention now. Learning all the tools as a child will better prepare him in dealing with his disorder later on, especially when he hits those teenage years and adulthood.
And I have a cousin who finished her midwifery course in the Philippines. And dude, it's so competitive there (because everybody wants to get into healthcare) that in order to volunteer at the hospitals in the Philippines, they have to pay to volunteer!
-Vanessa (@moriartsyness)
Hi Ness
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story too. Amazing the differences in care available for people with extra needs - do you get help for your social anxiety now? From what I've heard it can be so isolating... What I really hope for my son is that he gets the best shot at being his version of normal as an adult kwim?
I didn't know Midwifery was so competitive in other countries, its crazy competitve here too, there were 850 applicants for the 35 places in my class, I feel so lucky to have got on!
See you on twitter friend ;)
Michelle