I never really thought of myself as a pushy parent. Too diplomatic. I simply explained facts and made it obvious that I had weighed all the options carefully and this was the best, or only conclusion. But sometimes and for some people this isn't enough.
Some struggle, some need to be pushy to get what they need for their kids. I'm not talking about having a strop because Jane didn't get into the gymnastics club at school. I'm talking accessing support as required by law for children with special educational needs.
What - that doesn't sound like one of my happy wonderful Wednesday posts? True. What's wonderful is that when parents were accused of being pushy for no reason, others have spoken up.
I was out of the country for two days and when I came back it was to a buzz in the SEND Bloggers community over a survey by GL Assessment reporting that teachers believe pushy parents are leading to unneeded (and incorrect) SEND diagnosis for some children possibly to gain a competitive advantage at school.
Not all kids with special educational needs are identified early enough. If there is a single school in the country that falls short of this criteria in their Ofsted report then that must be the case. Our diagnoses were critical in securing support for both our sons, it affected every part of their life, not just school - I made a list of 22 reasons that 22 months was too long for a diagnoses. Hhmmm, I might have more to say on this.
And in a show of support for those pushy, or otherwise parents seeking support for their children who need it, the SEND Bloggers community shared their own views. Each one is important and wonderful as it supports parents like ourselves and our children.
Helen at Life with ASD and the Rest just released results from online surveys and has created this one-off list of posts relating to this too. If you're interested please look at Helen's post or any of posts listed below.
This is such an important issue to be shared. Parents should not need to be pushy, the system should work for everyone. #SpectrumSunday
ReplyDeleteI had to initiate my son's autism assessment when he was 5 years old but he wasn't diagnosed unitl he was 8. Being labelled meant that a specialist autism team could go into his school and provide training to staff. Thankfully the teachers took on board the advice provided and as a result school worked a lot better for my son and also his teachers. I honestly don't know if he would have had a diagnosis now if I hadn't pushed. I think he would have been seen as a difficult, awkward and pedantic pupil and I think his own self esteem and mental health would have suffered without the understanding and awareness that his diagnosis has brought. What about the kids with parents who for some reason simply can not advocate for them? #spectrumsunday
ReplyDeletethere's a difference between being a pushy parent and obtaining what your child needs to have the same right to education as others.
ReplyDeleteSo many parents responded about their need to be pushy, and the many challenges they have had to overcome in order to have their child diagnosed and then supported. Let's hope that with more and more of us speaking out, things will start to change. #spectrumSunday
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