My Review of Scope's Education and Learning Together Toolkit

I have been asked by Scope, the UK based charity for children with disabilities and their families, to review their website section, which is called - ‘Scope’s Learning Together toolkit’, and which provides information on the integration of children with disabilities into mainstream settings, and then give my personal feedback about it.

I firstly will say I think it is very easy to read. The layout is simple, but effective.
The paragraphs are concise, but content rich.

As I have two children with (different) disabilities, I am pleased to see that my youngest son W, who has Nystagmus ( the involuntary eye rotation and vision impairment), is also included within the education section, and how parents and school staff can make the school environment a safe, happy, and effective learning place for a child with vision impairment or loss.

Autism is featured more and more nowadays, (from when I first heard the word back in 2004), and Scope have created a very reader friendly information section on this. As autism is being diagnosed more and more, mainstream schools do have to develop their attitude, support, and provisions, as there are children with autism that can attend a mainstream setting, but will still need that bit more help and understanding.
My cousin has just started working as a primary school teacher, after gaining a First Class Honours BA in Primary Education, and she has two children in her class that have been noted as having extra needs, but there is no teaching assistant to help her. So she has a class of 30 children, and has to provide extra support and help to these children, and also teach the other 28 alongside. The Head of the school decided to remove all teaching assistants as a cost cutting exercise. So every child that attends a school with the same provision in place, will suffer. Money over a child's well being and education has reared it's head again, and will not benefit anyone apart from the Head and her budget book.
Scope gives practical advice for parents and education providers about this complex issue, and it could benefit families that are in a quandary about education provisions.

As Scope is for all children with any disability, they have to be quite broad in their information and advice.
If Scope talk about a specific document or form, they provide a link within that paragraph. This means if you want to continue reading through the website, but don't want to forget or lose where this information is, you can click it, it opens in a new page, and you can then go to it as and when you want, whilst moving on through their website.

I am asked to give any suggestions I may have.
The main one I adhere to, which applies to all children, whether disabled or abled, and beginning a new experience of education settings, is to listen to your child. Observe them. See how they respond. Take your time with decision making over education. Allow them time to adjust.
Let them have a good transition time frame. Don't rush it. You must feel confident in the care provided. Your child will show you if they are happy or not.
It is fantastic to read about what to do, how to go about it, but a parent really is the best advocate for their child, as they know and understand them wholly.
The information available on  Scope’s  Learning Together toolkit will empower parents and carers, who may feel in the dark about the education provisions, or parents that want that bit of back up that bolsters their opinion on what they want their child to gain from school.
So perhaps a little bit about trusting yourself and your feelings, when it comes to your child with a disability, would be valuable.

If you want to have a look for yourself, this is the link I have discussed - Scope's Education and Learning Together Toolkit

I would have benefitted immensely from the Scope website and their Education and Learning together toolkit 10 years ago. The help and advice was patchy and very sparse back then. I empowered myself by searching for information, having publications sent from the US for me to read, and by believing in my ability to recognise what was right for my Boy.
What Scope have provided is fabulous. It is almost a 'one stop shop' for help and advice.
I hope their address is given out more readily to parents beginning on the road of a special needs child, as it could be just the thing for them to have to hand, and to see the future more clearly.

The Flu Injection Appointment

This morning was flu injection time.
I'd booked our appointments a few weeks ago, and had a plan in place, and my mum in attendance to help with what I predicted to be, a dramatic scene of screaming and panic from J.
J remember is the boy that panics if I drive near the doctors surgery, and says "goodbye doctor" over and over again.

I had made the appointment time as early morning, to get it out the way!

Upon driving into the car park, J got a little agitated, but he exited the car with no coercion needed.
Booking us in on the electronic machine, J went and sat down.
He was tapping his feet a little too noisily, but there was only one other person in the waiting room, and so I didn't make a fuss about it.

When we were called in to the nurse's room, J followed, with no problem.

I asked to go first, which turned out to be a great thing to do.
J watched as I took my cardigan off one arm, and rolled my sleeve up. I stood for the injection, and it was over in seconds.
J then automatically took his coat off, rolled his sleeve up, and sat in the chair.
The nurse did the jab, he made a small noise, more of an "oooo", but no screaming.

And that was it!
He put his coat on, and then watched as his youngest brother had a nasal flu spray squirted up his nostrils - this is the method they use for all two to three years olds in the UK.

We all walked out calmly, and my mum and I were in a small shock at the complete lack of anticipated drama.

What an amazing difference.
He really is growing up and maturing.
I've said before that he learns through trauma, and even if it is a good thing, if he hasn't done it before, he usually panics, but as soon as he experiences it, and sees for himself it is okay, he accepts it and doesn't stress any further.

I'm feeling incredibly pleased that it turned out so well. Over the moon in fact. Not a full moon though, as we all know full moons affect special children quite effectively, and plenty of neurotypical children and adults too. I'm not going a full round with a full moon!

A Lovely Comment

J's school bus escort said something really lovely this afternoon when he was dropped off.
She said he is such a lovely young man, always chirpy and happy, singing away (in his mumbled word way, but with tune) and is the most well behaved out of all of the others on the bus.

I felt incredibly proud of him when she told me.
I know she's not the first that has spoken about their fondness of him, and his cheeky behaviour, but sometimes someone new, telling you how much they think of your special child, well, it makes me want to shout it out to all those negative people that disparage the mentally disabled. My son has a beautiful character, and despite his severe communication and cognitive disabilities, he has the personality to make people love him.

He is amazing!

 

My Peugeot Car and the Faulty Battery Saga

I have had two weeks of incompetence and deniability from two major companies.

My Peugeot vehicle, one morning, refused to start. I knew the battery was at fault - flat.
I called the RAC out and sure enough all that was needed was a jump start of the battery.
The chap that visited, advised me to run my car regularly, as batteries can stall with weeks of non use. My car however is used every day, so this seemed illogical.
Four days went by, with the car starting fine, and then the fifth day, nothing. "Click click" was all the car emitted as I turned the ignition key. The battery was flat again.

Another RAC man came out, and mentioned the non use being a cause, but I explained it is used daily, and not just short little trips - I cover a fair few miles!
He said there must be something draining the battery when the engine is off.
I have no modifications or adaptations on the car, and I do not leave lights or similar, on.

I then thought it must be the radio unit. A few months before, my radio had been disconnected by Peugeot, as it had fused when I was driving one day, and smoke poured out of the air vents.
They wanted £350 for a new unit! I declined. Far too expensive for me to outlay on.
So I requested they disconnect it. According to their service sheet, they did. The unit stayed in the car though.

So, I booked the car in to my local Peugeot main dealer, the same place I got the car from last year.

After 24 hours they told me that it had to be a faulty battery that would need replacing. However, the warranty does not cover batteries. I told them I thought it was the radio unit. There was no other electrical output that could be the cause, as they claimed they had checked.
Despite this being 2013, the man on the service department desk, looked at me as if I was a moron from the planet Moron1. He told me, in that wonderfully condescending tone that some people in customer focused jobs employ, ( eg doctor's receptionists), that it could not be that.

I called Motability, who I got the car through, as J is registered severally disabled, and they said they would not pay for a battery, as it should be covered by the warranty.
I was stuck between these two companies, both claiming the other was liable.

This car is under one year old. Surely there should be guidelines for cars, where a standard expectation of reliability of parts is covered up to a year. But it seems the small print of the warranty, gave Peugeot a get out of jail free card, and they were legally able to shrug their shoulders and say hard luck.

I raised a complaint with the main head quarters of Peugeot UK, and received an appalling email from their Customer Service Manager, whose name I shall not put here.
The email had spelling mistakes, and poor grammar. It consisted of three tiny paragraphs, with a sentence in each. The email from this man basically said "tough", the warranty doesn't cover batteries.

So, I went back to Motability. They said they'd try and raise a complaint.

Meanwhile, I received an email from my local Peugeot dealer, asking me if I was happy with their service when I had taken my car in! Anyone that knows me, or who has followed my blog from the start will know this - I had to send a reply.

Two days later I received a call from the manager of the service department at my local dealer. He had been passed my email response to their customer satisfaction email.
He wanted to get to the bottom of this problem, and said he would put a new battery in, free of charge, and would take up the battle with Peugeot warranties and Motability - in effect his dealership would cover the cost, despite it not being them personally that should do - Peugeot UK should.

So in the car goes for a battery change. An hour later I am told that the car is still emitting very high electrical output when the engine is off. They checked the same model as mine, to see if it was just a quirk with them alone, but no, it was just my car. I again said I thought it was the radio unit. Again I was told it couldn't be.
They decided to keep my car and give me a courtesy car.

But, just over an hour later I received a call from Motability, who said they had been contacted by my main dealer, and the fault had been found. You've already guessed what it is haven't you?!
The radio unit.
It had not been disconnected! It had been left to run, even when the ignition was off. As I had no power to it on the main display, it was not anything I did or could have prevented. It was their mechanic originally that did not disconnect it properly, after the fuse problem.

I told the chap to disconnect it properly, as I was not paying £350 for a new unit!
I collected my car later that day, and it was fine.

I did have to speak to Mr Personality on the service desk again, and the prickles he was emanating from his aura was funny. He just couldn't look me in the eye.
I am never rude, or aggressive, ever.
I do however make my point clear when service is less than expected.
With him, as he seemed to have a dislike of women having an iota of knowledge about their vehicle, I smiled sweetly, and hoped he'd now upgrade me from Moron1.

I would have loved to have done the 'told you so' dance. The one Grace does in NBC's fab 1998-2005 show, Will and Grace. You can see it  here or here . Both link to YouTube.
But I don't think it would have gone down too well!

I thought that was the end of it. I was happy the problem was fixed.
But I received a call yesterday from Motability. As a good will gesture for all the hassle I have been put through, through no fault of my own, they have agreed to pay for a new radio unit to be put in my car. I would call that an amicable settlement.

I always maintain that being polite is the best way to handle disagreements with companies.
Not polite in the manner of being self deprecating and apologetic, but understanding that people can make mistakes, it is human nature, and that a person in a call centre is merely the go between, and should not be abused verbally for your frustrations and anger.

And I strongly believe that if you complain about service, you should also praise it when it goes right.
I sent a thank you email to the service manager at my main dealer, and also thanked profusely the Motability chap that called me with the new radio news.

So I have a new radio unit, fully functioning. A battery that shouldn't go flat, hopefully.
And all by me keeping my cool, and sticking to my morals of not being shunted aside, no matter what excuses I am given.

The Love of Dogs

I have linked this post to a video of a young boy who has Down's Syndrome, and a beautiful and gentle yellow Labrador.
The Labrador is trying to make friends with the boy, and is determined to do so, but never pushes boundaries, or becomes overly keen or excitable.
It was heart warming to watch, especially as I love Labradors - I have two yellow ones myself.

You can watch the video Here. It is on YouTube under the title ' Loving dog takes care of little boy with Down's Syndrome'