Priorities for Children, Young People and Education Committee - consultation responses
EXAM CENTRES - we were pleased to publish a new list of Welsh exam centres this month. New centres have been added to the existing list, in new locations. This hopefully helps to reduce one key barrier to successful outcomes for our children. Several have been working hard to increase provision for candidates with additional learning needs. For the list please click here
We now also have a private professional on board who is able to do the psychometric testing needed by some candidates. We have negotiated that this be done at a reasonable cost for those those who need it for their form 8, and have had no success with their LA EP service. Join and post in our Face Book group if you are a parent needing help with this.
We are continuing to work on identifying new exam centres across Wales, and to ensure they offer equality of access whenever possible. We are also trying hard to ensure that these be competitively priced. Work in this area in ongoing, and we welcome all support in our endeavour to ensure that no child is left unable to obtain vital qualifications for reasons of cost or disability. If you are able to help please get in touch with cymrualn@gmail.com.
Swansea leads the way in reducing the numbers of forced home educators with ALN by working to provide more specialist teaching facilities for children on the Autistic spectrum. News story here . This is a very welcome development, and one that we hope other councils across Wales will take note of.
CALL FOR NEW TEACHERS TO LEARN ABOUT SLCN SEN is now going to be included as part of initial teacher training, and SLCN has been listed. There is a risk that it gets swallowed by ASD, so a petition has been started online. This petition is entitled ‘For every new teacher to learn about Speech, Language and Communication Needs’. The aim of the petition is to urge the Government to include Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) as part of any initial teacher training package. All trainee teachers should learn about SLCN so that they are able to adapt their teaching strategies and fully support their students to succeed and achieve, Call for new teachers to learn about Speech, Language and Communication Needs. http://www.afasiccymru.org.uk/call-for-new-teachers-to-learn-about-slcn/
EYE TESTS - Our Special Assessment Clinic provides eye care for patients who cannot communicate in the usual way. Cardiff.
This includes infants and young children, children with special needs and adults with intellectual disability. We work closely with the educational services to provide guidance on visual abilities and needs for children with any form of visual impairment, and also with the Low Vision Clinic to advise on or supply magnification aids when appropriate.
We are highly experienced in providing eye care for children and adults with all levels of ability. You do not need to be able to read or to communicate well to have a full eye examination.
We also operate as a teaching clinic for student optometrists.
We carry out research to develop further ways of assessing vision in special needs patients, and to study the aetiology and effects of vision defects in people with disabilities.
Our emphasis is always on communication, by written and verbal reports, so that parents, careers and educators are made fully aware of the patient's visual abilities and difficulties, and the ways in which their particular problems can be addressed.
Mencap WISE is available to everyone in Wales, whether you are a person with a learning a learning disability, a family member or a friend. We can give you the information you need to understand the rights of people with a learning disability and to support them to access services or challenge decisions. Call 0808 8000 300 or complete our contact form to get in touch https://www.mencap.org.uk/
Contact A Family Your stories Hearing from other parents can be a huge source of support for families caring for a disabled child. One of the best ways parents with disabled children learn is from each other. And we're always looking for more stories we can share to help raise awareness of the lives of families with disabled children. If you would like to know more please email Michele.Cefai@cafamily.
NAS Meeting the educational needs of pupils with PDA In this article Ruth Fidler, an Education Consultant and author specialising in pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and complex autism, explores some of the difficulties facing pupils with PDA, and how staff can best approach them.
Young Wales Annual Summer Questionnaire 2016 Welcome to the first Young Wales annual summer questionnaire. Each Year Young Wales will publish a questionnaire, developed by our Young Wales Project Board, drawing on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Concluding Observations published in 2016. The evidence we gather from the questionnaire will be used to inform the work of Young Wales and contribute to evidence submitted to future UNCRC calls for evidence. The closing date for responses is 14 October 2016. The questionnaire is available athttps://www.surveymonkey.co.
The ‘All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss’ ‘People with sensory loss should be asked to describe their communication needs when they register with a new GP or primary healthcare service. Arrangements should also be made to gather this information for existing patients. This should describe a patient’s individual communication needs in a practical way ...’
‘As part of the referral process from primary to secondary care the communication needs of people with sensory loss should be identified and there should be arrangements in place to ensure they experience effective communication when they visit the hospital’.
The Welsh Government is committed to tackling the barriers faced by the sensory loss community when accessing healthcare and to this end, are working jointly with colleagues from all Health Boards and NHS Trusts, the NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) and the NHS CEHR on a national project to deliver an ‘Information Standard’ for NHS Wales. We need the involvement and support of individuals from the sensory loss community to help us ensure that we achieve an Information Standard that works for everyone. We would like to create a Reference Group who we can work with to inform and develop the Standard. Public Health Wales is looking for people to give advice on how GPs and other health services in Wales should collect information on patient communication needs and ensure these needs are met. Do you (or does someone you know) fancy joining this group to have your say and make a difference? You can find out more and fill in an application form here
CALL FOR NEW TEACHERS TO LEARN ABOUT SLCN SEN is now going to be included as part of initial teacher training, and SLCN has been listed. There is a risk that it gets swallowed by ASD, so a petition has been started online. This petition is entitled ‘For every new teacher to learn about Speech, Language and Communication Needs’. The aim of the petition is to urge the Government to include Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) as part of any initial teacher training package. All trainee teachers should learn about SLCN so that they are able to adapt their teaching strategies and fully support their students to succeed and achieve
Cerebra Two of our parent guides have been Highly Commended at the 2016 British Medical Association (BMA) Patient Information Awards. We were delighted to receive the awards for our Parent Guides on ‘Returning to School: A teacher’s guide for pupils with brain tumours, during and after treatment’ and ‘Anxiety: A Guide for Parents’ at a ceremony on 12th September.
Cerebra We are asking for young people to write about their experience of growing up with and living with a disability to help us challenge negative perceptions and promote a wider understanding of different conditions. In this article sixteen year old Sallie tells us her story of living with cerebral palsy (CP). http://w3.cerebra.org.uk/
and also from Cerebra
A Father and Teacher’s View on Inclusive Education http://w3.cerebra.org.uk/
Cerebra Cardiff University Family Fun Run Saturday 1st October Time: 1.25pm Distance: 2.4km
Route: 2 laps around the Cardiff Civic Centre, starting outside Cardiff City Hall. Perfectly suited to all ages, there’s no pressure to record fast times or even run all the way round. Instead, dig out your best fancy dress, drag along the rest of your family and friends and enjoy the experience. There are no age limits for the race, but children under eight must be accompanied by an adult, and unaccompanied children must be brought to the start and met at the fun run exit.
Route: 2 laps around the Cardiff Civic Centre, starting outside Cardiff City Hall. Perfectly suited to all ages, there’s no pressure to record fast times or even run all the way round. Instead, dig out your best fancy dress, drag along the rest of your family and friends and enjoy the experience. There are no age limits for the race, but children under eight must be accompanied by an adult, and unaccompanied children must be brought to the start and met at the fun run exit.
- Registration fee: FREE
- Minimum pledge: £25
- More information: www.
cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk - Book your place here
Cardiff University Toddler Dash Saturday 1st October Time: 12.15pm Distance: 100m 2015 saw the first ever Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon Toddler Dash. It involved a 100m ‘dash’ on a fun course in front of Cardiff’s City Hall, aimed at children aged three and under. It’s back for 2016 so get involved!
- Registration fee: FREE
- Minimum pledge: £25
- More information: www.
cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk - Book your place here
A template Home Education card to print out and laminate at home for those whose children may be uncomfortable at being questioned by supermarket cashiers.
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