Comments on: And now …

By: Jolene

Jolene — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:23:25 +0000

The principle won’t even apply for ORRS stating kids like my son fall through the cracks because they are not good enough.

Sorry I mean’t because children like my son are not bad enough to qualify.

By: Jolene

Jolene — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:20:40 +0000

To add to the mix, he attends a high decile school. Perhaps He would be better off in a low decile school where teacher aides are just handed out and no questions asked!!!

What an ignorant statement. My son attends a decile 3 school and he is 9 and a half, diagnosed ADHD/Aspergers, cannot read nor write yet apparently doesn’t even qualify for teacher aide assistance. The principle won’t even apply for ORRS stating kids like my son fall through the cracks because they are not good enough. There is NO just handing out teacher aides anywhere!! Research your statements first please..

By: Anu Kaloti

Anu Kaloti — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:58:48 +0000

I fully agree with Lesley. My 5 year old son was very recently denied ORRS funding because “his symptoms are not severe enough”. How “severe” does a child have to be to qualify??? To add to the mix, he attends a high decile school. Perhaps He would be better off in a low decile school where teacher aides are just handed out and no questions asked!!!

By: Hilary Stace

Hilary Stace — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:57:28 +0000

There is great potential for this site to have a real influence regarding special ed. issues. We should monitor what those in power are saying too. I see the National Party’s spokesman on Special Education is Alan Peachey. Anyone know his track record on inclusion for ASD kids during his time at Rangitoto College?

By: Michael Gregg

Michael Gregg — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:45:32 +0000

The conundrum is when an ASD kid turns 6, they MUST attend school. But if not ORRs funding is available, the parent is faced with an impossible choice - school and buy a teacher aide yourself OR no school and break the law. Is this fair?

By: Michael Gregg

Michael Gregg — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:40:48 +0000

I attended an ORRS review yesterday - the day after the book launch. It was FRUSTRATING. What’s simple for me to see is that Teachers Aide support is either required, or not. If it not, parents would not ask. If it is needed, it should be provided. For the benefit of the teacher, the classroom and the child in need. apparently an ORRS review is underway within the Ministry. But given I was told that the scope took six months to complete by a contractor, it is unlikely that anything will change quickly. What do we need to do to convince the government to meet the needs of our children?

By: Russell Brown

Russell Brown — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:43:18 +0000

Good luck with your application Rob. It’s funny how you read things, but from what I’ve gleaned I’m amazed the Jimmy received ORRs funding in the end. The well is indeed empty.

I simply don’t think Jimmy would have received funding if we applied today. We were really lucky — and Jimmy has benefited enormously from that luck. He’s doing NCEA level 1 this year, and that’s something we once thought wasn’t realistic. It gives us the confidence to aim higher than the ed-psych who suggested he might get a job parking trolleys at the garden centre.

And Stu, you’re right. The current environment is really hard on everyone, including the teachers. I’ve independently supplied info resources to our kids’ teachers, which seems to have helped.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:07:19 +0000

Good luck with your application Rob. It’s funny how you read things, but from what I’ve gleaned I’m amazed the Jimmy received ORRs funding in the end. The well is indeed empty.

My autistic daughter started school on Monday. Kindy and the support she received there is looking like paradise in comparison. We’re yet to receive the ORRs denial but I’m not going to hold my breath for this funding.

I find the in-your-face advocacy that my daughter needs from me a real challenge (maybe it’s the autistic gene in me). But these past few days has been a real crash course in what sort of an effort will be required.

By: Rob Hosking

Rob Hosking — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:47:15 +0000

I’m amazed - given what I’ve gleaned about your kid - that you were initially denied ORRs funding. We’re going jsut going through that process now for our daughter.

It’s a difficult enough process for us - and I’m used to dealing with bureacratic jargon, and Claudia is an educationalist by training. what the hell it must be like for less experienced people boggles the mind.

By: lesley maclean

lesley maclean — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:37:53 +0000

Not only that, but early intervention services as well. Like many, I find myself faced both with the strong message that early intervention is crucial for a positive outcome, and simultaneously with the various agencies that provide it refusing to take me seriously. We were turned down by three early intervention agencies who were stumped by the fact that my son does possess some social skills and can do eye contact if he wants. They observed him in conditions far removed from the settings he finds challenging. So somehow a quiet room with one adult giving him lots of attention is going to replicate the realities of his kindergarten filled with noisy children engaged in complex social interactions. And consequently they conclude that everything is just fine, pat pat.

I would have preferred to hear something to the tune of “your son clearly has some issues but we just don’t have enough money in the pot and we are going to give it to other children” , crappy as that is, than “there is nothing going on with your son and you are probably just neurotic”.

Of course the real crime is the lack of resourcing provided for our kids, but on top of that, a certain degree of respect and support for the parents would be greatly appreciated. It’s a heartbreaking experience to have to promote your child’s worst qualities and keep the positive bits to yourself for fear of that being used against you.