Fragile X Awareness month - Day 20

I have to apologise but I need to do one more post on education. It's top of mind for me right now because Merryn is in Prep. This is the year they do Verification to assess if a child needs additional support for the next 6 years of primary school. The process has been ongoing all year but today I sat in a room with the guidance officer, speech therapist, Special Education Unit co-ordinater, a child psychologist I'd bought in and Merryn's teacher. I won't bore you with details, but essentially this is the where things sit right now.

Merryn's teacher has done a number of reports and verbally expressed the issues and needs Merryn has. She is very concerned that without additional support Merryn will not be able to keep up at school. I have provided a number of reports showing Merryn's diagnosis of Fragile X and it's impact on her, as well as verbally explaining her difficulties with grasping concepts, socialisation etc.

Unfortunately that is all irrelevant in our education system. Merryn did a 30min test, with a person she'd never met before, in a quiet room, that was all picture based. Based on that a score was given and it showed she was fine. So now, the only way I can get my daughter the assistance she needs to be educated is to get her an Autism diagnosis........

Days like these, I don't think our government actually has any interest at all in educating children with additional needs.

http://fragilex.org.au