I just had a meeting with an itinerant support teacher for early intervention (did you know they exist?) My meeting was concerning the options for E next year as he begins school. At this stage we are looking at Department of Education options.
She was lovely and helpful and nice to know there is someone you can email or ring with logistical questions regarding the placement of kids with additional needs in schools. She will also be a bit of a liaison between me and my local school.
I have been informed from a few different sources that because E has a diagnosis of autism he will qualify for additional state funding. Ain't necessarily so, folks. If your child has a mild developmental delay or in E's case a severe language and communication delay - then they do not qualify for additional funding. Any support/aid that the school can offer comes out of what is already allocated to the school.
So my understanding is that E will receive very little extra support at school.
This is very hard to hear. My child does not need to be in a special school or a support class. In fact, these will most likely be detrimental to his learning ( learning behaviours of other children etc). But I know he will be completely lost in a classroom. He will struggle to follow the first instruction, let alone the second or the third. He may not be intellectually disabled but his lack of comprehension skills will probably end up producing a similar outcome. If one does not understand what is being said, then they cannot perform the tasks. Why does this not qualify for funding for support?????
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