Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
#1
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Joined: Jun 2013
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Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Hi all,
We are currently in the process of moving to Dubai from the UK (hoping to be there in August) and are frantically trying to find a good school for our twin 6 year old boys for September 2013. One of our boys is due to have an assessment by an educational psychologist this month at his current school in UK as he has some concentration issues and we anticipate he will need some individual/ special needs /learning support in the classroom. I've contacted a few schools in Dubai and they have hinted at having a limited Individual needs dept!
So as well as the first issue that its almost impossible to get a place in most good schools; I'm also at my wits end about finding a school that will accommodate his needs and on top of this I really need to get them both into the same school as splitting them with make things much worse with too much change for them
Please please could anyone provide ANY tips, advice or guidance as to which schools have good provision for individual/ special needs? And how to best approach this and the schools?
Any help and advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Tjas
We are currently in the process of moving to Dubai from the UK (hoping to be there in August) and are frantically trying to find a good school for our twin 6 year old boys for September 2013. One of our boys is due to have an assessment by an educational psychologist this month at his current school in UK as he has some concentration issues and we anticipate he will need some individual/ special needs /learning support in the classroom. I've contacted a few schools in Dubai and they have hinted at having a limited Individual needs dept!
So as well as the first issue that its almost impossible to get a place in most good schools; I'm also at my wits end about finding a school that will accommodate his needs and on top of this I really need to get them both into the same school as splitting them with make things much worse with too much change for them
Please please could anyone provide ANY tips, advice or guidance as to which schools have good provision for individual/ special needs? And how to best approach this and the schools?
Any help and advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Tjas
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,125
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Hi all,
We are currently in the process of moving to Dubai from the UK (hoping to be there in August) and are frantically trying to find a good school for our twin 6 year old boys for September 2013. One of our boys is due to have an assessment by an educational psychologist this month at his current school in UK as he has some concentration issues and we anticipate he will need some individual/ special needs /learning support in the classroom. I've contacted a few schools in Dubai and they have hinted at having a limited Individual needs dept!
So as well as the first issue that its almost impossible to get a place in most good schools; I'm also at my wits end about finding a school that will accommodate his needs and on top of this I really need to get them both into the same school as splitting them with make things much worse with too much change for them
Please please could anyone provide ANY tips, advice or guidance as to which schools have good provision for individual/ special needs? And how to best approach this and the schools?
Any help and advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Tjas
We are currently in the process of moving to Dubai from the UK (hoping to be there in August) and are frantically trying to find a good school for our twin 6 year old boys for September 2013. One of our boys is due to have an assessment by an educational psychologist this month at his current school in UK as he has some concentration issues and we anticipate he will need some individual/ special needs /learning support in the classroom. I've contacted a few schools in Dubai and they have hinted at having a limited Individual needs dept!
So as well as the first issue that its almost impossible to get a place in most good schools; I'm also at my wits end about finding a school that will accommodate his needs and on top of this I really need to get them both into the same school as splitting them with make things much worse with too much change for them
Please please could anyone provide ANY tips, advice or guidance as to which schools have good provision for individual/ special needs? And how to best approach this and the schools?
Any help and advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Tjas
#3
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 16
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Thanks Busybee2, really hoping we will find something for him
#5
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Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 1,291
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
I know of a boy at either Dubai International Academy or Dubai British School (not sure which one) who has a full-time shadow teacher. So it is certainly an option.
#6
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Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Dubai
Posts: 585
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
I would suggest getting in touch with this company. There is a guy who works for them (an Occupational Therapist) who does sessions during school time in my kids school. I guess they do the same thing at other schools.
http://www.kidsfirstmc.com/
I would suggest most schools will say they cannot cater for kids with learning difficulties, but most of them will have some sort of extra support available.
Good luck
http://www.kidsfirstmc.com/
I would suggest most schools will say they cannot cater for kids with learning difficulties, but most of them will have some sort of extra support available.
Good luck
#7
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
The less you say the better, get the lads in a School and see what happens, don't all kids have trouble concentrating ?
If you can find a School with a place at 6 they should sit a little entrance test and you provide last School report and see how they go on.. Anticipating extra support is not actually worth mentioning in my opinion....why would you when you don't know the outcome ?
He's not ACTUALLY seen any specialists yet has he ?, no need to lie on application form.
I can only judge from what you said obviously I dont know how 'special' your child is.....but if youre thinking along the lines of serious ADHD/ADD ? or similar then after diagnosis youre seriously going to struggle getting a place anywhere without a full time shadow which will cost you about 70,000aed per year on top of School fees.
If you can find a School with a place at 6 they should sit a little entrance test and you provide last School report and see how they go on.. Anticipating extra support is not actually worth mentioning in my opinion....why would you when you don't know the outcome ?
He's not ACTUALLY seen any specialists yet has he ?, no need to lie on application form.
I can only judge from what you said obviously I dont know how 'special' your child is.....but if youre thinking along the lines of serious ADHD/ADD ? or similar then after diagnosis youre seriously going to struggle getting a place anywhere without a full time shadow which will cost you about 70,000aed per year on top of School fees.
#8
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Have a read of this one...
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=791729
Lady in similar situation recently x
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=791729
Lady in similar situation recently x
#9
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
course they did! forgot about that little incident
#10
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Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Thanks guys, getting stressed by the minute....just wondering if I've done the right thing being so honest with the schools so far??
And whether to mention it to other schools or not....
And whether to mention it to other schools or not....
#11
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Mention what ? that he has some concentration issues??
I wouldn't...let them decide if he has any...
What area you going to be living in ?
Don't get stressed about something that hasn't happened yet, moving here is stressful enough...
I wouldn't...let them decide if he has any...
What area you going to be living in ?
Don't get stressed about something that hasn't happened yet, moving here is stressful enough...
#12
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Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Thank you for directing me to this thread Poshy!
#13
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Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
Appreciate that
Yes, whether to mention his concentration etc and the fact that hes due to be assessed!
Glad Acer's child got his place
Not sure where to live yet, we like Dubai Marina but are hoping to secure a school place before we commit to accomodation......btw trying to oganise all this from the UK at the moment..
Any suggestions/tips?
thanks
Yes, whether to mention his concentration etc and the fact that hes due to be assessed!
Glad Acer's child got his place
Not sure where to live yet, we like Dubai Marina but are hoping to secure a school place before we commit to accomodation......btw trying to oganise all this from the UK at the moment..
Any suggestions/tips?
thanks
#14
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 16
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN
I would suggest getting in touch with this company. There is a guy who works for them (an Occupational Therapist) who does sessions during school time in my kids school. I guess they do the same thing at other schools.
http://www.kidsfirstmc.com/
I would suggest most schools will say they cannot cater for kids with learning difficulties, but most of them will have some sort of extra support available.
Good luck
http://www.kidsfirstmc.com/
I would suggest most schools will say they cannot cater for kids with learning difficulties, but most of them will have some sort of extra support available.
Good luck
#15
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 16
Re: Struggling to find a school to support my child with SEN