Starting to think about education In recent years there have been important developments in the recognition of, support and school services for deafblind and multi-sensory-impaired (msi) children. With the right support and educational provision, these children have the chance to develop their potential to the full. In 1989 the Department of Education (DES) published a Policy Statement "Educational Provision for Deafblind Children" which acknowledged the use of the term "deafblind" in the educational context and described the continuum of sensory loss as: “a heterogeneous group of children who may suffer from varying degrees of visual and hearing impairment, perhaps combined with learning difficulties and physical disabilities, which can cause severe communication, developmental and educational problems. A precise description is difficult because the degrees of deafness and blindness, possibly combined with different degrees of other disabilities, are not uniform, and the educational needs of each child will have to be decided individually.” A Unique Challenge Children who are deafblind/msi have unique educational needs which require specialist services. Most mainstream approaches to education depend on teaching and learning taking place through the main senses of sight and hearing. For deafblind children these approaches will not be effective unless they are supported by other suitable methods of communication. Whether the child has a congenital loss, an acquired loss or a deteriorating condition, communication is the key to successful inclusion in school and, as a result, each child being able to make the most of the academic and social opportunities. Notes A congenital loss means that a child has been born with their difficulties. An acquired loss means that a child has developed a loss as they have got older. A deteriorating loss means that a child's difficulties are getting worse. Successful schools and services maximise a child’s potential by: understanding the child’s condition and educational needs fully; differentiating the curriculum; creating a sensory-aware environment; using both technical and human aids; supporting their staff with specialist educational advice. Meeting the Challenge In order to make sure that the right support is available to each child, a formal planning process is carried out by the local education authority which has the legal responsibility to make appropriate provision for the child. The education law that covers this area is complicated and to help everyone with an interest in a child’s education to understand it a "Code of Practice" was written. This provides a framework for the planning process for children with special educational needs - like those who are deafblind or multi-sensory-impaired. The Code is particularly useful as a guide to families considering their child’s educational path. The Code identifies fundamental principles and describes the duties and responsibilities of Local Authorities (LAs), schools, health services and social services to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. The Code is designed to inform everyone and in doing so, help effective decision making. It provides advice and information about legal obligations and the procedure for Statutory Assessment and the Statement of Special Educational Needs – which is particularly helpful to parents who may have to embark on this process with their child. What is a Statutory Assessment? A full assessment of a child’s special needs underpins all educational planning. It also plays a very important part in both understanding how a child is progressing and in making plans for the future. For a baby or a very young child the assessment may focus on how the child is developing; this helps families to understanding their child’s needs. For an older child an assessment is always required as part of the Local Authority’s planning obligations to meet a child’s particular education needs. An assessment like this is usually carried out before the start of formal schooling, but for children with deafblindness/msi, it may be appropriate anytime after the age of two. This initial educational assessment may mean that parents are offered advice; or that they and their child are referred a specialist child development centre for further support and advice. A multi-agency approach - where all the professionals involved with a child work closely together - can be invaluable, especially in the early years. By involving health and education professionals, working alongside therapists and the voluntary sector, a holistic response can benefit the child. It is important that the professionals who are contributing to an assessment have knowledge and experience of children who have either an acquired or congenital sensory loss. Because deafblindness is uncommon, and it is vital that a child has a well-informed assessment, it may be helpful for parents to check that the professionals involved have relevant experience in this area. The specialist Sense advisory consultants from the Children’s Specialist Service can often help parents and the LA in contributing to the assessment. Parents, carers and the child, where possible, play a key role too. It is recognised that families have a detailed knowledge of their child and that their insights are a valuable part of the decision-making process. When should an assessment be started? All children begin to learn about the world as soon as they are born. We notice them learning when they respond to our voices and our presence. For deafblind/msi children these paths are not fully accessible and so learning potential is improved dramatically with appropriate specialist early intervention. At the point when a child is diagnosed as having a sensory loss or difficulty, or when problems are suspected, an assessment which focuses on how the child is developing in a practical way,(a functional assessment) should be considered. Each child’s needs will be different: for children born deafblind a medical diagnosis is made soon after birth. An early assessment can lead to the involvement of specialist staff who work with families to stimulate the child’s capacity for learning. Early intervention of this kind builds sound foundations for the child’s development; children with acquired deafblindness resulting from an accident or illness should have their needs assessed when they have recovered and are ready to return home or to school. Most will have suffered a traumatic change, which may itself be fluctuating and this should be taken into account in any assessment; children and young people with Usher syndrome will have already been assessed for hearing loss. So this new assessment, specifically focusing on dual sensory loss, usually takes place after they have been at school for some time. Increasingly, Usher is being identified in the early years and so the trend will alter. Ongoing monitoring of both hearing and sight is very important for children with Usher. Statement of Special Educational Needs When the Assessment process has been completed the LA will probably decide that the best course of action is to make a Statement. For most deafblind and msi children a Statement will be essential. A Statement is a formal document which includes: details of the child’s special educational needs, as identified by the LA during the Statutory Assessment; the provision which the LA consider necessary to meet the child’s needs, and the type and name of an appropriate school or other arrangements; all relevant non-educational needs and the provision required to meet them. Contributing to a Statement This can be a very stressful time for both children and families. The LA should give parents the name of the person in their office who will be the link throughout the process. This "Named Officer" will liaise with parents over all the arrangements relating to the Statutory Assessment and the making of a Statement. The LA should also provide information about voluntary organisations, like Sense, who can help families with information and support. Choosing the Right School In order to help families to find a suitable school LAs should provide parents with information on the full range of educational provision within that LA, including mainstream and special schools. The LA should hold a list of all schools including the non-maintained special schools and independent schools, which are approved by the Secretary of State for Education as suitable for children who are deafblind or msi. All this information should be available as soon as possible and parents should ask for the full list when considering the options for the child’s future placement. Schools are usually very happy for parents and children to visit and the LA officer can help to arrange these visits. Where children have complex communication needs an "all waking hours" curriculum- for either a short or long term period - can be effective and desirable. A specialist residential school, therefore, may be appropriate. The local Social Services Department should be included in discussions to make sure that the needs of the child and whole family are taken into account. Also, the LA should give families information on where, and from whom, parents can get independent advice and support: in particular the role of parent partnership. This is someone who is available, if parents wish, to support them in expressing their views and provide advice and information when they need it. During this very busy time the Code of Practice will help parents to track the assessment procedure and to take an active part in the process. Once the Statement has been drafted, parents will have the chance to comment on it and discuss any changes they feel are necessary. This is done in a formal way. It is important that everyone has the chance to raise and voice any concerns that have not been resolved. Once all parties are happy with the child’s final Statement then it should be seen as an active document which travels with the child through their school career. It will be reviewed each year and should change to reflect the child’s ongoing development. The Annual Review is a formal opportunity to monitor the child’s development and progress; and wherever necessary identify new needs and address them accordingly. Parents will always be invited to participate in this process. The SEN Tribunal If during the process of assessment and statementing there are problems that cannot be resolved through discussion, an appeal can be made to the SEN Tribunal. The Tribunal will listen to the problem from both sides and with the law in mind, arrive at a resolution. What about planning later on in school life? Each Annual Review should keep parents updated, but the first annual review after the child’s 14th birthday is especially important as it represents the first stage of planning for the child’s transition to adult life and further education. It is essential that social services, health services, as well as teachers and parents, are involved in this review to ensure all considerations about future adult life are taken into account. After this review a Transitional Plan should be produced. This should be an active, practical plan which contains: an age appropriate curriculum, and a planning process that will ensure all arrangements for post-school placement are agreed, and funding is in place before the school leaving date. For children with Statements of Special Educational Needs, LAs remain responsible for their education until they are 19 years old but some children may decide to move to Further or Higher Education between the ages of 16 and 19 years. Important points to consider Specialist assessments are helpful to both families and professionals and need to be carried out by qualified and experienced professionals. The child’s individual needs are very important and need to be considered within a Statement. The LA will be happy to provide advice and support. The physical and social environments of potential schools need careful consideration. Useful Documents As well as this fact sheet, there are a number of documents available from the Department for Education a (Dee) which can help you understand this process. Code of Practice on the Identification & Assessment of Special Educational Needs Special Educational Needs - A Guide for Parents (This is an abbreviated version of the Code) Guide to the Special Educational Tribunal The Parent’s Charter The Aims of FE, employment and independent living with support To order these publications, contact the DFE Publications Helpline on 0845 602 2260 or email online.publications@prolog.co.uk. Alternatively you can download or order publications from the Dee website: www.education.gov.uk/publications These documents are also available in English, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarat, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish, Urdu or Vietnamese. Your LA should have an Early Years Development Plan; and your Social Services should have a Children’s Service Plan Where can I go for help? If you: would like to find out more about deafblindness or the services for deafblind people in your area. require information in alternative formats including Braille, large print, audio or disk - or would like this fact sheet to be translated into your first language - please contact Sense’s Information & Advice Service. Telephone: 0845 127 0066 Text phone: 0845 127 0066 Fax: 0845 127 0061 Email: info@sense.org.uk Website: www.sense.org.uk This fact sheet was produced by: Sense 101, Pentonville Road London N1 9LG Copyright Sense 2008 Updated June 2012 If you have comments or suggestions about this information sheet, we’d love to hear from you. This will help us ensure that we are providing as good a service as possible. Please email publishing@sense.org.uk or telephone/text phone 0845 127 0066.