The Off We Go Blog has moved

As part of the redesign of my website the Off We Go Blog has moved to here www.offwego.ie/blog. Please check out my blog at this new location for my latest posts.

New Off We Go Website Launch May Affect Followers of this Blog

I will be launching the new Off We Go website later this week.

As part of this launch I will be moving my blog, and as a result some of you who are subscribed may see some strange behaviour! Your subscription should update automatically to the new blog but
you may see duplicates of some of my old posts re-appearing again.

This will also affect those of you following us on Facebook.

I apologise for any inconvenience, but this should just be a one off when the new website is launched, after which everything should return to normal.

If anyone does experience any problems please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes as always,
Avril

Infuriation & Inspiration due to Cuts in Education for Children with Special Needs

As many of you have seen in the media, the Department of Education has asked the National Council for Special Education to carry out a Value for Money Review of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) in our schools. The result is that many SNAs have lost their jobs and many children with special needs are being denied the help that they need.

We are going backwards instead of forwards on giving children with special needs meaningful, inclusive education and choice. It seems our government want to push away parents, while in the UK things are going the other direction.

The special school our son Stephen attends had its Value for Money Review last week. Given the cuts that have been made already in other schools, in both special and mainstream schools, we are concerned and anxious about what may happen in our school.

It is infuriating that our politicians think we have no voice and as we are a vulnerable group, we are an easy target for cutbacks. The attitude of the Dept of Education and Science is also infuriating. The ‘spirit’ of the role of an SNA has been lost. Their role is assessed only on the care needs of the child and not on helping the child to keep on task and learn. Despite the fact that the ‘reviewers’ that are recommending these cuts are called Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), it seems they are not interested in education and how our children learn. It seems the Department's focus is purely to provide special needs children with a place in a school, but whether they actually learn anything meaningful while they are there is not important.

What is inspirational is the reaction from parents and families across the country to fighting these cutbacks. Families of children with special needs that are already stretched to the limits are e-mailing their TDs (check out Am I not worth Educating for details on how to and this, including a draft e-mail you can send) doing interviews on TV, radio and newspapers. This is not something new for them; because if you have a child with special needs it is a fight all the way to get services and support.

Check out the facebook group Join if you're Against Special Needs Assistants losing their Jobs that has over 21,600 members and is growing daily.

From this crisis situation, a new group The Special Needs Parents Association of Ireland, has been formed. Any person who would like to join please email : specialneedsparents@gmail.com. Representatives of this new group will be attending the Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting on Special Education this Thursday 11th March.

Another inspiration is to keep an eye on what is happening in the UK. The Lamb Inquiry issued its final report in December and concludes that parents need a stronger voice in the education of children with SEN, and the school system should be more focused on outcomes. Check out this summary from SEN magazine.

I would urge everyone to keep the pressure on; together we will be a strong voice that our government will not be able to ignore.

Best wishes as always,

from an infuriated yet inspired Avril

Upcoming Conferences

I would like to let you know about three conferences that are coming up in the next few months. I plan to be at these and I’ll report back what I find interesting.

Inclusion Ireland is a national voluntary organisation working to promote the rights of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland to ensure their full and equal participation in society. Their AGM & Annual Conference will be held in Killarney, Co. Kerry on Friday and Saturday 23rd and 24th of April 2010. The theme is "Different Times, Different Thinking - addressing the challenges of an economic downturn for people with an intellectual disability and their families" See http://www.inclusionireland.ie/ for more information.

‘When Children Learn Differently’ is a 2 day conference for educators, policy makers and parents on the 1st and 2nd of May 2010 in "Glor", Ennis, Co. Clare. The conference offers participants a host of lectures and workshops dealing with emotional education, neurological development, behaviour as a communication, sensory processing disorder, self-harm and suicide. There are many interesting speakers including Deborah Plummer and Jane Serrurier will host a workshop on "Impact on Learning: Supporting Children's Needs Through Imagery, Multi-Sensory Play, and Creative Thinking" and Prof. Paul Cooper PhD will deliver the keynote lecture "Understanding and Promoting Emotional Education". See http://www.irishconferences.com/ for more information.

‘Designing Sustainable Support for Individuals-Taking a Lead from People with Disabilities and Families’ National Conference is on 13th and 14th May 2010 in Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, Co. Laois, hosted by New Options Alliance. This conference will look at innovative, person centered, service arrangements in Ireland. This conference is for people with disabilities, their families, service providers and policy makers. For further information please contact Genevieve McNally in Cheshire Ireland 01-2974100 or e-mail genevieve.mcnally@cheshire.ie or see info on fedvol.ie where you can also access the brochure and registration form.

Right to Education and Lifelong Learning for All

I have had a very mixed few days on the subject of education. I was at a wonderful Open Day at Mary I/University of Limerick last Friday -we are following in the footsteps of Trinity College Dublin, NUIG, UCC and the Dundalk Institute of Technology to make third level education available to individuals with an intellectual disability. See http://www.tcd.ie/niid/

However, I was also at a crisis meeting of parents trying to fight the cutbacks in level of staff at our special school St Vincents Lisnagry Limerick. Some special schools have lost more than half their staff. St Joseph’s Special School, take a look at this clip from Ireland AM.

In this analysis, the estimate these cutbacks will set the education of children with special needs back by 20 years. I know for sure, that the proposed cutbacks will have a huge impact in reducing our son Stephen’s opportunity to learn and access education.

At our Open Day, Miriam Twomey, the co-ordinator of the new course at Mary I/University of Limerick for adults with intellectual disabilities gave an excellent presentation. On her concluding slide she quoted Te Whariki ‘It takes a village to raise a child. We are all children of the community and we should empower each individual to play, work, learn and grow together’.

We need ‘our village’, ‘our community’ to all come together to stop these educational cutbacks and advocate the rights of our children with special needs to learn and have the same opportunities to go to college/university as our able-bodied children have.

Best wishes as always,
Avril