SEN

I didn't actually think it would happen... so imagine my surprise to receive in this week a letter from the Council stating that they are going to provide Spike with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN)! Maybe the application hit a good time - maybe they hadn't given out their quota of SENs for the year and we just slipped in there neatly? Or maybe it went through because the Lord wanted it to?

It throws up more thoughts/conerns/worries and the such in my mind than I thought it would! I really DO want Spike to be able to get any and all the help he needs to progress with his speech/language/communication issues... it just seems such a shame that it is almost impossible to get help through the Community these days, that all help is funnelled through the schools... I could BUY the help... but that option is far out of my reach. I know that he WILL get there 'in the end' - he has proven that so very many times. Once he has processed everything in HIS time, then he's ready to 'perform'. He has struggled for so long now with the /ch/ sound ('chocolate' has been 'clocklate') and the letter 'w' (which has been 'dublee'), and we have gone over and over and over how to say them... and now, suddenly, I hear him correcting himself "Clocklate? No! It's CHocolate isn't it?" and "Dublee dublee dublee dot... listen mum, I can say doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou dot..." (ok, maybe very laboured speech, but what a wonderful improvement!) Fab! He's surprised me no end of times as he's gone from no speech, to unintelligible speech, to some sounds, to many sounds, to nearly all the sounds, to speaking more grammatically correct sentences and so on...

So, now that I'm potentially being offered the help that Spike needs... why am I hesitating? Why am I thinking more than usual? Why has it startled me? Well, I guess I really DIDN'T think the council would issue the Statement - they seem so hard to come by; and because I know that School isn't the only option for Education, it's harder to just go with the flow.  I love Home Educating, and it seems to suit Spike... Is this school option right for him? I just don't know! What should I do? I just don't know! We will wait and see if he gets a place at the Communication Centre at the school near us, and take it from there. For now? I need to learn to rest some more in the Lord, and to seek His counsel.