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Trust-Ed Presents Edward's Video
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Success Story – A parent’s perspective
Every child needs the best education, but for the young person with an acquired brain injury this is even more crucial. It is partly because of the education and support Edward has received, that he is the well balanced, happy and positive person he is today.
Edward is at a secondary school which also has a special unit that supports young people with physical and learning needs and therefore both students and teachers in the mainstream have been used to pupils with disabilities. Edward does most of his lessons in the mainstream school and this has thrown up different problems to those we encountered during his primary education. The main one has been the sheer number of children that the teachers come into contact with. How can each teacher possibly hope to understand and support the individual difficulties of a single young person with an acquired brain injury?
Soon after Edward started at secondary school, it became obvious that he needed more support. However wonderful a Teaching Assistant is, they are not a teacher. My husband and myself came up with the idea of employing a teacher privately to work in the school, and approached the headmaster about this. The school were very supportive of this somewhat unusual idea and as a result, Edward has had the support of a special needs teacher two and a half days a week. The school pay her salary and are reimbursed through Edward’s solicitor.
Edward’s teacher is attached to the disability base, and her role for Edward is to liaise with the mainstream teachers, differentiate any material for him, and provide one to one teaching backup during periods when he is free. She has the professional teaching experience of special educational needs, and can pass on information to any staff; she has also made sure that she has learned all she can about acquired brain injury.
Edward’s teacher pulls together all the recommendations made by various professionals and therapists and makes them part of his day so that he doesn’t realise that what he is doing is good for him and sees them as part of normal school life. For example, when he goes to a sixth form Council meeting, he can concentrate on his speech. Once a week, Edward goes into the town to buy his lunch. This incorporates lots of things. Using money, making decisions, talking to people working in the shops, finding his way and occasionally cooking what he has purchased. Walking between lessons and an occasional kick about are as good as a session with the physiotherapist. He knows he is different, and he doesn’t like it, but by doing things in this way Edward doesn’t resent doing them and more often than not he isn’t even aware that what he is doing has an extra purpose.
More often than not, schools have no experience of the individual needs of the pupil with an acquired brain injury, and more often than not, the parents of that pupil do have experience. It is a very difficult path to tread. As a parent you want what is best, but teachers often assume that they know best and aren’t prepared to admit that they lack knowledge or experience.
I realise that the level of support Edward has had is unusual, and that it is not likely that this will be available to many pupils. Not least, because of the cost. But is has proven that with the right support, Edward can achieve far more that he would done. He has passed 5 GCSE’s and got an AS level in Art. More importantly though, he is happy at school. He enjoys going there and takes part in everything he can
Edward’s school has been very accommodating, In fact, I would say that they have gone out of their way to change things and suggest answers to problems. They are open minded, prepared to admit they don’t know everything and prepared to adapt.
Thank you to The Marlborough School and to Steff Acquarone and everyone at Fullrange Media who made this film for the inaugural Trust-Ed conference in November 2007.
Anna McDonagh
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