[senco-forum] MS and a sixth form girl

From: WrayJanice Wray <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>

Janice

It depends very much on the type of MS she has . If she has progressive then 
she will experience symptoms that will not go away and then the next set 
come along on top of them so the patient gets steadily weaker and eventually 
will end up in wheelchair as worst case .

If she has a fairly benign versions she may get a set of symptoms that with 
treatment will go away over a period followed by a period where she is well 
. Then she may get a completely different set of symptoms . She may be prone 
to sudden loss of balance /vision/speech/. Some patients are very prone to 
extremes of temperature so where she sits in a room can have an effect - 
away from a radiator . Loud noises - patients often complain that people are 
shouting when in fact they are speaking normally. teachers would need to 
take care how loudly they spoke .

In both types the symptoms never really go away completely and always leave 
a residual weakness.

If she has progressive MS it could be that you may have to sort out some 
form of home tuition if possible ,she may need a scribe for exams or in 
lessons to take notes .

It would help her if lessons could be timetabled on the ground floor .

MS is now fully covered under the DDA and by putting her lessons on the 
ground floor you are making reasonable adjustments . If you get trouble from 
your head or timetable/room officer use the new Disability Equality Duties 
policy that your governors should have in place.

Try the LA and see if you can get some funding to support her disability.

Speaking from personal experience of MS ,husband suffered.

Gaynor

>From: WrayJanice Wray <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
>To: senco forum <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
>Subject: [senco-forum] MS and a sixth form girl
>Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 16:42:32 +0000
>
>Hi everyone
>A colleague's daughter has just been diagnosed with MS and has just entered 
>the sixth form.
>Boy oh boy.
>Anyway, I don't know a great deal about MS in young people. Obviously exam 
>access arrangements - extra time, rest breaks etc but is there anything 
>else the school should be aware of or could do to help such a lass ?
>Thanks
>JaniceJanice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts
>_________________________________________________________________
>Celeb spotting – Play CelebMashup and win cool prizes
>https://www.celebmashup.com

_________________________________________________________________
The next generation of Hotmail is here!  http://www.newhotmail.co.uk