about the sn transition topic

[threesocksmorgan]

does this mean we are not going to have a transition topic now for post 16 ?

[HelenMumsnet]

Not sure we get what you mean, threesocksmorgan. Can you give us a bit more info?

[devientenigma]

I obviously can't speak for 3sock, however I feel she is after a topic for our children who are disabled and special needs, who have reached adulthood. They are still our kids but they are not children or teens. You deal with different services, different benefits and a different system. Which all comes under the umbrella term 'transition'.

HTH

[Glitterknickaz]

I get what threesocks means - 16+ kids with disabilities is a very different kettle of fish to younger kids, the system can be a minefield and I know that in 8 years I'll be very glad of it!

[dottyspotty2]

all you've done is change the title to teens and young adults that's not transition I've gone through it with my son and it is totally different to what is being asked for.

[coff33pot]

I dont need it right now but it would be good to have a topic purely for transition for us to be able to refer to in the future when it arises.

[threesocksmorgan]

yes it would be so good to have a transition topic. I never realised how much changes when your young person reaches 18.
it does not matter what disability your young person has, at 18 they will be treated as an adult by all the agencies involved.
there will be lots of decisions that parents/carers have to make and any support they can get from people going through, or who have been through it will be an advantage.
the next transition is into post 25(I think) and once again people going through that will need support, and will also be able to give valuable advice to people who have are behind them.
I know there has been a lot of posters who are against this, who think that a child is always a child, so the children's sn topic works. there have been posters who have talked about their Childs mental age, and said because of this they feel we should all use the sn children's topic.
but post 18 all children with sn will be adults, they will be treated as adults.

IMO it is a shame that there is not a post 16 transition topic. somewhere to just talk about what will be the biggest changes a parent of a young person with sn will have to face.
a topic that is aimed at 16 plus transition upwards would enable parents of young people/adults to share what they have learnt and support each other would be and asset to mn IMO,

[TheLightPassenger]

yes, agree with 3socks. The practical issues in dealing with "the system" for teens with SN who are under 16, in school, under children's hospital/SS etc are v different for those are 16 plus, dealing with adult hospitals, different SS teams and budgets, care packages/college placements etc.

[HelenMumsnet]

Right, OK, see what you mean now.

This is different, though, to what we proposed on the discussion about rearranging SN topics here

Do you no longer agree that having a SN: Teens and Young Adults is a good idea?

We're sorry that the SN Topics reorganisation is taking longer than originally planned

[threesocksmorgan]

tbh I think a new topic not linked to sn children would be good, and not hidden,
it would be good to have people not from the sn world posting as they will have experience in things like your young person going away to college and things like that.
I have ot say I didn't realise all that was going to happen was the teens topic was going to be re named. I thought there was going to be brand new topic.
you can tell I don't go into sn children

[2old2beamum]

I would like to add my 2 penneth.
SN children grow up. I know the 1st years are hard and you then get on with it. As they get older health problems (even more)and psychological issues occur
At 15 + - transition starts who do you turn to----other mums ofcourse.
Do you go for residential college (not right for all) local college again debateable.
Then comes the awful time "indepedentl living" or stay at home with parents For some parents it is easy for others it is heartbreaking as we are getting older too. Day services cutbacks are making placements scarce
We as parents need support re benefits look at the ATOS disaster. Then along comes PIP.
I could go on for hours. Where do I get my support and encouragement MN
We need a place on MN for parents with adult SN's

[threesocksmorgan]

2old2beamum just to add to the confusion for me it started at 14, and again at 16 for 19 plus.... I was asked to start thinking about 19 plus when I didn't even have the decision about 16 plus.
confused? I think just that proves how bloody hard it is.

[threesocksmorgan]

I see.... no response.

[2old2beamum]

Can't understand do people think SN goes away midteens it does not Had friend ring me today re contraception yes some are sexually aware (sorry to misinformed SN's are sexually aware)

[threesocksmorgan]

i noticed there is a new topic, something to do with starting up a business!
so I really do not understand mn hq's reluctance

[2old2beamum]

I am sure my 5 would love to start a business perhapr your DD would like to join them please let me know your thoughts Maybe something in transport!.

[HelenMumsnet]

@threesocksmorgan

tbh I think a new topic not linked to sn children would be good, and not hidden,
it would be good to have people not from the sn world posting as they will have experience in things like your young person going away to college and things like that.
I have ot say I didn't realise all that was going to happen was the teens topic was going to be re named. I thought there was going to be brand new topic.
you can tell I don't go into sn children

Right. Well, there's obviously some confusion here. We did try to spell it all out in our post a while back.

So, to be clear, you're looking for a topic that's NOT in SN that's about transition for older children - whether SN or NT?

[HelenMumsnet]

@threesocksmorgan

i noticed there is a new topic, something to do with starting up a business!
so I really do not understand mn hq's reluctance

We're not reluctant. And we're really quite that you might think that.

As we've explained before, several times, the other changes to the SN topics are pretty complicated, tech-wise. The SEN one, for example, requires us to make that topic accessible both from SN and from Education - which is a new thing for us, and so requires some back-end building.

This is being done but we're afraid it's not a three-second job.

We put the SN Teens and Young Adults topic change up ahead of the others because there were so many posts asking for it as a matter of urgency, and it wasn't as complicated as the other changes.

It's a real shame that this doesn't seem to be what you're after now.

[threesocksmorgan]

I think I just got confused as I thought there was going to be a new topic, I didn't realise it was just a name change.
I might be alone in not wanting it as part of the sn topic,. my problem with that is for the most part we are talking about adults. so linking to a children's topic like that seems wrong imo.
I also think by having the topic there we will miss out from the wider audience and potential posters.
obviously a header reminding people it is an sn topic would be useful though.

[devientenigma]

ok shoot me if I'm way off the mark, I haven't read all posts and feel ill, anyway, how about changing the special needs children section??

This area sees the most traffic even posts from special needs teenagers and education get moved here as well as behaviour and some health.

So, why don't you change the topic to: special needs 0-25 also coinciding with the new government guidelines?

[TheLightPassenger]

Is it easier to create a separate topic than a sub topic? (am a complete novice at any form of forum/web site design).

[threesocksmorgan]

but then we would end up with what we have now, only even busier. I won't post in the sn topic, so maybe I should bow out.

[Lougle]

threesocks, will you get offended, though, if people post with advice that isn't applicable to a young adult with SN/disability?

You (quite rightly) get offended if people talk about 'down syndrome children' even if they are clearly posting in ignorance, rather than malice. Are you going to correct every poster who stumbles in and posts in ignorance or naivety?

The whole reason SN:Children was made opt-in was so that people couldn't just stumble in and post when they hadn't seen the context. Do you think that those problems will evaporate now your child is 18?

Also, it feels a tad offensive that you don't deem SN:Children good enough for your posts about your DD, tbh. Are you suggesting that we don't have the ability to offer support or advice? Will you be offended if people offer advice when they don't know firsthand, the issues you face?

I can't work out quite what it is that offends you about the SN:Children board. If MNHQ are offering to rename it, but you won't accept that, then it clearly isn't just the connotation about age.

I don't understand. MNHQ have tried, I think, to accomodate your wishes, but I'm sure this is the third or fourth time the goal posts have shifted.

[Lougle]

Looking back at that thread, MNHQ said

"We're thinking of renaming SN Teens - as SN Teens and Young Adults. Anyone violently object?"

The response was 'brilliant idea'.

So how were they to know that the actual response was 'brilliant idea as long as you don't keep the topic in SN, and the topic is visible to the whole forum, and the topic is actually separate from SN'?

[threesocksmorgan]

Lougle Thank you for your post, it saves me from having to explain why I don't post in the sn topic, better than anything I could write. it was because of post like this I stopped.
As I have said I am now bowing out ad tbh I have too much going on with transition to keep trying to get support on here.
I am sure should I need support I can get it on the main board or on fb/RL.

I would just like to point out that once a young person reaches 18 they will be treated as an adult by all agencies involved, and by law.
so they will not be children.

[CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz]

Yep. I agree. My DD will be 16 in less than a year and a half. And it is a very different kettle of fish to dealing with SN's in children under that age.