Dalwood Parents Action Group

NOWHERE TO TURN: Young boy let down by new model for Dalwood centre

KATE COWLING

09 Nov, 2010 04:00 AM

Seven-year-old Kris Campbell wants to be a pilot when he grows up, but as he approaches his eighth birthday, he still cannot read or write his own name.

Test results have shown the “little warrior” has an average-to-high IQ and “incredible strengths in other areas”, but when it comes to simple words, all he sees is squiggly black lines, his mother Laurinne Campbell said.

It’s a problem the family’s been dealing with since Kris was in kindergarten and Mrs Campbell said her young son has been let down by both the school and the education system.

Kris, 7, and his mother Laurinne Campbell sought help from the Dalwood Assessment Centre for Kris’ learning disability but were offered no help. Photo: AMY GRIFFITHS

 

“He’s in a class of around 32 and he’s just completely disengaged,” Mrs Campbell said.

“The (Catholic) school he goes to even suggested we re-enrol him in a public school so we can get funding for his learning issues.”

At the moment the Dubbo family are paying $120 per week for a speech therapist and have had no government assistance because Kris lies in the “grey area”, between extreme disability and average Year 2 literacy expectations.

After receiving a string of disappointing responses from her son’s local school, Mrs Campbell was delighted to hear Kris was accepted into Dalwood Assessment Centre - a remediation facility for children with learning difficulties - just over two weeks ago.

“We were really hopeful that the end could be in sight and were looking forward to meeting the consultant paediatrician, who’s supposedly one of the best in the state,” she said.

The Campbell family spent three days at the Sydney centre, didn’t see the specialist once and were dismissed with no new information.

“We were basically told to go home and do what we’ve been doing all along ... we were all just devastated,” Mrs Campbell said.

“On the way home Kris said ‘Mum I’m not going to be a pilot anymore because you have to be able to read and write.’”

In August, it was announced the Dalwood Assessment Centre would be closed and reopened as the NSW Centre of Effective Reading, which would offer assessment and intervention services at three locations including one at Dubbo.

Mrs Campbell said she wasn’t holding her breath.

“We did speak to the staff at the centre about that and they weren’t sure if and when the move would take place,” she said.

In the meantime, Mrs Campbell said she had contacted the NSW Minister for Education Verity Firth for assistance and advice regarding Kris’ difficulties.

A spokesman for Ms Firth told the Daily Liberal a letter from Mrs Campbell was received last Friday and the minister was looking into the matter now.

“We just don’t know what to do next,” Mrs Campbell said.

“We want our son to be a valuable member of society but feel like we’ve let him down.”

The school was not able to comment yesterday.

COMMENTS:

If the State Gov listened to parents earlier this year the topic of funding children who have severe learning difficulties would may have been on the table. Today the reality is that teachers do not have the expertise and schools do not have the resources to fund and support these children. The resultant factor of this is that children become disengaged with school, drugs, youth suicide or gaol. This costs the State more money than giving them assistance in the classroom.

Our Juvenile justice centres are full with more being built around the area. Its time our children are given help rather than locking them up.

Posted by pat, 9/11/2010 7:59:12 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Have they thought of getting his eyes tested. He might just neeed glasses as the mother quotes the letters are squiggly lines.

Posted by dubvegas, 9/11/2010 8:10:54 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

A Typical example of the "peoples" labor government run by self serving Tall poppys who have never ventured west of the Concord bridge in Sydney who are widening the gap in so many areas. I have written three letters to Minister Firth's office this year and best response was "thank you for raising your concerns" with no tangible acknowledgment that what they are doing is SIMPLY Wrong and possibly Criminal!

Posted by bellair, 9/11/2010 8:23:13 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Most of the kids leaving our high schools, are the same way.

Posted by john, 9/11/2010 8:25:44 AM, on Dubbo Daily

LiberalOnce again Ministers Verity Firth and Carmel Tebbutt should hang their heads in shame! Just last week Minister Firth was in my home town making promises for our children who have learning difficulties, now we all know she's all talk no action. As for this little fella Kris, you already fly!

Contact your local member mate, you may not vote yet, but your voice matters. Don't give up, on learning and your dream to be a pilot!

Posted by Gomeroi Girl, 9/11/2010 9:21:59 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

This story is so disappointing after all the empty promises from the Keneally govt and Verity Firth that nothing would change!! Those of us that protested against the closure of Dalwood were scoffed at by govt and the expert panel as trouble-makers. My son attended the old Dalwood just last year and has completed a Palm Ave program. He saw numerous doctors and his progress has been amazing. This family and others trying to access the new service deserve more!

Posted by Maria, 9/11/2010 10:08:39 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

So many young families are trying to get help for their children with learning difficulty,so where is all our moneys that Ms Gillard has been throwing away,is she throwing it in the wrong direction.

Posted by bluedog, 9/11/2010 12:07:26 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

OMG, the tradgedy is this situation is so devastatingly common - too many of our kids are in the same boat - cant read nor write, get left behind without any hope of catching up - rather they just drop out and lose hope. Rather, lets drop the labor governemtn out and keep our kids hopeful....Go get em Kris, you keep flying little man.

Posted by had enough of the Labor government, 9/11/2010 12:07:33 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Why close a centre such as Dalwood School that has proven to work, proven to meet the needs of our children such as Kris whom obviously desperatly requires intensiveand consistent learning assistance to help him read and write - his fundamental right - come on lets get rid of this governement and vote one in that cares about our kids

Posted by our kids are worth more then empty promises, 9/11/2010 12:11:17 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

my grandchild also is experiencing major issues with his reading and writing and we have also hit the same brick walls as the Campbell family. Thank you for insprining us to keep going and fight the fight we need to have to get the labor government to listen and fix this mess they have made of the system which is suppose to be there for the most vulnerable members of our society - children with special learning needs. The old saying, it takes a community to raise a child is so true, let me help out anyway i can to inluence support for Kris and the many many many other children with special needs.

Posted by grandmothers view, 9/11/2010 12:14:43 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Surely this is evidence the Minsiter for Education has failed the children of NSW, closing down a resource for children with special learning needs. A cost shifting exercise that will devastate many vullnerable and despearte families. Come on Minister Verity Firth this is SHAME SHAME SHAME.

Thank you to the Liberal for letting us know about this, we hear all the promises and now know we cant believe them.

Posted by out with the Labor government, 9/11/2010 12:20:33 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Are we really that surprised that this government has made yet another bungle!! We've had the "Batman" bungle where 4 people lost their lives, we have the MDBA water bungle, where whole communities will be shut down, we have the ongoing Health system inadequecies and of course why leave out education! The government would have broken their track record if they had of kept Dalwood and Palm Avenue school intact! Shame Shame Shame! Look after our kids - reopen Dalwood!!!!!

Posted by Had enough of Labour..bring on the election!, 9/11/2010 1:24:39 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

I went through this with one of my own children with a Liberal Government in tow. The Education Department didn't even bother to answer my letter. It would be a good idea to get Tony Burgham to check Kris over in respect of eyes. He has some great equipment there for learning difficulties.

Posted by Concerned, 9/11/2010 2:50:47 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Thanks Liberal for printing the tragic plight of the Campbell family. We too have struggled to get assistance for our son whom is also in primary school and cannot read and write. We are also on the list for the new assessment centre and had great hopes but each day we are hearing stories and piecing the puzzle together - the State government have made an absolute mess of the sitaution and our hope for any help is quickly disolving - lets get rid of this government and get help for kids in regional NSW to have the same access to opportunities to ensure their dreams and aspirations can come true. Keep going Kris you are our hero - i would fly in your plane anyday mate....

Posted by never give up, 9/11/2010 3:03:31 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Kris, you legend!!!!!

Hey you fellas in state government you should be ashamed of yourselves - your cost shifting is screwing our little men's lives, breaking mothers hearts and destroying families dreams of a future for their children with opportunties to make choices. Open up the Dalwood Centre, give that little Kris man a hand to read and write and a fighting chance at mbeing a pilot......

Posted by Go little man - fly you plane, 9/11/2010 3:07:07 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Disgraceful - what else can you say!!As a parent who has gone through the same thing with her own child but was lucky enogh to get help through Dalwood. I will never understand why they discontinued a program with such great sucess. Mu motto has always been ïf it ain't broke dont fix it" When will the government wake up and understand the great loss we have suffered by allowing Dalwood to close.

Posted by Hacoch, 9/11/2010 5:27:52 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

My heart goes out to the whole Campbell family. learning problems effect the entire family. Undue stress is created and festers out of sheer frustration. We have been there, done that.

Fortunately we were a lucky family. Our son completed his Dalwood program at the end of Term 3 with great results. It is hard to believe how much the Dalwood Program helped and truly made such a difference in our sons life, and ours.

He also has so much confidence that he himself did not even know could exist.

It is so sad that polititians have so much control over our lives. Sad to think that because of votes/dollars, our children cannot be taught such an important and fun thing, as reading. These kids miss out on so, so much.

Wake up pollies. Forget your egos, and think of Australias' future. OUR CHILDREN.

Posted by lucky one, 9/11/2010 7:15:45 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Its time that our pollies listen to the people they serve. No more grassing the Harbour Bridge. Lets be the first state in Australia that gives its children with severe learning difficulties a chance. After all its a childs life and yes they all matter.If other countries like the US and Britain have been helping kids with learning difficulties for years why is it ignored here? Our education system here is just peaking out of the cave while other countries have moved on and developed the wheel. Well done Campbell family for speaking up. Kris you little champion, you will be a pilot you have a great mum who will fight for you.

Posted by Michelle, 9/11/2010 8:31:24 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Dalwood and Palm School are not the only ways to help children with learning difficulties. Personally I found the programs that were set for the children at the school I worked at were never updated to ensure the child's full success at reading. We had to constantly remind these schools that new programs needed to be sent. There are good Special Education teachers at Dubbo. Contact some from the public school system. There are also other avenues in Sydney for assessments.

Posted by concerned, 9/11/2010 9:54:59 PM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

A truly disappointing story I must agree. But the teachers are so under valued, in every story you hear the blame go right onto the teacher. I don't have kids but my mother, who is a teacher and has dealt with these kinds of situations before, sometimes she could not be there as a Mother so I would help raise my younger brothers and sisters. The teachers should have a medal! Every kid that they teach could have a disability that we aren't aware of. The Government should WAKE UP, and more energy should be put into education, health and safety, roads etc. I believe kids can learn some are slower than others, but it takes three parties, The first is the PARENT, second is the TEACHER, and the third is the CHILD. Kris keep going you CAN do it.

Posted by Saint, 10/11/2010 1:32:54 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

Our son also had his world turned around by the old Dalwood. Where are all those old staff now? They were gold and should have been used in this new centre. The new centre sounds so good on paper but obviously they haven't worked it all out BEFORE shutting down the valuable place they had. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THIS GOVERNMENT!!!

Posted by Carol, 10/11/2010 7:09:40 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal

I fully support the maintenance of Dalwood support services. Lets hope it is bigger and better in its new form. I also support the suggestions about having his visual problems diagnosed, but I'm sure that would have already been done.

What does amaze me is that his Catholic school suggested his parents enrol him in a Public School so that his needs could be better met. I would have thought that with all the squillions of dollars of taxpayers money the Catholic system gets from both state & federal governments that they would have a top knotch special education system in place - especially in a city the size of Dubbo.

Posted by Toby, 10/11/2010 8:12:30 AM, on Dubbo Daily Liberal