A thread on the Assessment of Need: the statutory process by which children whose parents have concerns about potential disability can be assessed.

The process has recently been changed by the HSE in a manner that is frankly appalling.

Explanation: (1/n)

Parents might apply for AoN for a child due to concerns about development- in my clinic, the commonest reason is queried autism.

Previously, the AoN involved a team (usually physio, OT, SLT, psychology) assessing a child to get insight into the nature of their difficulties (2/n)
The team conducted a series of assessments, usually taking several hours each, and produced a report giving a detailed analysis of how a child is doing, what the causes of their difficulties might be, suggesting a diagnosis if appropriate, and giving advice on next steps (3/n)
Based on this, a child might be entitled to additional support in the classroom or financial supports. Medical investigations for individual diagnoses could also be arranged.

Function is more important than diagnosis, but in our system diagnoses get you support.

(4/n)
Legally, the AoN must be completed within 6 months of referral.

In many parts of the country, including Dublin, this almost never happens.

91% of children do not get their assessments on time. (5/n)

https://t.co/LQseHEWj3u
The HSE get sued for this. A lot.

In Jan 2020, the HSE produced a new Standard Operating Procedure for AoN.

It reduces the previous assessment involving multiple professionals to a single assessment lasting a maximum of 90 minutes, regardless of the child's needs. (6/n)
The reports will indicate if a child has a disability or not, but due to the limited scope do not allow for any insight into diagnosis or next steps.

This is left for community disability teams, whose assessments are not subject to legal time limits (so the HSE cannot be sued).
In its current form, the SOP appears designed to reduce legal liability than out of any interest in meeting the needs of children. The HSE is aware of this, having been repeatedly told so, but has persisted with it anyway. (8/n)

https://t.co/zp5pgO0AHV
The correct course of action to tackle waiting lists is to resource disability appropriately.

Instead, the HSE have reduced the AoN to a meaningless box ticking exercise which children must go through before being moved to another waiting list with no legal time limit. (9/n)
This course of action is an open declaration of contempt for the rights of children with disabilities.

It is apparently more important that statutory obligations are "met" on paper than that children's needs are actually met in real life.

This is a State apology in waiting.
@AnneRabbitte @DonnellyStephen @rodericogorman @josephamadigan @psychpolis @GarNob #disability #earlyintervention #rehabilitation #paediatrics
@OCO_ireland

More from For later read

Humans inherently like the act of solidarity. We are social beings. We like to huddle up and be together.
They used this against us.
They convinced us that it was an act of solidarity to flatten the curve, to wear a mask for others, to take the vaccines for others,


and to reach #covidzero for others. They convinced us that this was for the greater good of society.
In reality, this couldn't be further away from the truth. They have divided us and broken the core structure of our society. They have dehumanized us with their masks.

They set us against each other into clans on opposite sides of a spectrum. They have turned us into aggressive beings fighting for our survival. Some of us fear harm from the virus, others fear harm from the vaccine, and yet others fear harm from the attack on our civilization.

We are all on a flight or fight mode. We are all operating under the influence of fear. We must collect ourselves and reflect on what has happened over the last year.
How is this for the greater good of society?

They used a tactical warfare strategy against us.
'Divide and conquer'.
We fell for it.
Now we must become aware of it and fight back.
We must reunite. We must find true solidarity to save our world. To free ourselves. To regain our autonomy.
I’ve been frustrated by the tweets I’ve seen of this as a Canadian. Because the facts are being misrepresented.

We’re not under some sort of major persecution. That’s not what this is. A thread. 1/8


This church was fined for breaking health orders in Dec. They continued to break them. So the pastor was arrested and released on conditions of... you guessed it, not breaking health orders. And then they broke the health orders. 2/8

So then he was arrested and told he couldn’t hold church services in person if he was to be released. He refused. He’s still in custody.

Here is my frustration as a Christian in Canada:

1. They were able to gather, with some conditions. They didn’t like those. 3/8

2. He is not actually unable to preach. He is just unable to hold church services because they broke the conditions given by the public health office in Alberta. He says he can’t in good conscience do that, so they are keeping him in jail (because he will break the law). 4/8

3. This is the 1st article of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: “guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” 5/8

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Decoded his way of analysis/logics for everyone to easily understand.

Have covered:
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2. Workbook
3. When to sell options
4. Diff category of days
5. How movement of option prices tell us what will happen

1. Keeps following volatility super closely.

Makes 7-8 different strategies to give him a sense of what's going on.

Whichever gives highest profit he trades in.


2. Theta falls when market moves.
Falls where market is headed towards not on our original position.


3. If you're an options seller then sell only when volatility is dropping, there is a high probability of you making the right trade and getting profit as a result

He believes in a market operator, if market mover sells volatility Sarang Sir joins him.


4. Theta decay vs Fall in vega

Sell when Vega is falling rather than for theta decay. You won't be trapped and higher probability of making profit.
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