ASN/EAL/SEN - acronyms go wild

I have these thoughts and I'm not sure if I should sort them all out then write about it...or show how my thinking is developing??  (This has been sitting in my drafts since the last course day...)

If I was completing this journal on paper I am sure I would have scribbles of ideas all over the place!

After Thursday's input the first thing that struck me was the whole idea of ASN / EAL.  This started because I chose Ireland as my country and in Ireland EAL is considered ASN ... there were gasps in the room as I said this which got me thinking....

Here in Scotland our new Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act was amended in 2009 to be more inclusive.  Here in Scotland we include EAL pupils as ASN pupils - not because they have a barrier to learning, but because they have a right to additional support.  Therefore that gasp was caused by our own assumption of "ASN pupils".  Glasgow's "Every Child is Included" policy is in response to this change to the Act. They clearly list EAL as ... "Require support in acquiring full fluency in English."  Also included as ASN are gifted children who are not seen in a negative light.

Perhaps we need to re-examine our assumptions of "ASN pupils" ... EAL children do have an additional need - but as educators it is up to us make sure that our colleagues value a second language in the classroom and use this as a resource.