Spike P

I would not accept this, no way. I would get down the school and demand a meeting with someone ! Even the bloomin cleaner! Seems your being fobbed of a wee bit. Has your son a statement ? If he has it clearly states what provision he should be recieving and how it should be achieved. He should also have an IEP. Alos you have reviews for him, ask for one now...before the SATS in May. Me personally I would get an interview with Teacher and SENCO and thrash it out. ASD children seem to be put with low achievers and naughty ones! Whay happened to you happened to my son. I discussed with teacher and got him moved, he is not underachieveing and not naughty so move him...period! No discussion, government mantra is clear all our children should be given the right to fullfill their full potential...So come on! I was sweet as pie to teacher, your good blah blah then hit them with what you want ! If you have difficulties with school you seriously need to get help from elsewhere, paediatric consultant? Local CAMHS team? Good luck. Spike

Hi Dana. No independant EP did not diagnose my son. I have just read original post and got the full measure of it. Athena got that really ###### useless multi disiplinary assessment we got originally! (the cheap option! surprise surprise!)Then I went to my GP and demanded a diagnosis from an NAS approved Paediatric Consultant would did an alagorithic autistic test and talked to us (parents) for nearly 2 hours! about our son (part of the test) and then gave us a diagnosis. The Ed Psych did not see our son at school but would have if I asked, yes she did loads of different tests with our son on the day but we went to her offices in Brighton. The NAS should have a list of consultants who can diagnose but your GP should fund this...We had opposition because of the cost but our GP has been ours for years and sympathised with us and is also a practice partner and put our case forward after much persuasion from me!! The real point I was tring to make is if you have an independant ed psych report the LEA can't argue against it because it is so thorough and they know legally they would be unable to fight it (thats my view) Is that okay? Spike

Hi. I agree with al the other posts but personally feel if you have an independant assessement from an Educational Psychologist the report is very comprehensive, far more than an LEA funded one and is huge ammunition to throw at LEA when you need it. Cost is around �600 and it is advisable to get an independent occupational therapy assessement as well...another �600 !! Frightening cost but so worth it, I was lucky I had previously been in the Army and asked SSAFA to pay for it and they did, I had the Ed Psych report done only. The Ed Psych report was a 4 hour consultation and when arrived was about 30 pages long ! To find an Ed Psych you could try a local independant special needs school who normally could recomend someone, that is what i did. I really do recomend visit www.ace-ed.org.uk which is information for parents with SEN needs, awesome site and recomended by NAS, buy the Special Education Handbook, this gives overview in lay-man language of the law on children with special needs and is under �20. Best of luck Spike

Just another thought, you asked for god residential school, try St Mary's in Wrestwood Road Bexhill, really good, I know 2 people that work there and have been all around the school for my son, would have no qualms sending him there.

Hi Suzy.1 1/2 hours to school !! I know that a child is legally obliged to spend up to that amount of time travelling to a school but there are legal cases that have gone in favour of parents to stop that. I would get hold of ACE to advise you www.ace-ed.org.uk 02073548318 They are a really good advice centre for people with SEN needs for there children. You can legally argue your daughter would not be in a fit state to learn after and hour and a half travel and you should also consider they pay for an escort!! I know a fair amount about this. My son is ASD and I insisted they provide a place at only mainstream senior school with ASD facility in Heathfield sussex and we live in Eastbourne ! So they are paying for travel I would get hold of your MP also and get him or her on your side to have a go at them!! Best of luck

This topic shows how bonkers the whole system is !! We applied for DLA and got it and then after 4 years re-applied and have it again, our son is ASD. We got a local autistic charity to help us fill it in, I am sure MENCAP offer a form filling in service as well, good luck. Spike P

Hi. When you get your diagnosis have a look at getting on the Help! programme run by the NAS. It is a support group for people who have someone who has just got a diagnosis and was a really great help to us. I have not long found this forum but have found it a great source of info, good luck. Spike P.

Thanks for your input...Yes I have had trillion conversation's with LEA but I have decided they are from the planet Zoorg and have little understanding of my proposals !! As an aside i have paid good money for advice from professional's on the prospect of winning an appeal for the independant we like, and it seems pretty slim, but hey we have put AS facility in mainstream school as first choice and independant second so watch this space !!!

I am letting off steam !! First anyone tell me what is EBD Please. Second if my boy had recieved assaults as described by Kassan I would just get my lad out of school and take evideence of assaults to someone, local news, MP, anyone, it is totally outragous. In our town there is no ASD facility attached to any mainstream school out of 7 senior schools in our town !! Aaargh...It is driving me nuts how much effort everyone makes just to get a bit off help for their children. It took ages and ages to get a statement for our son who has ASD and then all the petty to and fro of this and that from the LEA who lets face it are only admin people, there not in education themselves!! Now we have to get our wee man to a senior school next year and the nearest facility is 20 miles away...okay at least we have a facility that close !! But hey we will see if he gets a place first. How can it be best practice or value for money when your LEA is willing to pay �15,000 a year for a taxi to take a child to school ? Why not give me the money and put it towards an independant school place that although not ASD specific, has a strong special needs department with lots of ASD knowledge, and of course no more that 15 in a class!! But no that does not make sense!! However pious or pompous it sounds I really worry about the children who's parents are not as able as I to be my son's advocate and who end up in mainstream schools with no bloomin support and totally miserable...I have seen loads of examples of that. There I am better now !! Thanks for listening! Enraged from Eastbourne !! Spike

Keep ranting !!! It tookl us 5 years and paying for loads of reports and badgering endless professionals until we got a diagnosis and a statement at school. You will make it I am sure, just keep hammering on every door. My MP gets updates from me every month or so, and I write to the head of Children's services about how bad our local LEA is every month for ages....He got so fed up he passed me onto someone else !! I don't care, my son like every child is important and will get the education he deserves..Keep going Regards. Spike

Hi, I am new to site and grabbed the toilet and crying thing!! Our son is 10 and has ASD, lots of anxiety, toilet stuf was major issue until about a year ago and we discussed endlessly that he had to do the wipe himself !! Even asked him to wipe our perhaps !!! Once our lad decides seems nothing can stop him and one day he just did it and we heard no more about it although he takes for ever in the loo when he has to go !! Crying still an issue but not like yours. My big huge monsterous issue is school...After huge amounts of effort we have a band B statement for our son and he has 24 hours a week TA help. Where we live in Eastbourne there is no ASD facility attached to mainstream school, nearest is 45 minutes by cab, we want LEA to pay for independant schol...Ha Ha !! Local comps are useless, not enough support. We still have not put preference form in....I have had no end of discussions, meetings, letters, and this will end up in tribunal with us forking out huge sums to represent us...It is a postcode lottery education !!! Aaaargh !!! Enraged from Eastbourne

HI, If you claim for DLA you are better off asking a charity like MIND to help fill the DLA form in as you will invariably 'paint' a rosy picture of your child. We receive DLA for our ASD son and we also have applied for a ''cinema' card which allows us to get in the cinema cheaper, to qualify for that card we needed DLA, Also we get a leisure centre card for the same reason !! Oh and the best of the best !! We get into places like Legoland and get a special stamp and go through to the front of the rides so our wee man does not get stressed. Regards, Spike