Andy

Thanks Sally, looking at your explanation, P3 of the statement is very poor with very little quantification. I also now realise our OT report is nearly 2 years old, should I request that he is re-assessed, or should I wait until closer to trasition and get them done independently? SALT discharged DS some 18 months ago. She led me to believe that because DS had clarity and not articulation problems, then her time should be better spent with those with more severe difficulties. I now realise somewhat foolishly that SALT should be a key part of the therapy needed as DS suffers massively with communication problems and anxieties. I am not sure whether we can re-engage with SALT, perhaps this is the one we need to do independently to move things along. Many thanks,

Hi Sally, You were a huge help a while back, when i was trying to sort out DS's OT needs. - thanks for replying. Yes, he was placed at this AS resource base with a statement at reception, and this has been reviewed and amended each year. I haven't been able to ask whether the school agree that they are not meeting the statement requirements, or whether they simply feel that the school setting/environment does not meet his needs.

Hello, Our DS attends a locally based Resource base. He is equivalent Year 4, and has had Autism diag since 3, Sensory processing disorder and Dyspraxia diag jan 2012. The resource based is attached to a mainstream primary with the view that the SEN children will have opportunities to integrate into mainstream classes. DS will face a new teacher in September - his 5th in 4 years. That reason is partly due to the school not recruiting teachers with the necessary experience, and recruiting young NQT's with lots of patience, no experience with SEN children, who inevitably fail, and move on. I am sure this is a funding issue, but it makes my blood boil! It has taken us too long to make a stand, but we finally have, and have challenged the school. We have been to see two other schools, - one a residential school in the local authority that ticks all the right boxes, and can meet DS's needs. The second is out of area, but again seems amazing in comparison to the current provision. We have mentioned our viewing to the school senco, and she has contacted the local authority. The headteacher and the Senco have admitted (verbally) that they cannot meet DS's needs. They say they realize they are not meeting the needs, or making the progress they hoped for. They also admit that the mainstream attachment is actually contributing to DS's anxieties. Even with this information, the local authority have communicated that he cannot move without a tribunal hearing. I was quite shocked to hear that, but i support it is just par for the course, What sort of information and evidence due you think we would need to gather to gain a positive outcome at tribunal? So far, DS has been assessed by independent OT, who say verbally that this is not the right setting, but they have been bought in at the LA request, and have been very careful not to be too critical with written reports. Just hoping someone may have been in a similar position and can point me in the right direction. Both schools would take DS at Year 5 or 6. Thanks,

(well rescued!) Pot

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but i was wondering what peoples experience was with IPADs and children with SEN? I have had an IPAD for about 18 months, and DS took an interest and used to play a couple of games on it when he was 6. He is now 7, and i was made aware of a couple of sites that review apps for children with SEN. We have found some of the apps amazing. DS struggles with fine motor skills, and really struggles wiht a mouse. He has taken to the ipad really well. He loves things like Maths bingo, and ABC Aliens. A lot of the apps are free, but annoyingly some of the apps targetted to this area are really expensive. I am thinking of creating a website of my experiences with DS and the various apps that are out there. We love to hear your experiences if you have any. I quite like this site which reviews a lot of the available apps, and includes some video footage of the apps in action. http://a4cwsn.com/apps/apps-a-z/ A nice video blog of a guy who is trying to get good information to parents of children with SEN Can link it sorry, but type in to google vimeo and a4cwsn

builders...... (wait for it!)

Hi sally, Re the sleep issue; have you tired Melatonin? DS is 7 and would be bathed and in Bed by 7, but would still be chatting up until 10.30 at night. We were recommended Melatonin, by parents at an ASD group meeting. Pead. was hesistant, and would not pescribe at the moment, but we decided to go ahead as his lack of sleep seemed to be fuelling his anxiety the next day. We bought from a forum recommended supplier. We went for 3mg at 7pm and DS has been asleep by 8.30-9pm each night. So far we are really pleased with the results which worked from day one.

Many thanks, i'll try that...now...can you grate peas........

I had to smile to myself and the weekend. As mentioned before DS will not eat vegetables, and carrots in particular are a real no-no. (the colour orange seems to cause him anxiety). We have often tried disguing food in dinners, but he is too untrusting/smart to be taken in. He loooves chocolate cake though. I had a moment of inspiration wondering whether i could make a carrot cake, but put in a couple of spoons of cocoa powder and use chocolate icing on the top. DS happily made the mixture with me, and i put him in front of the tv whilst i craftily added two finely grated carrots as per the recipe. The cake came out of the oven a lovley chocolate colour with no incriminating orange specs. DS helped put the icing on before having two good helpings, and more the next day. A small success in the grand scale of things, but i felt like we had just climbed Everest!

We have arranged a meeting at Sons school on Thursday, in preparation for the annual review, so its like a pre-annual review. We have quite good relations with the school and staff, but feel there have been some really negative changes over the past year and these have really negatively affected sons progress. I am ready to really challenge some of the decisions, provisions and staffing issues that have changed recently, but i can't shake this feeling that i will feel that i am just being ungrateful. I know i shouldn't. I know my son can be difficult, but i also know that - in the right setting, he is a wonderful child. I am angry that the school have not put positive strategies in place to help him progress and feel comfortable in school, it is the ASD specialist centre after all . His 65 year grandmother has him on occasion, and he really responds well with her, and she honestly remarks, that his is tiring, but she really enjoys having him. Why do i keep thinking the school are doing me a huge favour by having him at all!, and to complain about anything is really ungrateful. I really need to sort these feelings out if i am going to have any impact at future meetings.

I have only black socks, its one less decision to have to make in the morning.

Hi Lindy, i can certainly sympathise with the disputive meetings. A really good experienced OT visited my sons school and arranged a meeting with us, the teacher from my sons class and herself to be present so that she could voice her concerns, and suggest classroom improvements. The Teacher plenty of notice of the meeting to keep the time available, but she kept leaving the meeting every five minutes, saying she had to attend to things. The meeting was a shambles, and the OT was seething at the behaviour and respect shown by the teacher, but nothing changed. every meeting we have been to seems to be rushed, or the room is no longer available so we sit on chaird in the corridor. It really angers me, and its difficult to express that in a school setting surrounded by young children.

Wobble

slope

Many thanks Sally. I will make contact with the SaLT you mentioned in your PM and try and build my case from there. Thank you Andy

I am probably sating something that is widely known on these forums but am just seeking some advice and clarity. Over the past 18 months i get the feeling that skilled SaLT is being withdrawn from statement provision. I haven't become aware of any published evidence that this is the case, but the last time we met with a Qualified SaL therapist was about 12 months ago as DS's school (autism centre) who told us that he would no longer be servicing the school, or county, and he would not be replaced. He seemed embarressed by the situation, mentioned funding but wouldn't comment further. DS has some real issues with S&L and we were keen to get the provision addressed at our annual review in a few weeks time. We have just recieved a letter from county that says DS was observed by SaLT (once over the past 4 months) and the letter goes on to detail the need for DS to have continued support in this area becuase of his difficulties. Her letter goes on to say, that she will talk to the school TA (who has no current experience with SaLT) and advise her what works needs to be done with DS. Is this acceptable? DS will be 8 this year, and only me and wife really understand what he is saying. Family have to ask us 'What did he say?" all the time. He has food, texture and swallowing issues, and a gruff voice that the Pead, did have concerns of damage to vocal chords. I get really angry with the backhanded methods county use to confuse parents and carer's. I also have sympathy with the school teahcers and TA's that have to be the middlemen, in this, and take the anger of the parents and cares that feel unsupported and let down. It's really hard trying to work your way through the various education and SEN terminology and the various opportunities to challenge the various decisons. It's disheartening to think you can work your butt off, esatblishing a real need for support only to find that the provision may not even exist in the way you think it might. I know this seems like the tip of the iceberg to what some of you have been though, and i have the utmost respect for those of you that had the strength and drive to decipher the jargon, and fight for your entitlements. One last point. we have our annual statement review in a few weeks, will there still be a poposed statement on the back of this, or because DS alreay had a stement will the review meeting go on to simply generate a final statement. What i am trying to say, is the first time a child is statemented, the only time a proposed statement is generated, or our proposals generated on the back of each annual review? EDIT* Just found this on the web, which seems in nationwide, really sad news http://www.vernon-coaker-mp.co.uk/cuts-to-speech-and-language-therapy-services-leave-an-autistic-s

Cell

My son also has a very restricted diet. He will eat white bread, cheese, chicken nuggets micro-wave chips (no Others) crisps, biscuits chocolate and sweets as long as they are raspberry or blackcurrant. He will not eat ANY veg or fruit, no pizza. He will only drink blackcurrent or summer fruits based drinks. He will eat a mcdonalds burger if we make sure that there are no onions and no tomato sauce. No baked beans, pasta rice, cereal, milk, sausages- possibly if the skin is removed. and so on. We have now been putting a single veg item (that we are having) on his plate and reassure him he doesn't have to eat it. This has been going on for about 6 weeks. We had a major breakthrough, when i told him it would be really funny if he held a carrot in his teeth and we would take a picture to show his grandparents, he loved the idea and did it, before running off to wash his mouth out. Baby steps maybe, but we were so proud.

Tequila

Mind

Hello & Welcome, I am Dad of DS who is now 7, diag with Autism at around 3. It is a long road with highs and lows. Welcome to the forum, I am not a prolific poster, but lurk a lot, and am constantly amazed at the level and depth of knowledge expressed by some of the posters on this site. Andy

Wow, Thank you for such a detailed reply! I was reading your post yesterday about your recent success at tribunal and was simply stunned by the amount of hard work you needed to put in to get that result. Well done you! We are fortunate in that DS does have a statatement, but unfortunate in that it is very vague. I created another post about challenging this. It seems you have already asked questions from your LEA that i am just beginning to understand, i need to ask; the qualifications, experience and quantifying the provision. There is a lot to digest in your reply, and i need some time to take it all in. Many thanks, i really appreciate the details and pointers you have given me. Andy

When i want a laugh i always dig out Planes, trains & Automobiles. i just love this film A good weekend movie for me would be; The Green Mile, The Blind Side, The Usual Suspects

Hello All, I am trying to find what criteria a centre must meet to be classed as 'a specialist learning centre for autistic children', or the recent 'Autism Resource Base'. The titles give parents the perception that there are likely to be staff more experienced with ASD pupils, and that the school/centre will be more geared to coping with the difficulties that ASD pupil may present. I am just curious to how this is measured, and how often it is re-evaluated? My main worries are that the centre that DS attends (which in previous years had a very good reputation) has lost the two most experienced staff, and have replaced them with a solitary TA with very little experience. This follows them losing the weekly SaLT therapist visitor last year, which he discretley informed us,- was a funding issue. I am suspicious that the LEA are slowly but surely reducing services and costs, in quite an underhand manner, no doubt that some point int the future they will close the centre due to a reducation in parents seeking placements for their ASD children, in this once "specialist Centre".

Hello all, DS is now 7 years old and has been at an Autistic centre since reception. He reciebed his statement at the same time, and we were so pleased that he was placed at our named school, - a centre specilaising in ASD attached to mainstream, that we didn't really pick the bones in Part 3. provision. His statement is will be 3 years old next spring, and we have the annual review, in school before that. We want to get the statement ammended. The reason for this, is we don't believe the school are under any obligation to provide regular SaLT OT and Sensory work, which recent professionals have all agreed he needs. I have read the publication - getting the statement right http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/Resources/ACE/advice%20booklets/GettingTheStatementRight%20Mar2011.pdf Unfortunately, we were niave and have some ver vague comments on out statement that are going to make it hard to get the school to put certain measures in place. Our option is to hope the school work with us, and help us get the statement changed to get some more defined support for DS. The provision is littered with 'opportunities to...' 'regular' and 'frequent' , which, after reading the publication we should have challenged. Can i just ask, can we get this ammeded two years on and is this the right time? Are we being too picky in challenging the use of the above terms? Can we ask what skills the person designated to provide SALT and OT must have? (at the moment it either doesnt happen or a TA performs it). Kind regards Andy