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Getbeading

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About Getbeading

  • Rank
    Norfolk Broads
  • Birthday 07/28/1963

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    http://www.getbeading.co.uk
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  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Hemel Hempstead
  • Interests
    Making jewelery, drinking good wine and eating fine food....Hmm that will be why I am the size of a house!
  1. Well Done! I am so pleased for you, the whole tribunal thing is awful. I hope everything goes well for you all. XX
  2. Getbeading

    We won!

    going back again and again. Can I ask on what grounds you got the independent schools. What were his needs that the LEA could not provide for?? I have done a summary of our tribunal, I hope it helps.... Background Our son is 12 years old. He was diagnosed with ADHD in 2004 and with Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Asperger’s Syndrome in 2009 (his Asperger’s had been masked by the severity of his ADHD.) He has a specific learning difficulty, emotional and behavioural problems, problems with fine motor skills and communication difficulties and suffers from depression and anxiety. Our son attended a mainstream primary school and was due to transfer to secondary school in September 2009. However, on the advice of Great Ormond Street Hospital, we did not consider a transfer to secondary school appropriate. The LA carried out a statutory assessment in June 2009 and issued a statement in November 2009. The school named in the statement was a maintained mainstream school. The LA named this school contrary to the advice of several professionals who had assessed our son and a response from the school that it was unable to meet our son’s needs. When it came to the Tribunal, the LA named a Boys Grammar School in part 4 of the statement with an individualised support package as the LA had been unable to find a suitable autistic specific placement for our son. Our case Our case was the LA was acting disingenuously by asserting that the proposed provision was autistic specific and appropriate. Our Educational Psychologist (EP) visited the school and stated that the provision was not in place, is not autistic specific, does not have the expertise to meet our son’s needs and would involve a degree of mainstream provision that was totally unsuitable for our son. We also asserted (with support from our EP, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist) that our son requires a waking day curriculum. The Tribunal’s Conclusions When reaching its conclusions the Tribunal took into consideration that our son has complex special educational needs and that the late diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome has inevitably meant that his needs have not previously been fully understood or met. It was accepted that there is ‘a lot of catch up to do’ with our son and this should be reflected in the intensity, quality and expertise of the provision made for him. The Tribunal concluded that our son does require a low arousal environment. In the context of the late diagnosis and our son’s inability to cope within a mainstream class size the Tribunal also accepted the need for small classes throughout the school day and onsite therapies. The Tribunal agreed that our son’s needs are complex and severe and that he needed a high level of support by a multi disciplinary on site team who were able to liaise with one another and support our son in a small class setting. The Tribunal did not conclude that a waking day curriculum was required as he has not hitherto had specific autistic teaching and therapy delivered by experts and that therefore his response to such a level of appropriate teaching has not been tested. However, as the Tribunal was not satisfied that the provision put forward by the LEA met our son’s needs, it named the school we had put forward.
  3. Hi Carreera, As DS is now out of school, you must apply to the tribunal to have your case expedited, we got 6 weeks knocked off our wait, and J was in the right school by the time our original court date came around. Also we managed to get J 5 hours 1 - 1 at a local children's centre being taught by a lovely AS trained teacher who worked for ESTIMA (Education support team for medical absence). This allowed me to go to Tescos alone once a week... I am glad that you can now move forward positively. XX
  4. Also get mediation involved immediately, it is a free service and it is very rare that the LEA refuse to assess after a mediation meeting. Here is the link conSENsus is an independent special educational needs mediation service run by Mencap for the benefit of children with special educational needs. Trained mediators can talk to parents, LEA and school representatives to resolve problems and disputes. contact: Sarah McRobert address: conSENsus c/o MENCAP, 8a Looms Lane, Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7AE telephone: 01284 757788 email: consensus.mediation@mencap.org.uk Good luck
  5. I would just like to add that now is the time to begin your paper trail. Make notes of everything he does and says that can be produced to underline his difficulties in accessing ALL aspects of life, not just the educational ones. At this point it is impossible to know what evidence will prove crucial in the future whilst fighting (and it will be a fight) to get the help and support you ALL need. A simple journal that you can add one liners plus the date will be absolutely invaluable. Plus you will be asked, when were his first words, first sentence, first walked, rolled over sat unaided etc. I wasn't asked these questions until J was 11, it is very hard to remember then, so make notes now. When we were at our tribunal the judges were very keen to hear our evidence on how J struggled with everything and it was useful to be able to prove how long and just how much he had struggled by being able to refer to our notes (which also got him assessed in the first place). You will have a huge battle as even the SENCOs will try to tell you that you don't need a statement and that all his needs will be met. Sadly this happens only to a very few lucky children who end up in front of enlightened teachers who will go the extra mile. Plus most teachers struggle with the other 20 - 30 different ability kids in their class. Sorry if I sound negative, but I hope the above will help. Good luck!
  6. Getbeading

    We won!

    Hi Sally I have lots to say to you but it is hard to know where to start. When I have got J safely settled I will try to answer you fully. And Janet, how lovely, how old is your son? I will keep you informed.
  7. Getbeading

    We won!

    Wow, you are all so quick to reply on here! I wish I had been here earlier... We didn't have £18,000 either, we now have a debt...but we did use the most experienced educational solicitors, and therefore the most expensive, and we had 3 independent reports done, and our barrister was present during mediation, so that is probably the most it will cost anyone. Given his age and the need to ensure that I didn't go mad whilst having him at home indefinitely we made the decision to go down the expensive route. The tribunal is free, but please at least get IPSEA involved, they were terrific and will support and even represent you as you get further down the line. I would be happy to chat to anyone who wants to know what to expect, I wish we had known someone...
  8. Getbeading

    We won!

    Having had J at home since July last year because we refused to send our lovely boy to be further damaged in a mainstream school, we fought to get the statement, then spent £18,000 taking the LEA to tribunal for the school of our choice. BTW there are no AS specific schools in County....And I am thrilled that finally we won! J begins his life on Monday at a super school near Andover, he is so excited and so are we! The school passed the information about this forum to me as another parent helps to run it. Whoever you are I look forward to meeting you because, as a family we have felt so alone. I can't wait to be part of a community.
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