I'm writing this out of pure frustration with how I as a parent have been treated,along with my sons (matters such as these have a rippling effect on all concerned.)
My son was diagnosed as having high functioning aspergers in the summer of last year.I had been battling for a diagnosis for some time but the then family doctor said my son could speak well so did not think it necessary to look into it and the senco teacher at my sons ex secondary school was of the opinion that he did not have it and then turned tail after a diagnosis was imminent.The psychiatrist was also of the opinion that she thought he did not have it and put his behavior down to a deterioration in the relationship with my then partner and the way his father had been with him,in attempting to discipline my son. I had to push for the assessment to be done and asked my new doctor to write a letter to push for it.
My son has had quite a bit to deal with in his time but what I am finding frustrating is that his social workers, who are supposed to help him and his family have failed to do so and have actually made matters worse. They can not write down facts, deny what they have said,turn up at important meetings late,say that they have been stuck in traffic when they have been on the phone,been totally inappropriate with comments.Have said that help will be put in place but it has not happened for example I asked for respite was told that someone had been found and at the eleventh hour the person could not do it. Because of my sons anxieties he has asked to go into voluntary care and has been placed in care instead of being encouraged to work through his fears with his psychiatrist.As a consequence he has been placed in inappropriate care and was once threatened by the son of the carer.
Things went from bad to worse with him being bullied at school and being forced to return to the school as the only way to deal with the problem,by the social services. As a consequence he was spending more time away from school and I was then threatened along with my son by his social worker, that they would take me to court along with the local council. My son became anxious about this (he had already been to court as a result of being assaulted.) Things came to a head with my son on Christmas eve when he trashed two rooms at home and lashed out and threatened to hurt or kill himself. I rang for medical assistance but instead the police came round and carted him off to the police station where he admitted hitting out and trashing the place.I was worried about my son's mental state but in the mayhem it seemed to become less of a priority,even though it was on his notes that he had self harmed before.He was placed in temporary care and tried to take his life on Christmas day.
He was placed on a psychiatric ward and was there for two weeks after he was assessed and told that he was fit to be discharged.He was becoming more and more anxious about being on the ward and so I took him home,after informing the social services of my intentions.I was told that there would be consequences to this but my main concern was for my son and his anxieties. I was quite prepared to keep an eye on him, to the point of taking time off work to do it. In the evening of the next dayl the social worker turned up with the police and a court order saying that he had to be removed. REMOVED FOR BEING MUM AND CARING FOR MY CHILD,HOW BIZARRE.
I am now having to deal with matters through court and my son is a subject of a interim care order. The social services are now trying to force my son into a school for badly behaved children even though he has never been disruptive in class and the only thing that has been a problem is my son being bullied.He has been in secondary school for 3/4 of his school life and is quite capable of excelling in school if he is not distracted or bullied. Schools are well equipped to deal with my son's needs, these days.My son has now empowered himself and is writing to different bodies to knock sense into the social services,such as ofsted and has already written and received a reply from Edward Ball,the state secretary who is investigating his complaint. I have spoken to my MP about my dissatisfaction also.
I hope to compare stories such as mine and would like to link up with those who have had similair experiences so that I do not feel alone in my plight.
Anita x