cathcart3303

I was referring to the National Autistic Society.

I found this amazing. I know someone who has Asperger's and they were in the TA's for years. Are there actually no service personnel who have enlisted? Would the next step be European courts? Will definitely sign the petition. Did you involve the NAS in this?

I would look on line for equality and human rights relating to disability under government departments. If you are intending to apply at job shop make sure that you declare your disability and write down everything that has affected your ability to do the job you were doing. I found they try to make you look at jobs which are not suitable to the disability so also bring someone who can support you if you think you will not be able to deal with this on your own. There may be a local disability charity that can help you. Sorry to hear you had to resign. I am sure other people will be along to advise you more accurately.

Welcome back. Sounds like you have had your hands full.

It is very difficult. Has your son seen an occupational therapist to identify sensory differences. My son has a restricted diet. I live by the mantra that there is no such thing as bad food, just some are better than others. My son does change what he eats overtime. I have a friend who's sons diet is so restricted he has anaemia and they were talking about giving him a blood transfusion. It's good the tutor is willing to go the extra mile to try and teach your son. Working with his interests may help. I have changed the environment at home to help my sons sensory needs. I think adolescence is a difficult time with so many changes happening.

My son stopped going to mainstream school 2 years ago. He 'closed down' and hardly left the house. He now has a place at a specialist Asperger Centre and is starting a very slow transition. He likes the computer which he built and has no friends. He found the transition to high school so hard. He is now diagnosed with Anxiety (as if we didn't know he had this). Everything is small steps, trying to improve his self esteem and trust. My son is selectively mute and keeps his face covered by his hoodie when meeting anyone even in the house.

Hi, My son is 15 years old.

I totally agree that this behaviour is a direct result of lack of correct intervention stemming from time keeping skills associated to his disability. It's like banging your head against a brick wall. I would still put it in writing to principal as they should have an overall idea of what is going on and sort it out. If these people have been told and are still failing to make adjustments then they should be disciplined.

Just wanted to say I think the attitude of the college staff stinks. My son has a social worker who has the same mind set. They see all different behaviour as wilful. Could you get the college principal to hold a meeting with all the teachers, you and your son to establish what needs to happen in a given scenario. eg if he is late. Or is this in his section 139a? I personally cannot fathom why they are not supporting your son to access an education by working with him. I would put in writing that your son has a disability and you expect reasonable adjustments to be made so he can access education and send to principal.

Hi Marcella. I knew my son had Asperger Syndrome at primary school but he was not diagnosed until he attended a secondary mainstream school. He school refused for 2 years and now has a place at a specialist ASD school and their is a wide difference in what they can offer. Early intervention I feel is essential to support children. Has your daughter an Individual Educational Plan at the school? What interventions are they actually putting in to support her? Has she been seen by a speech and language therapist or educational psychologist? To get specialist placement in our county you need a statement of educational needs.(this is changing to an educational plan) which you or school need to request assessment for from LA. Seek advice from you local parent partnership.

Just wanted to say hello. Has the GP referred to Psychologist as a pathway to diagnosis?

My son is ritualistic in his behaviours. He also has sensory processing problems which I had to employ a private OT for assessment. The LA Educational Psychologist was great and visited my son every week for 5 or 6 months and like you say was supportive. However his assessment completed he withdrew and CAMHS have not been much help. My son was going out last year but this had lessened. We did have a good Christmas where he came downstairs all day and joined in when we went to family on boxing day. Small steps.

My son has made a few 10 minute visits to the ASD school over the last term. He has not seen their EP or OT although I was told this would be part of the initial transition assessment at home. Due to start more visits this term. My IPSEA rep has advised me to adjourn the tribunal to see how the transition goes. She says the LA Solicitors may claim the ASD school is unsuitable as he has still not had any education. I have now requested an adjournment. The LA are funding ASD school for another term. Oh Hum

Hi, I have a 15 year old son who was diagnosed at aged 13 and has not been to school for 2 years. My son has had no educational input in that time. Has the LA recognised your son has a medical need? Have you applied for an assessment of his special educational needs? You do not need the diagnosis to do this. You can request this by your local authority. My son had a 'breakdown' and would not get out of bed for 4 weeks after one term at mainstream secondary. He went back to school sporadically for 3 terms until he school refused. The local authority placed the onus on his mental health needs and ignored his diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. CAMHS refused to see him and that took a year. Instead of looking at the environment the LA kept him on roll at the mainstream school with no reasonable adjustments. They refused to assess him and agreed to only 2 weeks before tribunal. He now has a statement and has managed a few 10 minute visits to a specialist ASD school. We have another tribunal to name the ASD school as it names the school he has not set foot in for 2 years. I no longer worry about academic qualifications although he was regarded as 'gifted' when he attended school. I want him to build his confidence and low self esteem and enable him to learn communication and social skills. My son refused to take Fluoxetine and when he saw the Neurodevelopmental team they suggested Sertraline but refused that as well. He sees a Mental Health Practitioner, who comes to the house, with his head covered. He goes out only infrequently. I think you are doing a great job as my sons sleep pattern is awful. He never got off to sleep well but when he does sleep I cannot wake him. His phone alarm repeated helps. I have found it difficult to keep to a routine as he does not regard me as a 'teacher' and when he stopped going out it has been very hard to think of motivators and maintain routines. His mood improved after I spoke to Young Minds and he built his computer with help from an uncle. Following his interests are real motivators. Listen to your son and support him. Keep his trust and always be honest. It appears the 'system' wanted me to force my son into an environment which would be extremely detrimental to him. Professionals who have no knowledge of ASD make conflicting and ignorant suggestions. I have found this forum very supportive.

My son made it through a sporadic year in High school. I was astounded that the Authorities thought I would continue to coerce my son to attend a school where he was unsupported and which was unwilling to make any adjustments. It took me 10 months to get CAMHS to see him and provided no service for a year. Now diagnosed with significant Anxiety and Depression. It makes me so angry that there was no provision for him. I told the LGO it was like providing a blind person with a pair of spectacles by LA saying he is on roll at a mainstream school. He is now 15 and should be in year 10. He, like your son is academically able. They did not support his ASD by recognising his differences and putting strategies in place to enable him. He has had no educational input from LA for 2 years and he only was issued with a statement in August. I do not worry about GCSE's. I know he is intelligent. What he needs help with is social and communication skills and as mentioned above to build his self esteem and confidence which has been taken by an uncaring system. The only advice I can give is listen to your son (It took me along time). Only by him saying what he wants and needs can change happen. I always felt that early intervention could have prevented a lot of angst.

Thanks Eccentric lady for your input. I decided the other day to write to the LGO to follow due process as that is what I told Director of Children's Services. My MP is aware and has written 2 letters for me. I have now sent him a copy of my complaint and asked him if he has had a response from Mr Timpson SEN minister and to raise this issue in parliament. Yes it is a constant fight but mine has only been 3 years. I think authority will string it out until my son is old enough to leave education. Have tribunal in Jan and quite frankly apart from asking Asperger specific centre to undertake assessment have done nothing. I asked the centre if they had been asked to produce a report. They said not. But my son needs CAMHS, OT, social services and school to work together which they cannot. God knows how the new plans to replace statements are going to work!

Not really sure but I don't think carers allowance is income based. However tax credits are increased with DLA and so this may be affected by the income from carers allowance as well as your husbands income. I don't claim carers allowance as I feel it will be just taken away from tax credits. If your husbands income means you do not generally get many tax credits then no problem. If they are asking for clarification of his income it could be to do with that?

Now in November and asked SW for copy of Core Assessment which he was writing up last week. The reply was 'something else came up so its not done'. No further explanation about when it would be. Now 4 or 5 months. He did tell me as I had not identified any needs there were no needs identified. Absolutely speechless as he has dismissed all my suggestions. Same day SW cancelled child in need meeting despite me writing to say I wanted it to take place. He said he had the wrong day for his hospital apt. Words cannot describe my feelings. This is a child out of education for 23 months with no support. Yet another letter of complaint (which appear to go ignored). Time to go back to LGO. Need judicial review but cannot afford that justice. Absolutely fed up.

I can sympathise with you Sally. When my son was younger and was refusing to leave the house on occasions I was advised by family solutions I could leave my 10 year old at home alone whilst I took my other son to school or to do shopping. When my son refused school for a month when he was 12 he was left at home for 5 hours in the morning whilst I went to work. I had an appointment list so could not just drop everything. When he refused a year later after 2 months of no support I handed in my notice which was another 2 months. I have not worked since. Social Services became involved only after CAMHS referral. A support worker and Social Worker were still telling me it is my job to get my son to school at the September meeting. This SW is the one whom I may have told you I shouted at because they actually do not listen. He was meant to be undertaking an assessment but was already telling me how I should manage my son with insulting suggestions. His last suggestion was that I can leave my now 15 year old overnight on his own and he will cook himself a meal. Of course SW said: "it is a parenting issue and if he was in foster care he would be back to a normal routine and engaging in education within 2 days although I do not think it is right for him". I know you can voluntarily ask for your child to be put into foster care but for SS to involve the police? I think I would be seeking further advice through a solicitor ASAP. After all if there are going to be allegations made you need to be prepared. As far as education when I point out my son should be receiving one and I should not have to look after him 24/7 with no respite I am just informed 'that's a different department'. I hope you get this sorted soon.

I am hoping when the antidepressant medication kicks in he will consider looking at the school. Don't want to force this step as I think this is his mountain to climb but to keep reassuring him of the benefits of this school and difference to his old school.

Although The ASD School HT has been visiting they have told me they cannot assess him until he actually goes to the school. I thought, at least, they would be able to send the clinical psychologist to see him.

It is the ASD school who are visiting. The LA panel stated a one term assessment. This is the school the LA are questioning whether it is suitable as the Asperger's Centre is newly opened at beginning of year. The mainstream school never sent a teacher in 5 terms. The difficulty is he has had no education in that time and sparodic intervention from CAMHS this year. It took 17 months to see a psychiatrist. The ASD school has OT, SALT, Clinical Psychologist and visiting psychiatrist. It may take longer than a term to get him in to school but there is no other option. They are also able to offer residential although we are within travelling distance. I think this will go to tribunal because they do not want the expense. The LA witnesses will be the HT from mainstream (whom wrote stating they cannot provide medical needs tutor unless son engages) and provided nothing in 2 years, The EP who has stated ASD school is the type of school my son needs and the ASD school who do feel they are able to meet sons needs. I spoke to a private EP who said the LA are ignoring their own EP's advice. This LA has been rated inadequate by OFSTED. All intervention offered from LA has been time limited which is totally inappropriate for my son. What planet do these people live on?

No, this is just mentioned in grounds for response. When I applied to tribunal for appeal I had requested an expedited hearing. My son has just started on antidepressant which can take up to 8 weeks to become effective. The Head teacher is visiting weekly and the teacher is visiting next week. It is all a slow approach. He has photos of school and other children. He has seen some of their work and did comment on some which is a plus as he totally blanks any mention of school. He is withdrawn and has his face covered when anyone comes to the house. The LA Solicitor has questioned whether this school would be suitable but have no other suggestion as remains on roll at large mainstream school.

Well had the LA grounds for response following appeal to statement part 2, 3 and 4. Can you believe they have asked for an adjournment or stay of proceedings? Shall obviously not be agreeing to this if given the choice. Tribunal in January when son will have been out of school for 2 years. Asperger School are visiting weekly.

Hi. I sent a standard letter which I found on the A>C>E website, Advisory Centre for Education. I kept it basic and then sent further evidence when requested. One note of caution is check with the LA (if you can) who you should address it to and send it recorded delivery. I only found out after enquiring after 5 weeks it had gone to the wrong department! They do not know how to pass things over. There is a timeline for responding to your request which you can also find on ACE website. Info I included was that my son had been on School Action and School Action plus but this had not enabled him to attend school and further assessment of his SEN was needed. Hope this helps.