cathcart3303

It's good to hear your son is getting on well.

Unless you put a complaint in to PALS the commissioning group will continue to think there is not a need. As Norfolk and Suffolk CAMHS are joined I would be asking why this service (neurodevelopmental) is now available in Norfolk and not Suffolk. I would also ask what diagnostic pathway they are following and demand appropriate referrals. When did the school request assessment? As a parent you are better to request them as you have the right to appeal whilst the school do not.

Hi tom'smom, I live in Norfolk and have had similar problems. Is your daughter on school action or school action plus? If you are having CAF's who is attending these meetings? As she is struggling I would ask the LA for a statutory assessment of her special educational needs. They may refuse but you can appeal and in the mean time they will ask for an assessment from EP. Personally I would also be concerned about your son. My son was 'coping' and was undiagnosed when he went to a large mainstream secondary school. He then school refused for 5 terms and it has taken this long to get the appropriate placement although not attending school yet. If help is time limited it sounds like he also needs an assessment from LA. As regards CAMHS, Suffolk and Norfolk are amalgamated. I had the same problem with GP referral being refused by CAMHS. Paediatrician then referred and took a further 3 months. I then had to put in complaint to PALS. Paediatrician wrote to children's commissioner for Norfolk. CAMHS now have a neurodevelopmental team. Do not be fobbed off by GP. Your children's needs are your priority and should be theirs not the budget. I cannot stress enough how important early intervention is. Keep asking.

I have the offer letter stating the placement is for a one term assessment. The new school have already been out to meet my son and the approach will be very gradual. But what happens if he is not in the school full time by December? Are they going to say this is a waste of money so sorry and make no provision again? What is the criteria the panel are going to decide it is worth it? Just really annoyed as cannot see why he remains on roll at the mainstream school when they make no provision and my sons mental health has been affected by the fact this is his named school.

Just found out son is now considered dual registered by the mainstream school he has not attended for 21 months. Can someone enlighten my what that is about? Its not like they have made any educational provision for him. Feeling angry as although I knew this school is named on his current statement I thought the LA would provide a new statement changing placement to independent Asperger school. Have tribunal date for January so it looks like they are stringing things out.

Good luck. My son has had no education for 21 months apart from 3 x 1 hour sessions in one week a year ago . What you need to do is to send medical needs letter to LA directly recorded delivery. The medical needs team should then provide education he can access minimum 5 hours a week. When I complained to LGO they found LA had no case to answer as I had not sent medical evidence to LA and GP had written directly to school. No one told me this and my psychic powers were not working. I then had a letter from OFSTED saying they were visiting my son's short term stay school (where medical needs team work from). I rang OFSTED who rang school as they do not look at names but only what is provided. The short stay term school said my son was not on roll with them. OFSTED said to complain to LA which I did. They said the school he is on roll at had provided so much and he had not engaged!! Today I have found out that although he is on a one term assessment by an independent Asperger Centre he is still dual registered with the mainstream school who have provided no education and is named on his statement. Hope your son gets the help he needs.

I made a similar analogy to LGO that saying my son was on roll at a mainstream school was like supplying a blind person with a pair of spectacles. The placement is absolutely useless if the environment causes extreme anxiety and cannot be accessed. By being 'inclusive' they are excluding vulnerable children.

The LA Additional Needs Coordinator has rang today after Panel sat on Wednesday and says LA will put offer in writing early next week naming Asperger specific school for my son. Placement to be reviewed in December. The relief of not having to go to tribunal in January is great. I can hardly see straight. Very, very happy.

Speech Therapist is the same so if an assessment hasn't been done for some years this definitely needs to be updated now.

1) I would ring the Paediatric secretary and ask if this specialist has written a report or can you have contact details to get a copy. Has your son another appointment with Paediatrician? They may be waiting until then but you should be able to get this information now. 2) If the SENCo did the assessment has your son actually seen a speech and language therapist? I know in my area I was able to request a referral my self through the LA website under SEN. Otherwise I would ask for this through GP or school. If you go on the ACE (Advisory Centre for Education) you can download relevant formatted letters. By contacting IPSEA, this is a free service, they can help with the appeal. I think you can even book an online appointment now. Good luck. I have found this forum very helpful with any queries I have had.

Hi. My advice would be to contact IPSEA via the advice line. Google this. They can advise you on what to include in the appeal against refusal to assess. I have been through this process and the LA agreed to assess 2 weeks prior to tribunal date. I would not delay in sending in appeal to SEND as I am now going through failure to provide suitable school placement on Statement and my date is not until January 2014. Has your son seen an Educational Psychologist or occupational Therapist? From what you have said he has probably seen a Speech and Therapist and all these reports should be included in your appeal. When they refused to assess my son's special education needs they said it was because he had not been seen by any of the above. But they did get the EP to assess then. SENCo fobbed me off as well saying they had placed him on school action and then school action plus. Is your son due up to high school in Sept 2014?

Sorry I did not make it clear. It is the LA whom asked me to look at the BESD school. The Asperger specific special school have responded to LA they can meet sons needs but have not assessed yet. What you have suggested Sally as Short Breaks the Social Worker told me would be a waste of a support worker for my son. I have taped our conversation so will go over it.

When I spoke to neurodevelopmental team at CAMHS they have suggested that Sertraline would be better than Fluoxetine that the Psychiatrist prescribed and my son would not take. They are going to write to my son inviting him to attend an appointment in 2 weeks time to discuss this. In the mean time they have given me different leaflets to give to my son information on the medication. They are writing to children's services stating what their involvement is. The social worker came today and said exactly what I thought he would say that it was up to us as parents to make son come out of his room and engage. When I asked how I was to get him out of the bed he had no suggestions. We should get our son to engage as part of the family. I told him he was doing this last year but I asked for support and he has had no education and needs routine. He said he would not send support worker to look at back of sons head. He totally dismissed his Autism, Depression and Anxiety and told me as he had not seen my son he could not say he was depressed. I told him my son has a diagnosis from CAMHS of Depression as per psychiatric letter and asked what support was he providing. He is coming back next week in the afternoon. It was not me whom CAMHS were suggesting would hit the social worker but my son. I had no intention of hitting anyone. If my son comes down next week and the social worker starts bullying him he is more likely to withdraw than hit out. This is the attitude the social workers email suggested to me. They totally pass over education to that department. I have said that my son needs it written in his statement how he is to access his education and how this is going to happen. I feel he is sneaking round speaking to professionals as if to divide and conquer to come to his conclusion rather than the consensus. Why would this not be discussed at the Section 17 meeting next week? It appears that none of the professionals have been formally invited and are not able to make it at short notice. Educational placement is still in the air. Panel meeting next week. I have specified one school that can meet sons needs. They rang yesterday and asked me to look at another BESD school. Have sent in tribunal appeal but not heard yet. Better chase that up next Monday as will be 10 working days.

Went to CAMHS today and told them what social worker had said and that he was visiting. Dr said they would not be surprised if social worker did not get a punch in the face when he visits. They know the social worker in question. I thought this was a bit of a drastic thing to say until this exchange of email. I sent him this email: If you need to gather information regarding completing xxxx's assessment then I would expect you to see him. I am happy for you to come tomorrow at 9am but it would be more beneficial to come after midday when xxxx is up, as other professionals have done. However I have just had this email: I've got rather a lot on tomorrow afternoon and it is a bit late to change my plans. Perhaps xxxx could go to bed at a reasonable time tonight so that he is up in the morning? Please tell him I'm coming to talk to him and would like a proper conversation. I told my son and he said no. My husband says this is just going to get confrontational. This 'Dxxx Hxxx' obviously has no clue how to engage a child with neurodevelopmental needs. What to do? I wonder if he wants this assessment to fail so he can say I tried but parents were uncooperative or lacking in parenting skills. Blame the parents??

Congratulations to your son. You must be so proud. It does give me hope that with the right support a fulfilled future is possible.

Thanks Sally, I needed a rational perspective. My son is now waiting to see the neurodevelopmental team at CAMHS. The social worker is carrying out the core assessment at the moment. Can't wait to get the report on that!

Sent email to social worker Please can you be clear about what the local authority is providing for my son. The support worker, who works with parents, is unable to provide support to my son as my sons needs are neurodevelopmental, not parental. The Paediatrician specified this last September. The issue is not parenting. My son due to his disability and medical needs could not go to school. How is this to be addressed? Dimensions whom CAMHS identified last November as been able to help my sons neurodevelopmental needs has been ?dismissed, ?ignored by Social Services as been unsuitable to provide a service. I am paying for Dimensions with my sons DLA 3 hours a week. If I used all my sons DLA that would only cover 6 hours a week. As the Headteacher pointed out to me from xxxx School they would use the services of Dimensions as a block of 6 hours a day for 8 weeks. As I told him my son needs a full integration plan involving all services as specified by all the professionals involved with my son. By this I mean the multi disciplinary team. What is the point of a section 17 meeting where Social Services make decisions based on finance not the child's needs? As a school has yet to be named by Children's Services what provision is being made for my son now by social services to enable my son? Are you saying Social Services would employ the services of Dimensions to assist xxxx in accessing an education? Reply I am worried that you seem to feel a purely medical response is what will help xxxx. He may well have a diagnosis, and this may well be valuable in helping understand the way he is feeling, but he is at least partly in the situation he is now in as a result of the way you and H have responded to him. This is the only area where social workers have skills and knowledge that might help you and xxxx. I am trying to find the best way we can help, but I feel this is going to be very hard if we can't agree that you and H are the people most likely to be able to make a difference for xxxx. xxxxs' situation is not unique. I have come across two boys of his age recently who refuse to go to school and stay in their rooms using computers, and who have let their friendships go. Both these boys have had a difficult time at school, and both have been allowed to miss school by their parents for such a long time that they have found it hard to return. I think xxxx must be terribly worried about you and H after your recent health problems and I am sure this anxiety is a significant contributory factor in his present state of mind. I'd like to know what his paediatrician would say about this. When you agree a school place for xxxx I'd like to help you plan how to get him there. I think this would be best done with the school and following advice from an organisation that specialises in working with people with autism. We could involve support worker, or we could ask the Dimensions worker to do it as he/she has specialist training. Let's not exchange emails about this any more. We can talk when I visit, Feeling very angry and frustrated. My son has had no support or education for 20 months and its my fault. What do you reply to this?

Hi. I had a son who was only diagnosed in high school. He is out of education after school refusing 20 months ago. I would say to you to write to the local authority and request an assessment of your sons special educational needs. It sounds from what you have said that the school are ignoring and underplaying your sons needs. Do not wait for the school to do this. It sounds like your son has seen some professionals. Has this been NHS or has he seen an educational psychologist? I am sure you will find lots of helpful info on the forum and there are plenty of people to answer your questions.

Went to look at school and I feel it can meet his needs eg ASD and Significant Anxiety/Depression. Have written a letter to panel explaining my reasons for this school including only just diagnosed Depression so BESD school not appropriate. Panel meeting is on the 7th August. I am always full of hope that some one at the LEA will see sense and name an appropriate ASD school. But history has told me otherwise. Am preparing case for tribunal and will ask for expedited hearing as my son will have been out of school for 20 months with no education at all. Fingers crossed.

My son showed signs from a young age and I sort a referral when he was 10 years old. I was told not to 'label' my son and he got no help. It was only on transition to high school that he could not cope and started school refusing. The school would not help and we were threatened with court. I then sort diagnosis for my son. The paediatrician saw him in the May, said it looked like he would need a lot of support in school when she asked them for their assessment. We went back to see her in the November when he was formally diagnosed. He still got no help in school and it was only when he was out of school they did an individual education plan. Too little too late. My son was never invited to parties, didn't join after school clubs etc. It sounds like the school have done their assessment. They do not diagnose so ignore their opinion. The speech and language therapist should have carried out standardised assessments which the paediatrician would be aware of. So a lot of the leg work has been done towards a diagnosis. Have you had a report from the speech and language therapist? You know your son. His needs should be identified and supported. Has the school put him on school action or school action plus? With a diagnosis you will still have to push to get the help he needs but without it things are a lot more difficult.

Hello. Does your son have a statement of SEN? I'm sure some one will be along to advise you as I think it is a lot more difficult to get funded placements if you deregister your child. I was told not to do that by IPSEA. My son has been on roll of a mainstream school for 19 months but he has school refused for that time and has had no education. They have just issued a statement but that states the school he has not attended. At least you have time to 'battle' for a placement for your son. People are very helpful on this forum and have kept me sane when the Authorities would have me believe otherwise.

I went to look at this BESD 'school' and they have offered a unique way to see if my son will engage over the summer holidays but what happens in September? There is no formal plan. LA have sent letter of an offer for this school. As luck would have it I have found another school which is 35 minutes drive away which is ASD specific and opened a centre for academically more able children last September. I am going to look at it next Tuesday. On paper it is better than the one in Cambridge as it also has a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist on the team. They have also mentioned doing a home assessment and obviously a transition plan. I am really hoping I will like it. I have told the additional needs coordinator I am looking at this school and if I think it is more suitable shall be putting this in writing. He said there was another panel at beginning of August but questioned whether there would be funding. (Not my problem). I have until the middle of August to put my request into tribunal.

I have just rang social services department to ask for minutes of the 2 meetings we have had and a copy of my sons core assessment report. It turns out the 'social worker' who has been coming to the house is a family support worker and the social worker was the man who visited last with her and someone else. Can a family support worker undertake a core assessment of my sons needs? Today is deadline for LA to answer my complaint about lack of a service. I wonder if I will get it and what it can say?

As far as I know you can print it and it will definitely look more 'official'. When my IPSEA rep filled in request for changes she typed them all. As long as they are printed off and signed I think it is better. The LA certainly type all their responses.

The school I want to take my son to look round is ASD/ Asperger specific. Everything I have been telling the LA my son needs and the professionals have said is at this school. They take children up to 19 years of age. They do GCSE's and go to local college if able for 'A' levels. The social skills are built in to everything they do. The residential houses are 3 or 4 bedroom with every child having individualised plans. There was no padded room like the ASD unit attached to mainstream. My son would have to board as it is 90 minutes drive away or a train and bus journey. The LA do already have children at that school. There are children the same age as my son, something I am not hearing at the BESD school. My dilemma is the LA want me to look round BESD school this Friday which I agreed to but I now want to take my son to see the other school that day. I am conscious it is getting towards the end of term.