julieann

Totally agree with you there NobbyNobbs. I work in an all girls secondary school (LSA). In just one YR 10 class of 34 we have two statemented HFA/AS pupils and three undiagnosed ASD pupils. Because these three are not disruptive and get on with their work it has been decided to ignore any learning difficulties unless parents express concerns Julieann

I couldn't agree more Cat and Clare63, Secondary schools seem to have adopted a ruling for all new year 7 pupils that is disasterous for pupils with ASD. No matter what the records from primary school say about their behaviour etc. in primary school they are all allowed to "start with a clean slate" in secondary. My son hadn't coped from day 1 primary. He was asked to leave his year 6 class a term early because the staff couldn't cope with him.They put his absence down as agreed abscence. At this time seven years ago I hadn't heard of Asperger's Syndrome, it was only a suggestion from a doctor that directed me in that direction. Once I had some information and understanding of ASD's my sons behaviour began to make sense. Tony Attwood was about the only book available on Asperger's syndrome. I got in touch with my sons secondary school and the LEA before he started year 7 in the September. I begged them to help him. The schools attitude was lots of children get into trouble at primary school for all different reasons. We give them a new start, clean slate at secondary school. I'm sure lots of you have been there. I was seen as an over protective mother who was the cause of most of my sons problems. To cut a very long and still painful saga short. My son barely coped to year 8 by which time staff were refusing to have him in their lessons.He was given a desk out in the corridor. The school were no longer returning my calls unless he was in more trouble and then they were all miraculously available. After a failed suicide attempt I took my son out of school deregistering him in June 2003. The head phoned me at home and said "If S wasn't brought back to school I would go to prison". Within two weeks I had EWO's and all manner of people pounding at my door. With the help of Education Otherwise I was determined my son wasn't going back to school. I was ready for the poor unfortunate EWO that had been sent to see my sons homeschooling work. She was like a breath of fresh air. We had to bring my son into the room because he was terrified of her. It turned out later he thought she had come to take collect him to take him back to school. The lady talked to S about how he felt about school and teachers and asked him to do a multiplication sum which he did on the floor with his back to her. After about 30 minutes of observing and talking to my son she said. I'm appalled by the treatment your son has suffered at the hands of the Education system. For a start he needs time to recover from the school system. His behavioural problems aren't a result of his learning difficulties but a result of years of abuse in a system full of narrow minded people. I am seeing more and more of the cases daily (2003). Don't ever try to put him back into the school system and I suggest you get yourself a lawyer. My report will state that you fully understand what is required to home educate. I was in shock. When a copy of her report arrived a few days later I tried to contact her at the LEA and was told that she had moved on and was no longer available. Five years on and the secondary school I am LSA at has just had 5 or 6 year 7 pupils with suspected but not diagnosed ASD's and the advice is be aware of them but they don't need any help unless they become disruptive in the lessons As we all no when they are going down hill and not coping is to late for intervention.

Pearl, Thats brilliant that JP's support and understanding was second to none. I think I've spent to long in a very negative work environment which has left me seeing only pupils being failed and let down by the education system. When I did the University of Birmingham certificate of ASD's last year my tutor did tell me I needed to get away from the school I was working at before I got sucked in to their way of thinking. This is what I enjoy about this forum at least I can get to read other peoples opinions and experiences.

I personally don't feel that the support will be as successful. This doesn't mean that my opinion is the the right opinion though. I have seen excellent TA's with the right caring attitude who become annoyed with a child that is rude for instance. The child is then told off for being rude and doesn't know what they have done to make the adult cross as they were only stating true facts as they see them. Rudeness implies knowledge of what is socially acceptable, and a conscious decision to disregard it. This ability is lacking in pupils with ASD. This doesn't mean that a pupil with ASD can be rude and do what they want. They still need guidelines but the adult needs to understand that the pupil was only saying what they thought and doesn't have the ability to think but not say. Hope that makes sense. Julieann

Hi Chris 54, That made me chuckle. Bless him He's not wrong either Julieann

so can he really not be assessed for a statement if he has ASDs and Mental health difficulties.??????? JsMum Hi J's mum, Hertfordshire L A seem to be a law unto themselves. At the moment they are persuading parents that their childs needs can be better met at SA+ and that a statement is not neccessary. Parents of already statemented pupils are being told that their children will get more help in school if they drop the statement and go on SA+. Julieann ( LSA secondary school in Hertfordshire)

I found HE in a moment of desperation with the support of education otherwise when my son was at breaking point and his school said I would go to prison if I de-registered him. My only regret is I hadn't heard of it eight years earlier. I always thought that by law your child had to go to school. Not that they had to receive an education. Julieann

Hi bikemad, When my son's deputy head started giving us yet another lecture on "the only problems your son has is his attitude towards us (staff), lazy etc." I noticed my husband had gone very quiet. He stood up and looked her straight in the eyes and said, "and are you medically qualified to make this asumption" Then walked out of the room. I was gobsmacked because although he would come with me to the school when they would phone demanding yet another meeting he tended to listen and let me do the speaking. Do you find that these meetings can be instant when your son is in trouble but very hard to organise if you want to speak to them? I would just add that this deputy head had had a letter from CAHMS stating that my son was going to get a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. That through no fault of his own his clinic appointment at 9.00am for the diagnosis was cancelled at 8.45am because of staff illness. We had waited 12 weeks for this appointment and had to wait a further 12 weeks for another one. In this time my son had climbed up on scaffolding and managed to break both wrists. He had been out of school for three weeks when we got our appointment. He did eventually get a diagnosis of A/S in 2003. The professionals tried to say that because he wasn't in school they couldn't assess him properly. Of the 24 weeks we had been waiting for the appointment he had been out of school for the last 3 weeks Sorry I've rambled off track a bit myself. I work as LSA (ASD's) in secondary school which is full of staff who still believe in "Naughty Child Syndrome" and the suggestion that their behaviour towards the child could be the reason the child is behaving that way is met with total disbelief. Julieann

Will the mum be able to appeal withdrawal of the statement or is it too late??? Thank-you for your kind comments Westie. Unfortunately the paperwork all went through over the six weeks holidays and I received notification from county Hall that xxxxx's statement had finished. It was only through a chance meeting with xxxxx and her mum in a shopping centre that I found out what had really happened to her. I had been supporting xxxxx for the last three years and didn't even know that the review was happening.

I saw my pupil and her mum whilst out shopping in the six weeks holidays and only went over to say hi to them both and it all came tumbling out how only mum could get to the review and the learning support co- ordinator and educational psychologist spent over three hours trying to pursuade her to agree to give up the statement. When she still hadn't signed an agreement form they went round to her home address to get it. The school don't know that I printed out different helpline forms from ACE with how to appeal and her rights to complain etc. and posted them to her. But there are a lot of social issues going on at home and after fighting every step of the way for her daughter for the last 10 years I think she's both mentally and physically exhausted. When mum went to the review she had no idea that finishing the statement was even an option. julieann

I wondered if anyone had come across a C.A.F. (Common Assessment Framework). The pupil I have been supporting in secondary school for the last three years, who has been statemented for the last 10 years, has had her statement taken away and replaced with a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) I feel she is being let down and want to phone her mum and let her know what is happening, but as I'm no longer employed to support her, professionally I'm not allowed to do that. Hi Kathryn, Kazzen 161 and J's mum Thank-you for responding to my question. I have discovered that the school has told county that xxxx's needs can be better met with SA+. I am having a meeting with xxxx's Yr 10 pastoral care in the morning and will let you know how it goes. I can't talk to the learning co-ordinator as she hasn't been in all week as "she doesn't feel very well". Julieann

I wondered if anyone had come across a C.A.F. (Common Assessment Framework). The pupil I have been supporting in secondary school for the last three years, who has been statemented for the last 10 years, has had her statement taken away and replaced with a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) Her parents have been told that it is a legal document and better than a statement as the school can give help immediately if it is needed and they don't have to apply for extra hours from county. If anyone does have a child with a CAF, I was wondering what help your child was getting in school as my pupil tells me the learning support co-ordinator hasn't spoken to or seen her at all since she started back in yr 10 September 3rd. The new teachers haven't been told that she has learning difficulties and are writing comments on her work about it being untidy. Although I am no longer employed to support her she is coming to me nearly every lunchtime with homework she doesn't understand, teachers she thinks hate her, didn't know how to get up pie chart on excel. Didn't want peers or teacher to know she couldn't do it etc. She is becoming very unhappy. She seems to think that because she has lost her statement the teachers think she is cured and she is still having difficulties with drawing charts, margins etc. Her 45 minute homework takes her 1.50 hrs because of diagrams ,charts etc. She won't talk to learning co-ordinator because she doesn't like her. I feel she is being let down and want to phone her mum and let her know what is happening, but as I'm no longer employed to support her, professionally I'm not allowed to do that. Julieann

Hi Karen A, I thought the three day absence policy was for teaching staff not support staff. Collegues of absent members of teaching staff can cover for three days then a supply teacher has to be brought in. Julieann

Hi Chris54, I've tried that one but the local authority say that only applies if you lose your whole post. As I still have a pupil statemented for 10hrs I am not entitled to redundancy. Julieann

Hi Hedders, In our school which is secondary, the pupils have catch up work during their lunch hour as alot of pupils don't want their peers to know they need extra help with English and Maths. Any child that is having difficulties with English and Maths can be put forward for it by their class teacher.It has been very successful. Julieann

I am trying to find out if other teaching assistants have come across this problem.When a fixed term contract finishes the school are no longer obliged to offer alternative support work that isn't on your contract. I have a contract to support two statemented pupils until they leave the school or their statements end. The statement of one pupil has ended suddenly and there was whole class support available at the school. Under the new SEN budgeting system I wasn't allowed to be offered the position even though I had been doing whole class support work for a year because my contract states statemented pupil support and not whole class support I contacted my local authority and they told me this was the new policy under the SEN budgeting system. Julieann

Hi jools, Yes you can ask for a copy of the reports. You can also ask for a copy of your sons whole school file. I asked for a copy of my sons after he had been taken out of school. You put the request in writing to the head and the school are allowed I think it's 10 days max to produce the copy. With my son we discovered that the primary school had recommended that he wasn't put in anyones class from his primary school as he was a trouble maker. Which obviously meant that no one in his class was familiar to him Julieann