nysnanna

bhanks for your reply Mel, I'm not sure what options I could see working to be honest. He just doesn't seem to realise that his behaviour is a problem and therefore consequences appear to be ineffective. I am trying to keep an open mind about residential but I know that he would be extremely opposed to it and would feel we no longer wanted him. My head tells me that it could be the making of him but my heart is telling me differently. We will go and see what the school and LA say tomorrow and see what options they suggest, but we are not feeling optimistic about the outcome. I'm trying to find out what provisions there are that could meet his needs, but that information doesn't appear to be very easy to find. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Teresa

Looking for some information/advice please. After a huge battle we finally got our Grandson statemented and a place at a LA special needs school that is entirely made up of pupils with ASD, Aspergers ADHD etc. Now after a year we are told that this placement is at risk - he will not conform or do a lot of the things he is asked to do, he can be unpredictable and has on 2 occasions hit another student. The school expanded in July and he is now in a different base, much larger (old comp school) and is now able to wander the corridors causing disruption, before the classrooms were small and secure. This is part of the problem but not all of it, his Mother struggles to get him to do anything he's asked and he is now 5ft 11in and doing as he likes almost. He has diagnosis of ASD ADHD PDA and is almost 15, only recently started to be seen by CAMHS after getting involved with the criminal justice system caused by his impulsiveness and unpredictability. A security guard in a local store grabbed him after he refused to leave ( he was arguing with him about being followed around the shop) and he lashed out at him, common assault. This week the school will not allow him on site and he has spent the ladt 3 days in various locations being driven around by a member of staff and being taken for macdonalds etc, certainly only being contained. His head has said they cannot meet his needs and has called this urgent meeting on Friday. Attending will be Education Officer, Ed psych (never met any of us), targeted support worker, supporting Families worker (I think she's from social care). The head mentioned that they may look at residential for him as his Mum has admitted she is struggling to cope, can they force him to go into residential against our wishes?. What other options are there around? We live in Nottinghamshire, his behaviour is quite challenging and I imagine other schools will also have the same problems with him. I can't even find out what other schools the LA may use and I don't want to go to the meeting tomorrow knowing nothing as I don't trust LA. Head also mentioned part time one to one done from home and I know this wouldn't work as he will never mix home and school, he would never do homework because of this. I really don't want him to go into residential as he wouldn't understand why, he really doesn't think that there is a problem with his behaviour, he thinks he's fine, but I am getting increasingly concerned that he will either get hurt himself or he will hurt somebody. Sorry for the ramble but I'm rushing this as I'm late for work and my thoughts are so mixed up over this. Any advice/suggestions extremely grateful. Thanks Teresa

No he has never done anything wrong at all but as he likes to dress like some other lads his age, ie trousers hanging down low, baseball caps and hoodies, he can look a bit 'dodgy'. He is very tall and physically mature for his age, 5ft 11in, and if I'm honest, because of his high anxiety levels he can present as a little bit nervy. He has always enjoyed looking at toys etc when he was younger, now dvds and cds, whilst his mum or myself do the shopping and for some reason has always attracted the attention of the security guards. He would never think of stealing and has never been in any kind of trouble. Over recent months he has been getting increasingly wound up as he feels he is being targeted for no reason and the incident on Saturday, sadly, is the result of this. It's difficult to know if he feels any remorse, he is sorry that it has happened but I'm not sure if that is because of the consequences of the incident rather than because he has hurt someone. He certainly is grounded for the foreseeable future, as a punishment, to try and get him to understand the seriousness of the situation and to prevent any more possible incidents. We have been busy phoning around all day and are hoping to get an urgent appointment with CAMHS, he was discharged before because he refused to work with them, he dislikes one to one situations as he finds them too confrontational, but he has been told he has no choice in the matter this time. His school have been great and will now be working with him, looking at coping strategies and the consequences of his actions and have given us some good advice too. He is very able in many ways but this is on a superficial level, when anything unusual or unexpected happens ie something that he has not learned how to handle and respond to, then he doesn't have the skills to cope well. He knows that he has the various diagnosis' but does not believe that he is any different to his 'friends' and wants to have the same freedom as they do. He can be very controlling and will often wear his Mum down until she gives in to him, it's not easy for her but she does appear to have laid down the law now. Thanks for your advice and kind words of support. Teresa

My 14 year old grandson has been arrested on a charge of grevious bodily harm and whilst I don't condone what he's done I have to say that although he's never been violent before, I could see it coming. Security guards in our local tesco have been following him around the store for months, he is a tall lad and wears baseball caps and usual fashion. We have tried speaking to the store and over recent weeks he has been giving the security guards some lip, especially when shopping with his friends. On Saturday night he was in the store with an adult and when they seperated , he was immediately followed by the security guard. After an altercation he was told to leave the store but he decided he would try and find the adult he was with to let her know what had happened. The guard followed him and he ran off, the guard chased him so he continued to run, he panicked and picked up a bottle of alcohol and threw it at the guard to slow him down, when it missed he picked up another and hit him over the head with it. He was restrained by force by the guard snd another male until the police arrived and he was then taken into custody. After being in a cell for 5 hours he was questioned and admitted what he had done. I was with him during the questioning and there was also a duty solicitor, he is now bailed and has to go back to be charged on 31st January. He was anxious and agitated before this happened and I was concerned that he was very much on the edge, now he is really struggling to cope. He has been discharged from CAMHS and it will take months to get any support again. He asked his Mum to get in bed with him last night, something he's not done for about 10 years and said he can't cope with school today (this is a special needs school). What should we be doing for him now, to get him support for his mental health and also to make sure he is properly represented at court in terms of his autism. He has a diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, and PDA but is not currently receiving any support apart from attending specialist school. As I say I do not condone what he has done and although I'm not sure he realises the seriousness of whst he has done, we want to get him as much help as possible. I am worried that he is now so wound up that it will not take much to push him over the edge again. His Mother is a single parent with 3 younger daughters and needs to protect them as well as trying to help him. Any advice greatly appreciated as we just don't know what to do next. Thanks in advance. Teresa

After a lot of heartache, appeals and hard work,eventually our Grandson was offered a place at LA school for ASD. We were happy with the school and Grandson was ok with but not overly enthusiastic. We sold him the positivesand he began to feel quite motivated. Placement is to begin September. We repeatedly have said he needs good transition, everyone working with him agree. He visited in March, statement was finalised April 4th and as time goes by he thinks of more reasons not to go there. We informed everyone that I am away first 2 weeks of July and his Mother and school always struggle with him if I am not around, I have always been the one to collect him and take him to school. We've now been told that the transition will begin first week of July, when I am away. This is unlikely to happen as he is very unlikely to go somewhere new when he is struggling to cope with change in routine. No visits or anything before then. Apparently head teacher does not want any disruption at all to those pupils already there and taking GCSEs, and although I can understand this, it does not help our Grandson. I am so worried that after years of hard work to get here it is all jeopardised because of poor transition.

After a long battle for a stat. assessment we finally got a proposed statement for our grandson. Of course it was not worth the paper it was written on and we have had it amended twice. It is not yet finalised but we have viewed the LA SEN school that is now a school for ASD students. We felt confident that this school could meet his needs but were told it was full, but the SEN officer felt that they could negotiate a place for him. The head of the school visited our boy at his mainstream on Monday and he visited the SEN school this morning. The visit went well and this afternoon the SEN officer phoned to say the head had been in touch and they were offering him a place starting September with a transition beginning 1st July. As the statement is due to be finalised on April 1st and the fact that our grandson is making no progress at all I said that I was not happy that he had to wait a whole term to start and that I did not think that a 3 week transition before a 6 week holiday was enough for him. The SEN officer tried to tell me that as he had a statement in place his current school would have to meet his needs during the next term, but they have not been able to do so over the last year and a half. Eventually she said she would arrange a transition meeting with ourselves, the new school, current school and EP to see what could be done. I know that if dont agree the statement and it goes to appeal that it will take much longer but it doesnt feel right that he should have to wait that long. I am worried that he will just give up with his current school and that he will have too long to worry and become anxious about starting the new school. Any suggestions about how I handle this next stage would be appreciated. I got the impression that she felt we should be grateful he'd got the place and not cause a fuss about having to wait. I feel he should have had the place a long time ago without all the stress and worry. Thanks Tereaa

Hi Sally, thanks for your advice, as always it is greatly appreciated. My Grandson is currently in mainstream secondary school but is making no progress. He is spending most of his in corridors having been sent out of lessons. In lessons he is either disruptive or puts his head on the desk. School now saying that they are not able to meet his needs. As he is 13 now and in year 8 and has made no progress since starting the school I am not really wanting him to spend the rest of this school year wasting his days in corridors when he should be being educated. Do you know how soon the provision should be put in place once the statement has been finalised? I have visited the LA SEN school and I was impressed with what it could offer but I realise that this could just be because I have become used to the lack of understanding in mainstream. I am also visiting Alderwasley next week but am concerned about distance(hours drive each way) and know it will be another battle, especially if they magic up a place at LA school. If there is no place until September and the statement needs to be finalised on April 1st I am wondering what provision will be made for the next term. Thanks Teresa

Over the moon to be told by SEN officer that proposed statement is in the post and we can expect it tomorrow. One battle over but I feel another may be starting. Ed psych suggested we visit our LA SEN school which is now all ASD students, the majority with average academic ability like our grandson. We visited and liked the school but it is full. SEN officer said that they may have a place in September and that if we like the school we should put it down as the preferred school. We are worried about what will happen if they find they do not have a place for him in September and what will happen to him in the time between April 1st when statement is finalised and September if they do have a place. Obviously we may not be happy with the statement and may have to appeal but it sounded over the phone as though at least they are not suggesting that he stays in mainstream as this is definitely not working for him. Should we be looking at alternative schools, none of which are local or LA schools or will we need to wait until a place is available. I know we would have to fight for a different school by which time I imagine a place would be available at the local one. I am really confused about what I should put down as the preferred school if we are happy with the contents of the proposed statement. Any advice appreciated Teresa

Thanks for the advice. I have downloaded a copy of the SEN code of practice and am now busy reading chapters 7 and 8. Does anyone know how I go about finding an independent EP and when would be the best time to ask for an assessment? We are told we will hear if LA are going to write a statement on Feb 4th. The only thing that appears to have happened during the assessment period is the school have been asked for another report and the LA EP observed him in part of a lesson and had a brief chat with him. She also came and spoke to us at home. As he sees the paediatrician very occasionally and the CAMHS input has consisted of one meeting last October I am wondering how they will have managed to assess all of his educational needs. We have very little money but have decided that we will get the money together (if we can) for an EP assessment as this is probably the best one to go for. What do others think, is an EP the right way to go? I spoke to school Senco last week and she told me that her report very clearly states that he is no longer learning anything at school and is not progressing at all so something clearly has to change. Teresa

Some advice needed please. My Grandson aged 13 is eventually having a statutory assessment and the mainstream school he attends have said that he is no longer making any progress at all and the gap between him and his peers is growing even wider. He receives over 15 hours support a week but is not staying in lessons and is not learning. Are the LA likely to suggest another mainstream (all the others in our area are much larger) or do you think they will name a SEN school. The only SEN school that may be appropriate have told us that they have no places and are not expecting to have any. After some insistence they have agreed that we can visit but what is likely to happen if mainstream are unable to meet his needs and SEN school is full? We are also going to visit an independent school that is out of County that sounds brilliant but is about an hours drive away. If we get a statement what should we be asking for and what are the LA likely to suggest if SEN school has no places? Also I have read on this forum about freedom of information requests. What is this? Who would I ask for this and for what reason? What do I ask for and what is it likely to provide me with. I do not want to overlook anything at all. If the LA do not give our grandson a statement or it is not a good one, we will be appealing and as we are not in a position to pay for legal representation I want to be prepared. Many thanks in advance Teresa

Thanks Sally, I've contacted LA and they are going to send me a list of all the schools so hopefully there may be something suitable for him. I'm in the middle of writing my report/views at the moment, this needs to be in by xmas eve. Is there anything that needs to be in this that wasn't included in the original request for assessment. It feels like I am just repeating what was in last one. Ive had a look at Dawn House and Alerwasley on the internet, both are possibilities but I'm not sure the LA would feel he had speech and language problems. Alderwasley looks great but is about an hours drive from us. When I have sent our views, in for xmas eve, what should be my next step? Should I wait for the proposed statement, if he gets one, or start looking round schools first. Many thanks for your advice, it is always so useful and appreciated. Teresa

Hi Sally, thanks for your response, the school thst is full is called Derrymount, quite local and appears to have changed over recent year to be educating more children with ASD. it used to be for moderate learning disabilities. However they are full so its not an option. I will contact LA tomorrow and ask them to send me a list of all schools and see whats on offer. Many thanks Teresa

After having our request for assessment turned down we initially felt that we couldn't carry on fighting anymore. Our grandson is the eldest of our single parent Aspergers daughters four children and we had run out of energy. We picked ourselves up though and put in an appeal which was successful, the LA decided to carry out the assessment, a couple of weeks before the tribunal. GREATso far. In September our grandsons school became an academy and much less inclusive, now in year 8 he has been going to school without too much complaint but is not making any progress with his learning, he is very disruptive and spends very little time in lessons, either being told to leave because of his behaviour or walking out because he doesn't understand and is bored. When we initially applied for an assessment the school reported that his behaviour was manageable and that they could meet his educational needs. At his last review two weeks ago they now say that he is not making any progress at all and his behaviour is becoming so challenging that he is likely to start getting exclusions. As part of the assessment process we met with EP who suggested we have a look round our local SEN school. Initially I was opposed to this as we were always led to believe that our grandson is academically able but struggling to access curriculum because of his ADHD and ASD. After looking at website for school it looks like it may suit our boy, nearly all boys are ASD aspergers or ADHD, some with moderate LD some very able. Telephoned school for a visit and told no chance of even visiting as they are full. What are we supposed to do from here? I don't think there are any other schools in Notts like this. If he gets a proposed statement how can we put a preferred school if there are no places for him? We are not in a position to go down the route of paying for private assessments and don't know where to begin looking for non LA schools. I am still in the process of writing our views to be included but am now struggling to be positive when the system seems to be designed to fail our children instead of helping them. Whatever happened to 'Every disabled child matters'. Although our grandson is attending school he has not progressed at all since he started there in September 2011, he is falling further and further behind and it appears that we are the only ones that are concerned about this. His behaviour at school can be challenging and he has no motivation to learn or take part in lessons, he is just going most days, hanging about the corridors and disrupting other pupils learning. I am desperate to help him before its too late. Does anyone know of any schools in Notts that may meet his needs or how I can go about finding out where schools are and what they provide. What are the LA likely to do if his current school say that they cannot meet his needs but SEN school hafe no places. Any advice welcome and many thanks in advance. Teresa

After having our request for a SA turned down I am in the process of writing to the school to request our Grandsons school records, does anyone know if there is anything specific I should be asking for. Also as the Educational Psychologist has told me that she will not be assessing him but will only be carrying out an observation of a lesson I am going to write to her to formally request that she assess him, what should I be asking her to assess for, what reasons do I give to her for wanting a full assessment rather than just an observation? She told me when I asked on the phone for her to carry out 'standardised assessments', we don't work like that. ????? Not sure what they are supposed to do. Diagnosed ADHD and ASD since age 5 and on school action plus since age 5 but never been assessed by eP, is this usual or is it a Notts County thing again? Many thanks Teresa

I've just been reading through some information about SA and appeals, been up all night and now going to try and remain focussed at work, and it appears that we will not have much chance of winning any appeal, after review in February when I asked about applying for an assessment the school decided that they would make a request for the Autism Team to become involved following the summer term springboard meeting. This meeting is not until June 4th and apparently because the school has not yet tried all of its resources a tribunal would turn down our appeal. I'm so upset because clearly that team are unlikely to start any work with him until mid to late June, how long should we wait to see if their input makes any difference to our boy and all the time he is struggling. Not sure I can face putting any more effort into this, the system is clearly designed to stop children getting any meaningful education and to destroy the rest of the family at the same time. I'm no longer prepared to work with the school, let them manage his behaviour themselves. If he doesn't want to go to school we will no longer send him. Why should he and us struggle when they just do not care.

Just heard today that they have turned down our request for a Statutory assessment - absolutely gutted although I should not have expected any different really. I'm so angry today that I think I need to calm down before I think about the next step, I put in so much work to include everything and they turned it down. Today I have contacted the SEN strategic services and have had all the reports emailed across, the only information they have is from us and the school and a brief report from the EP who has only met our Grandson briefly. She said in that report that she felt an SA would clarify need. I contacted EP today and asked her if she would be doing a standardised assessment of N and she said 'No, we don't work like that but I will be going into school to observe him in a lesson'. I am so upset, he has been on school action plus since the age of 5 and no one has ever assessed his needs. The school reported that they felt confident they could mange his behaviour with their behaviour management plan and that he was making some progress. His behaviour has always been challenging at school, but today I feel like if they say they can manage it then let them do so, why do I spend so much time speaking to him about his behaviour, reminding him every morning to keep calm and not shout out offensive remarks. I obviously don't need to bother because they clearly don't now feel that his behaviour is an issue, why should I. Sorry I know that's not the right attitude but I am just so upset and angry, our boy is having such a difficult time and not getting the education to which he is entitled and the school just want to deny that there are problems, even though he spends such a lot of time in the corridor, after being sent out because of his behaviour. At school review a week ago it was agreed to reduce his timetable due to his anxiety and stress, now leaves at lunchtime 3 afternoons a week, he is obviously delighted with this but we are not sure if it is good or not. I am about to write to EP to ask her in a letter about why she will not carry out standardised assessment, so that I can have her answer in writing - what should I be asking for? Obviously once I have calmed down I will be thinking about an appeal, how should I go about this? What do I need to do? Although money is very short, we are thinking about getting an independent E.P. assessment done, how do we go about finding someone to do this for us, when should we do it and any idea how much it is likely to cost? I am going to ask the school for access to all his records etc, what should I be specifically asking for? Only day one of my diet and i'm going to break it with wine and chocolate - feel in desperate need now. Many thanks to all in advance Teresa

Hi Thanks for your replies, my grandsons hands are dry, as in not wet, rather than cracked or sore. I think it is the sensation of dryness that bothers him, he says it is driving him crazy and it prevents him from touching things. He walks round with his hands screwed up into a ball so that he doesn't touch anything, especially fabric. He tries to put his clothes on without actually touching them with his fingers. He goes through huge tubs of emollient cream, diprobase, E45, reapplying it every 5 minutes or so His skin doesn't look sore or dry, it just feels dry to him. We took him to the GP who referred us to the CAMHS who have told us it will be 7-8 weeks before he is seen, outrageous I know. I phoned CAMHS who were apologetic and got the duty worker to contact me to see if she could offer any advice, she couldn't really without speaking to him. He does have a fear of germs and contamination but I'm not sure if this is part of that or a sensory thing. He now constantly appears to be agitated and does not want to go to places where he has once been comfortable going, he just says he no longer feels comfortable. We think its anxiety related but not sure what has triggered it, to be as bad as this so quickly, it went from not being a problem to having an impact on anything he does. He's stopped wearing a lot of his clothes because of the way they feel when he touches them and his clothes are hugely important to him, bathing/showering/swimming are all difficult for him, he cannot touch the towel with wet wrinkly hands. His counting and touching rituals have all come back big time, at the same time at the dry hands issue, so I imagine they are all related to anxiety. He has developed some great strategies to help himself, i.e. he puts his cream into small bottles to enable him to carry it about, he now carries a small shoulder bag with him to keep his cream and his mobile in and he chooses his clothes carefully. We give him loads of praise for managing and coping with what he describes as things that are driving him mad but would like to help him in anyway that he can. Thanks for suggestions Teresa

Sorry, forgot to say that Grandson has ASD and ADHD Teresa

Looking for some advice/suggestions to help my grandson at what is proving to be a very difficult time for him. He is 12 years old but physically a very mature 12 - 5ft 9 tall, 10 and half shoes, facial hair etc. Throughout his life he's had anxiety problems but the severity of it varies. Over the last 6 months it has gradually got much worse and is now affecting his life to the point where he is not wanting to do the things he had previously enjoyed. He is struggling with sensory things like lumps in his socks and different fabrics not being right. Most sounds and smells related to his sisters are driving him to distraction, he is constantly yelling and threatening them. The biggest problem he has at the moment though is the feeling of dry hands - he just cannot cope with it. When he first started school this was an issue, he used to lick his hands constantly but gradually this subsided, now it is back BIG time. He has jars, tubes, pots of cream everywhere and is constantly putting it on to moisturise his hands or running them under the taps. This is every couple of minutes and is now interfering with his life. He is worried about the fact that his peers at school are aware that he is doing it, he is now refusing to go to school on days that he has PE as his cream is in a locker. Swimming has stopped because it makes his hands feel funny. He has even gone back to asking us to dry him when he gets out of the bath because he cannot touch the towel. Not sure what has triggered this again, he thinks it may have started when he had to put his hands in some washing up water during cookery at school, but he started to senior school in September which he hates and is going through puberty so it could be a combination. He is waiting for an appointment with CAMHS and we have applied for a Statutory Assessment and are waiting to hear about this. Not sure what else we can do to help him at the moment but am extremely worried about him as he seems to be going down hill rapidly and his appointment is not likely to be for another 7 weeks we were told. Any ides from others who may have similar problems about a kind of cream that will keep his hands feeling moist for longer. I suggested baby wipes but he tells me that he cannot touch baby wipes any more. He is no longer wanting to go to places where he has always been happy going, wanting to stay at home, mainly in his room, where he then yells at and tries to control his Mum and 3 younger sisters. He used to spend a lot of time with us but no longer wants to do that. Any ides appreciated. Thanks in advance Teresa

Today I had a telephone call from the Educational Psychologist, she has just returned from leave to find my message. After the last meeting Feb 6th she agreed to go and observe N in a lesson on March 19th, this didn't happen, apparently because the SENCO and all the inclusion team were off sick and the lesson she should have observed was being taken be a supply teacher, she was advised that this would not be a good lesson to observe as N does not behave at all well with supply teachers. I had called to enquire if she had re-arranged the observation but she said she had not been able to do this as there were no members of the inclusion team there to arrange it with. She told me that she had been informed that we had applied for an assessment and that she needed to have a report in for April 19th. She has only met N for 2 minutes at the last meeting, and school is now closed for two weeks, she informed me that she would not be able to observe N before the 19th as she would be off on the Monday 16th and only worked the first half of the week. She asked what we were hoping to achieve for N and how things were. I was careful not to give too much away, saying that we wanted was what best for him but without an assessment it was difficult to know what that was. I said that I was just a Grandmother and was unaware of the services and resources available for N and was hoping that the professionals would be able to advise us. I informed her of his increased anxieties and lack of progress in mainstream, both with his behaviour and academic achievement. I told her about our concerns for his mental health if he stays in mainstream and that he was now being referred back to CAMHS. We were on the phone for about 20 minutes and she was asking me lots of questions. Not sure how she is going to write a report for the panel. She has had no real contact with N, and the report needs to be in for April 19th. School does not reopen until April 16th and she is not at work that day. If she is going to liaise with the SENCO before she writes the report she will have to do it very quickly. How much weight is her report going to be given? Is she likely to take much notice of my conversation with her today? If we are turned down for an assessment will I have access to this report and will I be able to challenge it because she has not had any contact with N. I have spent many hours getting my letter together to go with the form and what has really amazed me is when I looked at all his IEP's and review notes etc is how little progress he has made and how the system has really just contained him. Will be ready to send it all off soon and then it will be a case of waiting to hear from them. I am expecting them to say they won't assess him as apparently Notts are notorious for this, but I am prepared to give it all I've got if they do. Teresa

Hi Sally N is 12 years old and in year 7 - he is at KS3 for literacy and numeracy - currently 3C English and 3B Maths. I think ASN 5.5 means 5 and a half hours support from Additional School Needs money and 7.5 AFN is 7 and a half hours support from Additional Family Needs funding. apparently it is the way Notts County Council funds the extra support for children with SEN. When would be the best time to think about getting independent reports, should I wait and see if the agree to assess him first? Would I then see what the EP says in her report or go and get our own at the same time? Definitely wanting to go and look at some other schools but at the moment not wanting to build my daughters hopes up too much by showing what N is missing out on, because of her own difficulties she will struggle to accept that everything has to be done through the Statement etc. I have always felt that N's behaviour is linked to him being overwhelmed and confused, he has always struggled in larger spaces with more people and more things happening. He does not like bright lights and certain sounds irritate him to the point of distraction, someone clicking a pen for instance. When he is in a calmer environment or in a situation where he understands what is happening, his behaviour is not a problem. The clinical psychologist felt that his challenging behaviour was due to his anxiety. I have also worried about him being placed in an environment that concentrates on his behaviour, rather than his autism and adhd. I have checked out the links to IPSEA and ACE and you're right, they are very useful. Many thanks, Teresa

Many thanks for the support and advice - N was referred to paediatrician and psychologist at the age of 3, when he was at nursery school, the two of them diagnosed him at the age of 5 with ASD and ADHD, with demand avoidance and complex behavioural difficulties. At this time he was assessed by SALT team and advice was given to his Mum and the nursery school but they had no further input. He has seen the paediatrician about every six months but this is always about the medical side, he has twice tried medication for his ADHD but they did not suit him, she also prescribes his melatonin. The psychologist input has mainly been about supporting and advising his Mum and she has visited the whole family at home. Mum has Aspergers, sister aged 10 has ADHD, sister 7 has almost certainly got Aspergers but is currently coping well, youngest sister aged 3 is also very quirky and has many autistic traits but is currently doing well at nursery school, although beginning to display some rigid and difficult behaviour at home. The psychologist has never really done any work directly with N and now her job is going with the latest round of cuts in Notts. She felt that it would be better to discharge N from CAMHS rather than him being held by someone else, even though I pointed out that things were beginning to deteriorate fast for him. She advised that he would get a better service if he was re-referred, as he would then get an assessment in a specified time? Sounds odd to me but I am now going to ask for another referral to be made to look at his anxiety and obsessions. He has been on school action plus since he began school and has had regular reviews and IEP’s. When he was in primary school the Inclusion Support Services would come to his reviews but never did anything with him, when I asked about their role, they said it was to advice the school, if/when they asked for support. I don’t believe they ever asked for it. We have never been over happy with the amount of support he receives but since he started secondary school it has been all downhill. He receives one hour a week support from Targeted Support Services, a service aimed at supporting young people at risk of offending, the worker is incredibly good with N and strongly feels that the school is not the right environment for him. He is very supportive of our application for an assessment and has offered to help us with this, but his job is also at risk at the moment. Over the years N has always struggled with his behaviour in class, especially in the larger environments ie assembly hall and dining rooms. His behaviour is described as disruptive and challenging and he spends large amounts of time out of the classroom. When N is feeling overwhelmed he becomes quite volatile and can be confrontational and verbally abusive. He is very tall and physically developed so stands out from his peers physically. His current obsessions are his music and clothes, which the school have said are both in line with the year 11 boys rather than the year 7. This leads to him having nothing in common with his peer group and he is constantly being teased and called names by them. He has already had one fight and is feeling very angry at the moment and feels that he will be involved in further fights. He is on a behaviour plan which the school have tried to say is not a punishment plan, but he feels very strongly that it is unfair that he is the only one that has got one and when others are in trouble they are not sent out of the class. He is now saying that he does not want a TA with him and he does not want a plan, I imagine he feels that this increase the stigma for him and makes him stand out His IEP’s have now been replaced with - Individual Statement Provision Map and says ASN: 5.5 AFN 7.5 Long Term Objective: To achieve Key stage 3 predicted grades To reduce the amount of time out of lessons To speak to members of staff/peers appropriately Target by next review: To practice behaviour and communication strategies (as discussed in 1 - 1 sessions with TA) in class. Wave 1 Whole school Inclusive Practice Differentiated curriculum, planning, delivery, activities and by outcome. Increased visual aids and modelling Visual timetables Illustrated dictionaries Use of writing frames Access to word processor Structured routines Rewards and sanctions systems Flexible teaching arrangements, open access to Inclusion centre. Wave 2 Additional Interventions In class support over a 2 week timetable: Tech x3 Maths x5 Drama x2 Science x3 Art x1 IT x1 Music x1 Lang x1 Nurture math’s and English x 6 per week Access to Oasis Group provision before school, break time, lunch time and after school club (available to N if and when he needs it). Wave 3 Intensive Interventions. 1 : 1 with TA 1hr a week Home school contact 1 :1 numeracy 20 mins a week Wave 1 -N feels that the only thing he receives is the rewards and sanction system and open access to Inclusion Centre, he is not aware of anything else being done for him. Wave 2 - His view is that he gets TA support in lessons where the teacher finds his behaviour difficult. He avoids the group provision as he feels that he would sooner face the teasing/bullying from pupils than give staff the opportunity to nag him. Would never stay after school - can’t wait to get away. Wave 3 - doesn’t mind 1 :1 support with TA but doesn’t really see the point. What are your views on his targets and the strategies? N spoke to us yesterday about the problem with his hands, he has to keep wetting them or using moisturiser. He used to do this in the past, saying that his hands feel dry, but it has come back much worse. He thinks it possibly started again during cookery class when he had to wash the dishes. He said that having to put his hands in dirty water made him feel really strange and sick. His counting and touching rituals are really bad again and his fear of germs is worse that it has ever been. He is now able to say that he is finding it difficult but doesn’t know why he does it or how he can stop. The fear of germs is really hard for him, especially as most of this is focussed on his sisters, particularly one of them. Very hard for her too and his Mum as she is trying to balance his anxieties with the effect it is having on sister Z. I know that this is a long post and probably rambling again but I wondered if it might give a clearer picture of the support he has had in the past and is currently receiving. I am now beginning my draft copy of the application for an assessment and realise that it will be a long document but want to make sure that anything of importance and relevance is in the application. Many thanks to everyone again for advice and support, any suggestions, ideas and thoughts are really appreciated. Teresa

Eventually sent a letter asking for Notts LA to carry out Statutory assessment, the form has arrived and I'm now feeling very overwhelmed and so worried about letting my grandson down. We are increasingly concerned about him and his mental health at the moment, his anxiety levels have shot through the roof and he has become almost monosyllabic, and when he does speak his is angry and sooting at his mother and sisters. His fear of his sitters germs has gone off the scale, yelling at his Mum to wash her hands immediately she touches the girls or their clothes and he spends the majority of his time in his bedroom. Aware that as he is now 12 some of this may be hormonal behaviour but believe that it is his anxiety that is causing it. He had a chat with me the other day and told me that all his counting and touching rituals have returned, after subsiding for about 2 years, but are even worse now. He is constantly washing his hands and applying moisturiser as he complains his hands are dry and he can't touch anything. I'm aware I'm rambling but the school don't see any of this and don't seem interested enough to care. At school he is way behind his peers, he is in year 7 and is just achieving grade 3, according to the school that is OK because he is improving and meeting the targets of improving 2 levels in a year. The gap between him and his peers is getting bigger as I believe they have targets of 3 levels a year. He finds the lessons too bewildering to take part, he is constantly shouting out and being send out of the lessons. He has a behaviour plan in place to work on not being disruptive in lessons but I believe this is making his anxiety worse and is not improving his behaviour. He says the only part of school that is OK is break and lunch time - he has recently made some friends - Year 11 boys as he cannot get on with his own year. He says that year 7 and 8 pupils are constantly mimicking and copying him, calling him a 'chav'. The school seem to think that our boy needs to modify his behaviour so that he is no longer a target to the others. At the last two reviews we had had to pester to get minutes, still waiting for minutes from last review on Feb 6th and they are scanty to say the least. The Ed Psych suggested a referral to Autism Support Team at that review, when I tried to chase it up I am told a referral can only be made at Springboard meeting on June 4th. Ed Psych was supposed to do an 'observation' of a lesson on March 19th, this didn't happen as he had a cover teacher and all of the inclusion team were off sick. Tried to contact her but have not had calls returned, now she is on annual leave. The school think I am wasting my time applying for a stat. ass. but I feel we are letting him down. A lot of the problems I believe are caused because the teachers think he has an attitude rather than autism although he has a diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, Demand Avoidance and complex needs. When he is feeling stressed or anxious, he becomes volatile and confrontational, he will shout but is not aggressive. We are now struggling to get him to go to school, every morning he complains of stomach pains. I asked about the Ed Psych doing an assessment but was told this would be done if he gets a statutory assessment, and she will do an observation. I asked about SALT input but was told they no longer provide support for children in this age group. I asked why he had not been referred to the Autism Support Team earlier and was informed that this is only for children with severe needs, I consider his needs are now severe. Sorry about rambling but trying to do this before I go to work. His mother has Aspergers and his 3 sisters, all younger are all on the spectrum but with less problems, so far, so I am the one doing the work with the schools etc, as well as working full time, so as you can imagine, this is a pretty stressful time for me but I so want to get it right for my grandson and so the best I can for him. It is unlikely we could afford any private assessments but would think about getting a loan to do this if necessary. How much information do I need to put in this first form - Request by parents for section 323 assessment? What is the best way of filling it out? Any advice appreciated , many thanks Teresa

My 12 year old grandson is attending mainstream secondary and is now displaying tics and obsessions again that left him 2 years ago. His anxiety levels have increased so much since September that it is heartbreaking taking him to school each morning. He is very tall and physically mature but his main problem for other pupils and staff is that is interest/obsession is street culture and urban clothing and also rap music. Although diagnosis of ASD and ADHD most of his teachers treat him as a problem youth with attitude instead of a boy with autism struggling to fit in. His peers reject him and constantly call him a 'chav'. He spends the majority of his time in school corridors, being sent out of lessons for shouting out, despite having increasing amounts of 1:1 support. He has no friends and is desperate to not go to school anymore. He is not statemented but has always had a lot of support on school action plus. We live in Notts, a County notorious for not issuing statements and it is a nightmare getting anyone to even agree that the school cannot meet his needs. It is his first day back tomorrow and he has asked me to phone the school to ask if he can not go into lessons but stay in the 'oasis', a unit for children with SEN to use for time out. On his last day of half term, during the last lesson, he got into a fight, because he said he was pushed to his limit. Unfortunately this was not resolved before the end of school and he has been worrying about it. I have promised him he will not have to go into school until I have spoken to someone there but my instinct is to not send him back at all, not an option I know, but its how I feel. To see his anxiety levels increasing and for him to becoming more and more isolated every day is so difficult. He has now been asking, how many times he would be allowed to punch someone, is it ok to punch them before they hit him, should he stop hitting when they are on the floor etc. He is a very big, strong boy and we are now worried about how he is going to react to being 'got at' by his peers. He says he is not scared of them, he just doesn't get on with them and they don't like him, but he is now saying he is not going to let them carry on calling him a 'chav'. When I have mentioned this to the school in the past, I am just told that he must not use violence or he will be excluded. For him it is not as straight forward as that and exclusion appeals to him anyway. When I ask about alternative schools we are told he would never get a statement in Nottinghamshire and that the schools for special needs children are for children with severe learning difficulties. Although my grandson is working at about 3b instead of 4b it is largely because of his learning style, rather than his intellectual ability, according to the professionals. He is falling further behind now and we are at a loss as to what to do for him. He is becoming more anxious, confused and lonely by the day and I am becoming increasingly concerned about his mental health. He lives with his Mother and 3 younger siblings but as his Mother has Aspergers and struggles in her relationship with the school, I am the one that takes responsibility for trying to ensure he gets the education that he is entitled to. We offer as much support as we can to him, his Mum and his siblings and are at our wits end now. I know this is a ramble but if anyone has any suggestions I would be extremely grateful. Any suggestions about getting a statement in Notts or any knowledge of schools around Notts. Any ideas please. Thanks in advance.

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