legal help

[Anneuk]

Hi all,

 

I have been speaking to someone from IPSEA for a good few months now, and it turns out that my daughter (12 diagnosed with AS in 04) has had very few of the assessments she should have done at the time of diagnosis and has had no follow up since, as such I am struggling to get her help in school, this is doubly difficulty as she is very bright and her problems are stress related in school and not learning related.

 

I have been told I can get the appropriate assessments carried out under the legal aid scheme and as such am seeing a specialist solicitor tomorrow.

 

I have my daughters school record, diagnosis and the few assessments she has had, but can anyone advise me as to what I should be asking for, what sort of testing etc, I am told she should have had some testing for her supposed, pragmatic language disorder (?not sure if I have this right)

 

All help before tomorrow would be very gratefully appreciated.

 

Anne

[SusanF]

I don't think you need legal help. Try activating the school's SENCO - Spectial Educational Needal Coordinator & getting them to bring in the necessary professionals - in particular a speach & language therapist. Possibly others such as behavioural management & occupational therapy.

[pumpkinpie]

Does your daughter have a statement,what level of need has school assessed her a needing?

If she is on school action the school wont have asked for outside help and will supposed to be managing her needs within school.

If she is on school action plus school should be accessing outside support ie ed psych, salt etc(depending on your childs needs) and having ieps(which you should be able to contribute to) and termly meeting with your self about her progress.

THE step after school action plus is statementing which is incredibly to access.

 

I would arrange a meeting with the senco asap, formalise your concerns in a letter asking for a meeting- you need to start collecting evidence to show her needs and what needs to be happening to meet them.

 

Does your area have an autistic outreach team? If so there is nothing to stop you contacting them. Prehaps they could come into school with you - sencos in my experience aRE very stretched and whilst not deliberatley being obstructuive do want an easy life(dont we all). If parents dont ask and push your child is likely to just plod along with little input.

 

It maybe there is some kind of group going in that your child with pragmatic difficulties can tap into ie through autistic outreach team, speech and language therapy etc

 

It maybe worth noting that all council tax payers have the right to 1 hours ed psych time - not as part of the school budget. If the school is guarding its precious ed psych time this may be a way of ringing up the ed psych service and getting immediate help.