post statement apparent non compliance

[phoebe]

we are having continuing ongoing problems with our sons school He is year 4 and is at a primary school, where he has been since early years. There is so much history, i cant possibly tell it all here, but I have always tried to be supportive of the school and to keep communication open despite them telling me literally as well as by their lack of support and actions that basically H was just a naughty boy, bad parenting etc....down the long path to diagnosis (ASpergers - may 05) when he was 6 and 3/4, through them telling me he didn't fit the criteria for a statement - to when I finally requested a statutory assessment (after several exclusions and more controlled restraints than they can even document) to Easter this year where he was awarded a statement and accepted into the schools "resourced provision." This apparently means that he would be mostly in mainstream with some support as and when required from the professionals (I USE THIS TERM VERY LOOSELY) in the resourced provision. The statement came with specific requirements etc etc which we tightened up as much as we could.

 

So.... the school are given the opportunity to support H and to help him, differentiate the curriculum (all the usual) and after Easter, they are aware of H's statement and the requirements etc - what do they do?????

 

They put a Post graduate Cert ED student in to teach his class. They do not prepare him for this, nor do they ask his regular teacher (who is hands off for the student to carry out her training) to support H.

 

These past few weeks have seen further exclusion and many meltdowns. I have walked to collect him from school and have been so worried by the state he has been in that I have felt unable to walk him home and have asked that my DH be called to collect us all. We have been handed work to complete that he has refused to do in school........A NIGHTMARE ......A young boy in crisis who is made to stand up in front of his class and apologise.

 

So, we have recorded weekly in wrinting to the school our take on what has happened, why and how they could try to prevent it happening in future, we have asked them to contact us in the event of him being AT ALL UNSETTLED, we have offered to go in and sit with him when he has got to this point. WE have demanded a meeting for after half term, we have copied in the governors and the LEA on all the correspondence. WE have spoken to the LEA and to Parent Partnership, we need the school to understand the problems and to really want to try to help.

 

We have our meeting with the school on the Thurs after half term - so, has anyone of you got any advice for how we can make them help our son?? I note from someone elses post that an autism outreach worker went to their school - how can you get them involved? Who else can help??

 

Sorry for long post - any advice please

 

Thank you

Phoebe

[stressedmumto2]

Sorry to hear you are having a really tough time with the school, have you considered moving him to somewhere else which is more supportive as it seems this school isn't.

 

I really feel for your lad and I do definatly think you need an autism out-reach worker to go into the school and advise them especially to using stratergies to support him before he goes ino meltdown and needs restraining.

 

Try and see if there is a local autism school nearby you who does out-reach work or contact an autism helpline (NAS) and see if they can tell you of a service provider who can go into school. Funding for this in my son's case comes from social services and education pay a small amount of it. Explain your difficulties with out-reach and see if someone can go into school and offer advice, many schools will have their own out-reach support from another school they can call on to go in and advise. You can request at the meeting that as you have a diagnosis you would like an autism out-recah worker to go into the school. make sure this is minuted at the meeting and if it is refused then you will need to find your own out-reach workers write to school, LA, /S/S to fight and get it.

 

Things you could suggest at the meeting untill they have somone go in and advise are

home-school communication book, to be written in daily so you are both aware of any difficulies arising

A quiet room your son can go into

A card of some sort he can show to say he needs to leave the room if getting anxious

individualised time-table, so he can visually see what he is doing and when-this will help reduce anxiety

Soemone he can talk to at the begining and end of each day to talk about how the day has been

Rewards for compliance and rewrds for trying on things he finds difficult

Work to be broken down

More breaks to allow him movement if he needs them

 

I would also ask if all teachers have had restraint training and say if restraint has to be used you only want restraint to be done by those who have had training, you want all incidents to be recorded and you to be told of them to prevet melt-downs happening at home.

 

 

Try and get someone to go with you to write notes and say you would like a copy of the minutes when they are available.

 

I wish you lots of luck for the meeting and hope you manage to get an out-reach worker go into the school soon <'>

[madme]

Phoebe has made some fantastic suggestions. As a parent who waited and waited at primary level for things to happen - don't. I regret every day that I made my son stay at a school that did not have his best interests at heart. When they don't and won't listen - go elsewhere where you will find teachers who can and will try their hardest. A friend had to remove her v young child from the same school that we had found to be v difficult for the same reasons - it reinforced our own view that some want to help and some just don't.

[darky]

Ive had a similar problem myself. My daughters statement was finalised in April. Its quite ironic really as I had a discussion with the SENCO and my girls teacher who were trying to get the statement finalised when i was not happy with the content, they assured me they would not do my daughter over with the provision that was written inside even if it was "wooly" so what happens, the one peice of ambiguos wording in the whole statement has been used in their favour.

 

It was the use of a screen. It is written in her statement "A removable screen to help cut down back ground noise and visual distractions, to be used when R requires it" Well her teacher has said "well i'm her teacher and I say she does not require it"

 

The only ambiguous sentance in her statement and they used it to their favour. I am so angry about it, I knew the sentance was wooly, but it was not something that could be quantified. I have had a meeting with the teacher, I have chatted with the SENCO, I asked the OT who recommended the screen in the first place to go in and chat to them about it, they still won't budge so i have written a letter of complaint now, I await the outcome. Ive also spoken to the LEA, who are not interested in the slightest. Statements are supposed to take all this away from us parents. It took me 4 years to get this provision for my girl, and sometimes i wonder why i botherd!

[mossgrove]

It does appear that the school doesn't understand your sons needs and despite your best efforts they never will.

 

We reached that point with our son when he was in year 3 and requested an emergency review of his placement as we felt the school was no longer able to meet his needs. We refrained from direct criticism of the school as it would have sent discussions in the wrong direction and delayed things. He is now doing well in an Autism-specific special school and we can no longer explain with any conviction why we persisted with his previous school for so long. In your case there is a strong argument for full-time 1:1 support for as long as the student teacher is there and that may be suffucient, but I think going to a school that understands may be necessary.

 

 

Simon.

[elun1]

<'> Hi Phoebe

Really sorry to hear things are so difficult. It sounds to me as if you've bent over backwards to try and make things work with this school but they're not having any of it. In the meantime school is getting more and more stressful for H. What is the provision like where you live? Would autism specific be an option?

Elun xxx

[phoebe]

"we can no longer explain with any conviction why we persisted with his previous school for so long."

 

Yes..... I am beginning to wonder if I will feel thatway!!

 

AS usual - thanks everyone for your replies

 

Elun - autism specific schools??? In this area, there arent any

 

Onwards and upwards, I will continue to fight another day!!

[elun1]

Hi Phoebe

We don't exactly have autism specific school but do have an autistic unit attached to a mainstream school. Was wondering if anything similar near you. Mind you I know they're not always great from reading about Mels and others experiences. Ours is ok but not half as good as I hoped.

Elun xx