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loulou

proposed statement

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Hi everyone,

 

I've just got back from a lovely weekend away, to find Kai's Proposed Statement had arrived.

 

I've read it three times already, but i still don't know if it covers all of his needs. It seems that most of the Special Educational Provision (part 3) is copied from the report from the ed.psych. Is this normal?

 

It all seems a bit wishy-washy, but to be honest i don't really know myself what his educational needs really are. He will be going to a special school, which is the most important factor for me.

 

What has really bugged me is the report from the Head Teacher at his old school, which he hasn't attended for 10 months (no thanks to them).

 

The first thing i discovered, was that my son was placed on the SEN register over a year ago, which i was never informed about. :angry: Are they allowed to do this?

 

Two of the comments she made were,

 

"At registration he will not sit with the others. He may sit behind a table. He may crawl around the tables or make animal noises when asked to answer the register."

 

"He was not a very happy little boy." :(

 

I found this really upsetting. I knew he was not happy at school, but i didn't realise the extent of it. I'm so angry at them for no telling me how bad things were for him. :angry:

 

The last thing that made me FUME, was her recommendations for his long-term educational needs and developmental objectives. Some of these were:

 

* To improve his violent behaviour

* To improve his language

* To learn to speak and behave appropriately to adults

* To mix with other children without violent behaviour or the use of bad language

* To learn to sit still for a short while

* To learn to concentrate for a short time

* To learn not to call out

* To behave appropriately in PE and in the playground

* To not interfere with the education of the other children in the class

 

These comments have made me sooooo angry (especially the last one). How can a child with ADHD/AS be expected to "learn" these things? It's the environment my son was in and the way the school have handled/treated him that have contributed to most of his "bad" behaviours in the first place. And the bad language (pretty mild compared to some of the kids in his class), he's picked up in her school anyway!

 

I feel that these comments are totally ignorant to the fact that my son has a neurological condition that prevents him acting and responding like a "normal" child.

 

Am i just too sensitive, or does anyone else agree with me?

 

I'm thinking about writing a letter about it to the LEA.

 

Loulou xxx

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Oh I can understand your anger & frustrtation - I think it is ridiculous that your poor lad was going through all this & the first you have heard about it is a year down the line - why on earth did they not communicate this to you sooner - disgraceful :(:(

 

If it were me I would feel that most of their recommendations are just highlighting the schools failing & their inability to be effective in helping your lad - I bet you are so glad now that he is out of there.

 

The thing is they have listed so many things that they should have been helping him with - they are all the things they should be doing for him - they are not the fault of the child - the question should be - what have they done/did they do to help him work towards achieving some of these ultimate goals? it is more a highlight of their inability to cope too :(:(

 

>:D<<'> >:D<<'>

 

Carol

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Loulou,

 

Carol has given you some really excellent information in her post. The headteacher's report highlights how the school has failed to meet your child's needs.

The first thing i discovered, was that my son was placed on the SEN register over a year ago, which i was never informed about.� Are they allowed to do this?

Apparently the school can do this on the sly, it's considered 'bad practice', you could complain to the headteacher or the governing body or even the LEA but I don't think it would get you anywhere. The school may have a verbal warning, but your complaint won't be addressed to your liking, this would leave you feeling very angry and upset. My son's first school did this to my son, we found out by accident that Daniel was on the SEN register. We complained through procedure, right up to the National Assembly for Wales, but no-one wanted to know.

I'm thinking about writing a letter about it to the LEA.

Loulou, I think you'll have so much to do with modifying the proposed/final Statement, you'll need all your energy to see to that matter - speaking from personal experience, my advice to you would be for you to forget about writing a comlaint letter to the LEA - it truly isn't worth the hassle and all the upset, because if you're anything like me, you'd fight it to the very end and won't leave the matter rest; something like this can take over your life. An issue like this can rapidly grow out of all proportion.

 

If you feel that you want to pursue a complaint, do it after you've sorted out the proposed and final Statement. At least then, you'll have a clear head to confront the LEA.

 

You could write to the school if you want, to inform the school of how annoyed you are etc, at not being informed that your son was on the SEN register, you could copy the letter to the LEA - this information would be recorded in your son's LEA sen file.

Edited by Helen

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It seems that most of the Special Educational Provision (part 3) is copied from the report from the ed.psych.  Is this normal?

Sorry Loulou,

 

I forgot to answer that point - yes some information from the EPs report can be duplicated into part 3 of the Statement, the EPs report provides the basis for how the LEA intends to meet your son's needs. Part 3 should include objectives on how the authority intends to meet your son's Special Educational Needs. It should also include specified and quantified provision to meet the needs and objectives, along with any action plans/strategies.

Edited by Helen

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Hi everyone,

 

 

 

How can a child with ADHD/AS be expected to "learn" these things?  It's the environment my son was in and the way the school have handled/treated him that have contributed to most of his "bad" behaviours in the first place.

I feel that these comments are totally ignorant to the fact that my son has a neurological condition that prevents him acting and responding like a "normal" child.

Hope I got the quote bit right or this will make no sense at all.

What you wrote echos my sentiments perfectly.

I read somewhere earlier today that ASD/As is one of the worst disabilities, as it unseen and misunderstood.

You have my sincere sympathy >:D<<'> It makes me furious :angry:

When will people stop being ostriches. Surely these 'professionals' have an obligation, to keep up to date, with teaching methods for these children.

I happy that your son will not be in mainstream school

Good luck

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What was written by your sons old Head Teacher was all about him being made to 'fit in' with that school :angry: It was never about what your son actually needed :(

 

IPSEA would be a really good starting point for asking questions about the Statement.

 

Dylansplace said

I read somewhere earlier today that ASD/As is one of the worst disabilities, as it unseen and misunderstood.

 

 

Can I ask you where this was please? As I would love to read it as it may be something we could use when we next go to see Lord Filkin - Minister for SEN

 

thanks

 

Carole

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It is on www.autismeurope.arc.be/english/frame.htm

I think thats right. Then go to what is autism ?

However Ive just checked & would you believe it, today of all days they are revamping their site and this isn't on it. So I've retrieved it from my history files and glued it below. Their new site is www.autismeurope.org.

The stats that they quote, as hubby points out, are based on dx'd individuals !!

 

 

 

Autism is perhaps the worst of all disabilities, it is not seen, it is not noticed, it is not understood.

Today, autism is considered to be a pervasive developmental disorder of the brain functions (definition of DSM-IV and ICD-10) which prevents a person from organising and understanding information transmitted by their senses. It can cause a person to withdraw into ownself and can affect social interactions with the outside world dramatically. The main symptoms of autism are :

 

Deficits in social reciprocal interaction

Deficits in verbal and non verbal communication and imagination

Limited range of activities and interests

Autism is a serious disability. Although autism was once believed to be rare, clinical studies have now demonstrated that the prevalence of full, classical autism is 4-5/10.000 and there may be up to 10-20/10.000 people who exhibit many of the symptoms and so could be included within the " autism-continuum ". Autism is sometimes combined with other disabilities such as Down syndrom, epilepsy, Rett syndrom or tuberous sclerosis. Even today, due to lack of proper diagnosis and services, many people with autism do not receive adequate care.

 

Experience has demonstrated that the best treatment for people with autism is early and specialised education which aims at making the environment more accessible to the person with autism and addresses the specific deficits of each individual.

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You must be spitting! I agree with Carole. When I first read the list I thought - hang on these aren't about hisneeds - these are about him not being a hindrance or annoyance to others. Surely not the point?

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I would be fuming to. Why didn't the school let you know of his behaviour. I've never understood why some teachers don't mention it. It must be so hurtful reading these things said about your son. I can imagine these things being said about my ds. He could do the exact same things when he is stressed and not coping.

 

pim

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Hi - I realise I'm in the minority here, and this may offend some people, but all in all I don't consider the list of objectives to be such a bad one. Now before you all load your shotguns and look to see if my profile has an address on it, I'll say that I agree wholeheartedly that the school are looking at their needs too -but are the two thing necessarily mutually exclusive? And would these objectives be out of place in a special ed unit?

What I would say, is that the list of objectives is no good without a workable plan of action, and that the 'expectations', should be tailored to realistic targets for the child concerned. The issue of 'blame' should NEVER be raised (at least, not in regard to the child - what the school lays itself open for in the way of criticism is another thing entirely!).

The school does seem to be guilty of insensitivity, and the problems are, undoubtedly, badly recorded and reported - but it does seem to me they are real problems, and they would be in any educational environment. If the school was ignoring or not recording these issues they would be failing in their duty of care; the issue isn't in responding to the 'challenge', it's in the appropriateness of that response...

One thing that really did put my back up was the statement that he appeared an 'unhappy child'. If I was told that, I'd want them to qualify it, and I'd also be asking what measures had been taken to investigate and respond to it.

As far as the SEN registration goes, it was wholly inappropriate for them to do this without consultation, but having heard so many stories where parents are desperate for schools to support their applications, I would point out the flipside to this particular point...

I really am sorry if any of this has offended, loulou, and I hope you'll appreciate that I certainly am NOT in favour of 'normalisation'. The fact that our kids are forced repeatedly to play by NT rules is nothing short of discriminatory, but I do feel that their opportunities are expanded hugely if they are supported in acquiring skills that can help them to meet 'us' halfway. Viewed in that perspective, none of the scools objectives are unreasonable, provided that they recognise that achievements should be measured in terms of the individual potential, rather than against some unrealistic NT medical model.

 

L&P

BD :)

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Hi baddad,

 

No offence taken, i see where you are coming from. What made me angry, was that the school only seemed to address their needs, not my son's. I have many issues with the Head anyway, and reading her comments has tipped me over the edge!

 

Unfortunately, the school seems to be one where all the children are expected to be "sheep".

 

Another autistic boy who was in my son's class has already been "pushed" out of the school as a result of parent's complaints about him.

 

The issue with my boy being unhappy is really bothering me too. I knew he was unhappy at school from the start. He just didn't fit in. When i brought it up with the Head, she asked me whether we had any "family problems", to which i said "No!". God, was i offended!

 

When he began school refusing, I spoke to her again and voiced my concerns. Her answer was that i was too soft on him! What?

 

At a professionals meeting a few months ago, his class teacher said how she had been worried about his self esteem (she was referring to a period 6-12 months previously). I don't undurstand why they didn't voice these concerns to me at the time. They only told me of the "bad" things he did. :wallbash::wallbash:

 

I now believe that my son has been damaged by this whole experience. Had something been done sooner, things may not have become as bad as they are for him. That's heartbreaking for me.

 

Anyway, I've finished sla**ing her off now. It just makes me so angry.

 

Thanks everyone for your brilliant replies,

 

Loulou x

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Thanks for that LOULOU; relieved to hear it!

Underlying everything I said above, I'm sorry to hear this whole things been so hard on your littlun...

I spend as much time telling my son's 'school' that they can't expect him to play by their rules constantly as I do supporting him to play by their rules! It really is a catch 22, and hardest of all is that every gain made leads to the goalposts being moved on him. I still put a lot of faith in Donna William's words, though, that helping our kids to reach their full potential is a 'war of love', and like all wars, both sides collect their battle scars along the way...

Hope things are calmer for both of you very soon.

L&P

BD

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HI LOULOU,

 

I know exactly how you feel, when I read the report on my dd her teacher had said, "She is a rude and ignorant child, and refused to acknoledge she was being spoken to let alone answer her.

 

When I spoke to the teacher to tell her about dd's Dx she said, "well that would explain a lot."

 

After a subsequent ofsted inspection the teacher was "let go" up to that point my dd had to put up with her teaching her. I think your son has had a lucky escape and is well out of there.

 

Viper

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Loulou

 

I'm sorry things have been so difficult for you. It makes me angry when I discover that people have not been communicating with me about my son's problems - I always tell them they're compounding his communication problems by not communicating effectively themselves.

 

I fear that parents can sometimes be seen as the enemy and make it very clear to all my son's teachers that I need to be kept fully informed as to my son's schooling in order that we can all work TOGETHER - not only for his benefit but theirs as well. Intervention early on can make a world of difference.

 

The downside is that you do get to hear things that are sometimes exceptionally hurtful - but I think your post demonstrates how much worse it is to discover problems when it's too late to do anything about it.

 

How can our children be expected to cope when we don't communicate properly?

 

I hope things go better for you in the future.

 

Barefoot

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Lou lou - I was interested in your comment about being asked by your son's school whether there were problems at home - I think this is a common assumption - lots of professionals seem to think it's all our fault! We're fortunate in that school think we are supportive and do realise that its not us but I've had it asked by the Ed Psych. (how do you deal with her at home etc etc). He arranged for a Behaviour Support Team family worker to come and see me who told me I was doing all the right things and she hadn't got anything to suggest and discharged me very quickly.

 

Just count yourself lucky that your son is out of that school and is going somewhere where hopefully his needs will be met. As other people have suggested, I don't think you should get bogged down in complaining but may be one letter wouldn't hurt. You want to concentrate on your son's future now!

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Hi Sylvm,

 

I too had the behaviour support worker at my house. She said the same thing to me. She also said how impressed she was at how well i was handling everything. Everything she suggested, i'd tried already, so she wasn't much help but was very supportive.

 

I'm sure the Head thinks all parents of children with behavioural problems are to blame. I'm also a single parent and i think she was prejudiced about this (it's a very strict catholic school). She spoke to me like an idiot, so i reminded her that i was a professional person with a degree! That soon shut her up!

 

Once i get my son settled into his new school, i am going to write to the LEA, because i think the Head should not get away with how she has acted toward my son (and other children). I don't want this sort of thing to happen to other children.

 

Loulou x

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Thanks Nellie,

 

I'll scower through those later. I've decided not to sign to say i agree to the statement. I don't totally disagree with it, but i'm not entirely happy about it either.

 

I've asked for a meeting to discuss it with the Named Officer. I want it to be as good as it can for my son's sake.

 

Loulou x

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Loulou,

 

Good luck with working through your son's statement and I hope you manage to sort out the worries you have. I can understand your frustration with the previous school, and this "blame the parents attitude", it's something I have come across too.

 

At least your son has the chance of a new start now.

 

K

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LouLou

 

One thing that is worth doing is to go through the statement line by line and change the language used within it.

 

The aim is to find and destroy statements like "Where possible the school will aim to" and replace them with positive statement s like "The school will provide", you also need to be very wary of phrses like "where appropriate" and "will consider".

 

This is going to sound paranoid, but somebody, somewhere is going to try and twist the words in the statement to minimise what is actully provided, so a couple of hours spent thinking defensively will save a lot of heartache in future.

 

To give a real-life example in one statement I know off, exta money was allocated to the school to meet the childs needs, everyone had assumed that this would be in the form of a 1:1 support. Before the LEA intervened, the headmaster had actually got as far as placing the order for the additional playground equipment because he had reached a judgement that a 1:1 support for the child was not needed, so the money would be better spent elsewhere. This was all beacuse the extra provisoon had not specifically been earmarked in the statement.

 

You should also have your statement read bysomeone who is used to reading statements, e.g. someone from a local support group or another parent who has been in the system for longer. They will quickly latch on to things you may have missed.

 

Finally, you may wish to consider writing now to ask for more time for comments, otherwise you may find the statement has been finalised before you have been able to react, it's surprising how quickly the two weeks go by.

 

Simon

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Loulou,

 

If you give IPSEA a call they'd probably ask for a photocopy and someone would go through the statement for you. I wish I'd done this with Jack's proposed statement, I read all up on it and went through it, had a meeting with the LEA and asked them to change bits but it's still quite vague in places. I'll definitely asking IPSEA to have a look when he has his review.

 

Lisa

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