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babnye1

IEP Review - Parent Partnership

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I have been pushing for a review of my son's IEP. He is presently on SA+.

 

He saw a SALT in October who confirmed some SCD but discharged because the local protocol is to do this and leave social skills/communication training to the school who have access to resources such as the Educational Psychologist, the SOCIT team (Autism Outreach) and the LA’s social communication ‘toolkit’. The teacher was not happy with the SALT’s suggestions describing my son as being ‘miles off SA Plus’ as he was doing ok academically.

 

I insisted on a meeting in November with SENCO (deputy head) and my son’s class teachers to discuss intervention. We had to ask whether they had put him on the SEN register and this was confirmed. An IEP was presented to us which was pretty feeble. We were told it had been drawn up for the meeting. We obtained a copy several weeks later which appeared to backdate it to September.

 

My son has received several social skills classes as a result, in a group, with a TA. I don’t know what they consisted of or whether they were tailored to his needs. I have now been told that there will be no more classes until the end of next term when they will help with transition to Yr 3.

 

School has also, so far, refused to provide any assistance in relation to handwriting problems caused by coordination difficulties despite a letter from the Consultant Paediatrician who is part of the ASD team confirming poor coordination. They said that they would wait for an Occupational Therapist to report.

 

In the meantime, the following has happened:

 

1. My son has been seen the head of the ASD team who indicated that she agreed that ASD was likely. She will see him in school in March

2. We are attending an Early Bird Plus course with school. It is clear that the school has no provision mapping for ASD and has not implemented the IDP on ASD

3. An occupational therapist has assessed my son and has concluded he has DCD and sensory problems. She has yet to finalise a report but has offered to attend his next IEP meeting

4. We saw BIBIC (a charity which assesses and offers strategies for children with autism, dyspraxia and brain injuries) in December. They confirmed working memory problems but high IQ

5. SENCO has refused to involve the Ed Psych as my son is doing ok academically

6. My son is currently on SA Plus (confirmed after I suggested that he should be) but receives no additional support.

7. One IEP goal was to undertake his morning routine independently. No strategies were provided for this. I draw up a visual timetable. School said they would use it. They have not so I have been helping every morning. Conscious of the fact that his IEP will be reviewed I told them I would withdraw my assistance and asked about the schedule. It has now appeared.

8. Reluctantly, they agreed to adopt the SALT’s recommendation of a home/school book. Teachers hardly ever write in it and it is not looked at unless my son remembers to hand it in

 

My questions are:

 

1. What next steps should I be striving for?

2. Should I take a Parent Partnership rep with me?

3. The Community Paediatrician has suggested a multi-agency meeting. Is this worth doing?

4. Should I ask for an Ed Psych report even if ASD assessment yet to be completed?

5. Does anyone know anything about the IDP on ASD and whether this should be implemented as a matter of course? SENCO says it adds nothing to doing the Early Bird Plus course

 

My son is happy enough and does not cause anyone any problems so I think it is difficult for school to see the problem but his abilities are being averaged out by his disabilities

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1. What next steps should I be striving for?

 

To get a decent (SMART) IEP set up.

 

2. Should I take a Parent Partnership rep with me?

 

If you feel you could do with some support.

 

3. The Community Paediatrician has suggested a multi-agency meeting. Is this worth doing?

 

I always think multi-agency meetings are a good idea - schools take much more notice of the "professionals" than of the parents, and it is good to have them all talking to each other.

 

4. Should I ask for an Ed Psych report even if ASD assessment yet to be completed?

 

If you are concerned that your child is underachieving, then it might be useful to have the EP do an IQ type test. You could then prove that he is underachieving - or possibly that he has particular areas of weakness that need support.

 

5. Does anyone know anything about the IDP on ASD and whether this should be implemented as a matter of course? SENCO says it adds nothing to doing the Early Bird Plus course

 

The IDP isn't implemented as such. It is described as being the minimum all staff should know about ASD. Staff working directly with your child should know more. The IDP gives lots of info about ASD and suggests some basic strategies that might work (you can look at the IDP yourself - just google IDP). We have had a brief look at it in our school, but there simply has not been the time for us to look at it fully. It is suggested that staff fill in the "test" sheet first to find out what they already know, and then find out more about the areas they know less about.

 

Make sure you read the SEN Code of Practise (dowloadable from the dcsf web-site) that explains SA, SA+ and SEN procedures.

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Thanks for your really helpful post. We had some standardised assessments undertaken by BIBIC before Christmas which looked at certain facets of IQ and placed my son on the 95th centile. One working memory test placed him on the 38th centile so the BIBIC therapists wrote a report indicating that this would be a problem for him. As a result of this, I asked senco whether we needed an EP and he said he wanted to see how the Early Bird Plus course impacted on his learning.

 

I take the view that the Early Bird Plus course is a generic intervention and will not provide an individualised assessment of a child's needs.

 

Do I think he is performing to the full extent of his abilities? If I ask myself would he be doing better without his problem areas, then the answer would be yes.

 

Am I right in thinking the IDP and the Early Bird Plus course have two different roles to play?

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I would involve the PP because they should have knowledge about getting SMART IEP targets. And they also know that being on SA+ is not just about academic ability.

You know his cognative ability. But with his difficulties is he able to access learning, and is he able to demonstrate and record learning? If not then those are areas for the school to involve the EP, and for those to be targets on the IEP. If he has an ASD then EP or SALT should be involved regarding social interaction, and SALT specifically with speech/language/social use of language etc.

Is there anyone suitably qualified to deal with this issues if SALT have discharged him? Ask school to put it in writing.

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I would involve the PP because they should have knowledge about getting SMART IEP targets. And they also know that being on SA+ is not just about academic ability.

You know his cognative ability. But with his difficulties is he able to access learning, and is he able to demonstrate and record learning? If not then those are areas for the school to involve the EP, and for those to be targets on the IEP. If he has an ASD then EP or SALT should be involved regarding social interaction, and SALT specifically with speech/language/social use of language etc.

Is there anyone suitably qualified to deal with this issues if SALT have discharged him? Ask school to put it in writing.

 

Thanks very much for your advice.

 

I have emailed school and asked if they are confident that they understand his needs and I have arranged for the OT to attend next week and the community paediatrician has also said she will arrange for someone with knowledge of ASD issues to attend in her place (as she can't be there).

 

I have told school that we need SMART targets with clear strategies to achieve them in small steps - and this will need support. I have said I believe, presently, the my son 'with SEN' is not accessing the curriculum in the same way as he would without SEN and that needs addressing.

 

School have muddled by because they think he looks ok and is averaging out but when they start withdrawing support, I think they are really taking the mickey!!

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I take the view that the Early Bird Plus course is a generic intervention and will not provide an individualised assessment of a child's needs.

 

Am I right in thinking the IDP and the Early Bird Plus course have two different roles to play?

 

I think IDP gives very general info/strategies for ASD, Early Bird gives more individualised info/strategies for a particular child with ASD. The EP would give strategies for cognitive difficulties (like working memory).

 

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I think IDP gives very general info/strategies for ASD, Early Bird gives more individualised info/strategies for a particular child with ASD. The EP would give strategies for cognitive difficulties (like working memory).

 

Thanks. I'm so cheesed off.

 

They have organised a meeting. I have got the OT to come. The community paediatrician says she will send someone. I'm going to see if Parent Partnership will attend too.

 

The IEP we have got is complete poo. Weaknesses - it says 'mumbles, lacks self esteem'. No mention of SCD or why there is an IEP. Targets include do morning routine independently - no strategy. And have adult conversation 10-15 minutes (measure of success (less handlicking/better eye contact).

 

This was handed to me at a meeting in November. I had chased to put this meeting in place. I had to ask if he was on the SEN register. I was told yes and handed the IEP. I asked when it had been drawn up and was told 'for the meeting'. The copy I have is dated October and has entries going back to September.

 

Now backdating it is not the end of the world - a lie yes - but so what?

 

I have just challenged them about keeping parents up to date and I get the Deputy (who is SENCO) telling me that handing out new IEPs at parents evenings is standard practice so they are sorry I am not happy with this. I had to drag them kicking and screaming to get and IEP!

 

He also tells me he is 'secure' in his knowledge of ASD as he worked in a school for autistic children. So why has he cut my son's social skills provision and not provided any assistance?

 

I'm so mad but trying to be constructive saying we need to set fresh, appropriate goals and use the attendance of experts to do this.I don't want the meeting next week to be wasted in a ######-for-tat 'you said x but did y' etc. This will be pointless. HELP!

 

 

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Mmm, just talked to teacher and it's all 'he's doing so well....' and about extra social skills groups - 'budgets are very tight'. Oh and 'thanks for the OT suggestions but we don't need them as we do all of that already'.

 

So I'm sure his handwriting and communication will all be better next week

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Mmm, just talked to teacher and it's all 'he's doing so well....' and about extra social skills groups - 'budgets are very tight'. Oh and 'thanks for the OT suggestions but we don't need them as we do all of that already'.

 

So I'm sure his handwriting and communication will all be better next week

 

You sound so much like me. I have no advise but just keep plodding on. Does your son have a Statement? My son got one last July and I am still going through the same issues that you are facing, they tell me he's fine and doing well then write in his IEP that his concentration is dependant on what is going on at home - so basically they have no part to play at all - apparently...

 

Good Luck.

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