Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
minerva

Anyone got some free time......

Recommended Posts

to help me out writing a letter?

 

My son has been attending the same school for 3 years now. When we moved to another LEA area the new LEA decided he could share a taxi although he had originally had his own taxi.

 

This caused a great deal of anxiety & problems especially since he was already struggling at school at the time and him and the other boy didnt get along.

 

At an annual meeting (2008) transport was brought up and it was decided that he would have his own taxi but the LEA representative stated that it would have to be reviewed at a later date.

 

We havent heard anything since and he has had his own taxi. He was also staying late every Monday and Wednesday evening for extra curricular activities.

 

After half term he went back to school and was sharing with another pupil. No notice was given regarding this he just got in the taxi and someone else was there.

 

Initially my son wasnt too bothered about it although I knew it wouldnt last long. Since he has been sharing he has had to stop his extra curricular activities, he gets shouted at if he isnt in the taxi straight away because someone else is waiting and if any changes need to be made they cant!

 

Today things have come to ahead, apparently the school were trying to get the LEA to agree to allow him to stay as he would have done preiously but all the LEA said is that "if the other boy wants to stay we can change the taxi, otherwise no." After this my son actually had the other boy up by his throat. Apparently it was a "play fight" but I know it wouldnt have happened if the transport wasnt causing him agitation and I am really concerned about it escalating. Which I know it will!!

 

I spoke to the transport services today and said that as far as I am concered my son was always supposed to have his own taxi until such time as it was agreed otherwise and that he will not be returning to school until things have been sorted out.

 

They have told me to put my concerns in writing.

 

Now I know what I want to say but when emotionally involved in something I find it very hard to get down on paper so to speak and am wondering if anyone would be able to take some time to help me out?

 

:tearful:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
to help me out writing a letter?

 

My son has been attending the same school for 3 years now. When we moved to another LEA area the new LEA decided he could share a taxi although he had originally had his own taxi.

 

This caused a great deal of anxiety & problems especially since he was already struggling at school at the time and him and the other boy didnt get along.

 

At an annual meeting (2008) transport was brought up and it was decided that he would have his own taxi but the LEA representative stated that it would have to be reviewed at a later date.

 

We havent heard anything since and he has had his own taxi. He was also staying late every Monday and Wednesday evening for extra curricular activities.

 

After half term he went back to school and was sharing with another pupil. No notice was given regarding this he just got in the taxi and someone else was there.

 

Initially my son wasnt too bothered about it although I knew it wouldnt last long. Since he has been sharing he has had to stop his extra curricular activities, he gets shouted at if he isnt in the taxi straight away because someone else is waiting and if any changes need to be made they cant!

 

Today things have come to ahead, apparently the school were trying to get the LEA to agree to allow him to stay as he would have done preiously but all the LEA said is that "if the other boy wants to stay we can change the taxi, otherwise no." After this my son actually had the other boy up by his throat. Apparently it was a "play fight" but I know it wouldnt have happened if the transport wasnt causing him agitation and I am really concerned about it escalating. Which I know it will!!

 

I spoke to the transport services today and said that as far as I am concered my son was always supposed to have his own taxi until such time as it was agreed otherwise and that he will not be returning to school until things have been sorted out.

 

They have told me to put my concerns in writing.

 

Now I know what I want to say but when emotionally involved in something I find it very hard to get down on paper so to speak and am wondering if anyone would be able to take some time to help me out?

 

:tearful:

 

Hi, PM me if you still need some help

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does it say on his Statement that he should have a taxi to himself?

Is it in the Annual Review notes that he is to have a taxi to himself?

If not this is just the LEA trying to use their resources more effectively.

If you keep your child out of school you are acting illegally and could get into trouble for refusing to send him into school. It is better to send him in, let him not cope. Write a letter of complaint to the LEA. Ask the school to support you (as it seems they have agreed with you) and ask them to put in writing that they feel he needs to travel alone.

Also contact IPSEA.org and ACE-ed.org for information and advice.

 

My son now travels with 4 in the car. With the latest edition he regressed to having to wear headphones. Now he appears to have got over it and is coping. However one of the other children isn't and often they have to take him home first and then return and collect the other kids. This means my son is arriving home over an hour after school finishes. I am monitoring it, but shall complain if this is not resolved soon.

 

You could also see if you could speak with the other mother. Her child also has SEN. She too could complain that she is not happy for her son to travel in a taxi with your child if he is becoming so anxious and aggitated that he is fighting with him.

 

You could also go back to the paediatrician that diagnosed him and see if she can put something in writing.

 

You could also contact your local council's disability discrimination person and see if 'travelling by himself' would be considered a 'reasonable adjustment' for a child that cannot cope. However, you must also consider that at some time he does need to learn some skills in this area. So this might also be a good opportunity to ask for the EP to be involved, and for social skills and life skills etc. If you take the approach that 'now he is not coping, but I want the school/outside professionals to work with him so that he can achieve this', then the cynical me says you will probably get a taxi on his own rather than them having to actually work with him so that he copes better.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Hi , it is in the rules somewhere that "transport should be non stressful", i'm not actually sure where, but i agree with Sally if the other parent complains as well you might get somewhere, but it seems to me that it is causing your son extra stress, plus he is losing out on valuable social experiences, would it not be possible for you to collect him yourself on the nights he stays late? If you could it would be well worth it, i am only asking and understand it's not always that easy as i wouldn't be able to do that myself , but could be worth thinking about, as long as hge then doesn't lose the taxi at other tiems.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My son has always shared a taxi in the 4 yrs he has been at high school.It has varied from four , to two other kids travelling. He has a travelling time of anywhere between an hour and an hour and a half, there and back.If he has an after school activity , it is down to me to pick him up.I think what you are expecting could be over and above what the LEA are obliged to give or do.Unless it is specifically stated in his statement .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Bensmum, I cant collect him myself as the activity doesnt finish until 9 and he's almost an hour away. I have another child aged 8 and it is only me with them at home so I couldnt leave him in bed to collect Cameron. :tearful:

 

Suze if he had already shared a taxi it wouldnt be as stressful, he would have known all along what was going to happen and had a chance to adjust to it. In his previous school there was a minibus that collected about 7 of them (with an escort though) It does state in his statement that he cannot cope with change and needs as much notice and explanation as possible if anything is to change. After 4 years of attending the same school in a taxi alone they decide during his GCSE's to just put another boy in the taxi and take away his extra curricular activities (which are his motivation to even go to class!)

 

Sally, my son is unfortunately on his final warning with the police because when he gets stressed out he is VERY violent. In December he almost killed me. If he was sharing a taxi with your son would you still think it best for me to have just let him go in the taxi stressed out? It isnt just my child i'm concerned about here. I have no way of contacting the other parent. The school wont give out those details and he is new in the school so i've not met her.

 

I understand the legalities of it all and wish I hadnt had to keep him home. But no court would have fined me for keeping 2 boys safe. He is back at school now since I took him myself for a week and then managed to convince him that I will continue to fight them but he needs to stay strong. But he knows that all he has to do is kick off in the taxi and they will have to give him his own! I am trying really hard to show him that violence isnt the way to deal with situations and the LEA are basically teaching him it is!

 

In the mean time he is so stressed out by the time he gets there that he is no longer attending classes!

 

The LEA are responsible for his education and their actions are failing him.

 

Our Social Worker has written expressing her concerns, his Psychiatrist has also written, I have written to our MP and forwarded the complaint to the Local Gov't Ombudsman but we are yet to get an answer.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi minerva, i undertand completely that you can't go yourself it was just an idea, My son suffers from extreme anxiety, luckily he isn't violent apart from 2 incidents when they forced him back into mainstream last year and he couldn't cope, they are now trying to force him back in to a different mainstream but that's another story, i've also been down the route of complaining to all these people, waste of time in my opinion, the MP told me to co operate with the LEA and the LGO still hasn't dealt with my case and it's 12 months in May!! I kept my son off until he got help and was threatened with child protection proceedings and he din't have a statement then, so be very careful, he still didn't get any help!! I think maybe the psychologist could be the most to help you, your son needs these extra curricular activities as well by the sound of things. In my case, i sent a note to the other childs' mum , i gave it to him in the taxi and said put it in your bag and give it your mum, you could just ask for her phone number , not write anything else down, then ring her and explain. Maybe the taxi driver would pass on a note to her, some of them are great in that respect, just some ideas of the top of my head really , you must be really worried, but i would definately try to contact the other parent that would be the quickest way, if she objected too. ring ipsea or Ace for advice theya re veyr good.As i said before transport must be non stressful, these advice lines will tell you where oyu can find that rule , it may be in the sen code of practice which you can find on the internet. x

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...