Advice re appealing for statement???

[sarah2003]

Hi,

 

I am after some advice please-I am new to this site although have read allot of the topics which are very useful.

 

Basically my daughter in Yr 4 is really struggling both with the school work but more so emotionally and behaviour wise. Not a day goes by when she doesn't come home from school sobbing her eyes out-that children call her weird, she has no friends, hates school, her teacher picks on her etc etc-this is REALLY affecting her to the point where she is just so unhappy and is taking it out on us when she gets home. I have several talks with her SENCO about this but all I get told is that they don't see any issues at school and wander if she is just manipulating us???????????????????????????

Sorry but we know our daughter and know that she is very very unhappy-has started bed wetting, having nightmares-begs us to change her school, home ed her.

 

She has always struggled with friendships-has never had a best friend, falls out with children very easily-no matter what their age-she will pick arguements with 2yr olds not realising it's not appropriate.

 

She is an adopted child-been with us since 1yrs of age.

 

She has been under CAHMS for 2yrs and had several assessments all which show she has issues-dysleia, dyspraia, traits of ASD.

 

I have recently applied for a statement of Ed Needs for her and although I sent in alot of evidence from all reports etc-but it has got turned down and we are going to meet with the SN officer from the LEA on 6th April to discuss the refusal but obviously we also want to appeal this.

 

I have been in contact with 3 Ed Psychs today and non of them are available to carry out a private assessment before Aug.

 

Where do we go from here-how do we appeal-do we just send the same info we sent in to LEA ?

 

Also where do we stand at school? Who do we talk to about dd being so unhappy?

 

Thanks so much,

S

x

[emmasmum]

Your daughter sounds alot like ours, who was finally diagnosed aged 14 (last year).

 

I'd suggest you look at IPSEA and ACE websites. Both have helplines, but you should expect to have to keep trying to get through.

 

You have two months to appeal the decision.

 

www.ipsea.org.uk

 

www.ace-ed.org.uk

 

Good luck!

[julie1]

your dd sounds very much like my oldest daughter, i could never understand why she would have to pick an argument with a baby. An example my 2 yearold (at the time) was pushing a pram around the zoo, she did not want to share it. my 10 year old (at the time) was angry at her little sister and went on and on about it to the point my 2 year old let her have a go and the 10 year old walked off happily. there was no shame. My oldest child was diagnoised later that year with social communication disorder, and a severve language disorder. She now has a statement and we went to tribunal and got her a place at the school we thought was best for her needs. We also had her school telling us there was no problem she was just copying her brother who has autism, they even went as far to tell me i was the problem. that knocked me a long way and i was worried incase they were right. this made me wait from year 3 to year5 to sort things out. You no your dd better than anyone. Just wondered does your dd go to any after school clubs maybe they could write a letter detailing how your dd is outside of school.

[Kathryn]

Hi

 

To start the process just download the appeal booklet from here (click on "How to appeal an SEN decision".)

 

http://www.sendist.gov.uk/FormsGuidance/index.htm

 

- fill in the form and send it off to the Tribunal along with the letter of the refusal from the LEA and copies of any evidence you've already got - this should include all the stuff that was sent to the LEA as part of the Statutory Assessment request, but can include more than that. You can send further evidence in now or later in the process if you want to.

 

 

Also look at IPSEA's self help guide for parents in this situation, it gives detailed guidance on the process and the law and advice about further evidence you might find useful and how to get this.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/AssetLibrary/Downl...sspack_v2.1.pdf

 

Any questions, do ask, lots of people have been through the process.

 

K x

Edited March 27, 2010 by Kathryn

[Sally44]

I'm not sure what the timescale is for lodging an appeal and entering later evidence. But just wanted to let you know that it doesn't have to be only professional reports. I submitted written letters from clubs my son had been to eg. football club (disaster!!). I also took him to private play therapy for 18 months. They were able to write a two page letter about how he intereacted (or rather didn't, or in a very rigid inflexible way) with adults and children. The trampoline coach wrote that he struggled to stay still and ran around instead of waiting in a line. That he needed an adult with him to keep him on task. That he sometimes appeared not to understand simple verbal instructions. That he could not do some sequential physical movements and that his overall performance was much lower than other children his age.

 

It is also worth knowing that many LEAs refuse an assessment to practically everyone just to weed out those parents who don't feel able to take it further. It isn't fair and it isn't easy. But if you take the mentality of the long distance runner and just keep on going, you will get something.

 

Is your daughter at a mainstream school? Do any of the teachers have any experience of ASD? If this school has no experience of ASD and seems unable to see her difficulties, then you need to make a choice. Either your daughter stays where she is and you push for the support and input to be better. Or you look for a more appropriate school that does understand her needs. Without a Statement that means you can only look at other mainstream schools. However some do have autism units attached to them, or are classed as enhanced resource for ASDs. Those schools SHOULD have much more expertise and experience and should pick up on your daughter's difficulties whilst you are in the Statementing process. So I would recommend visiting other schools as well. Ask your LEA for their list of maintained, independent and special schools. That will list each school and what their specialism is.

 

You can contact your LEA and ask to speak to the autism outreach teacher. I was told by school that my son needed a diagnosis BEFORE they would get involved. When I finally spoke to her, she said that was not true. So find out who they are and speak to them and ask them if they can see your child in school and speak with you because you think she has an ASD and that you are in the process of getting her assessed.

 

Also download the Code of Practice for SEN from this website. The SEN process is graduated. So a child is moved onto School Action and the School Action Plus. Look at those sections of the CoP. I believe it itemises the areas of difficulty a child might have eg. academic, emotional, behavioural, social etc.

[jollypig]

we have sucessfullly appealed our LEA. you have 3 months to appeal so ring the number on the refusal letter straight away and get the appeal forms on their way. i went to see the local parent partnership and they were a great help. do you have any additional info ? is there anyone who can supply extra reports ie doctors /therapists etc.

good luck.