shaky start!!

[bonbons]

Hi......After much anxiety, September arrived and a new term back at school. My daughter is currently being assessed for aspergers ( has traits), with the ADOS coming up on October 5th. Her school have taken many positive steps to help her get through the next crucial 2 years e.g reduced timetable, support teachers placed in lessons known to cause her anxiety ( leading to agressive outbursts), and regular sessions with a member of staff from a SEN background, dedicated to working on her anxiety/anger issues etc they really can't do more!! However, she has been back almost 2 weeks and has already recieved 2 exclusions for 'kicking off', although it must be said, not as severely as she has done in the past, and she has taken positive steps to return to class after absconding where before she would have just gone missing completely for hours!She has so far made little progress in starting her coursework, and the staff have so far taken a soflty softly approach to this, but she will be so far behind if she doesn't co-operate soon, and have said current difficulties stem from the gentle persuasion to move her on with this! She has taken art as one of her options as she has a real talent for it, but when asked to research 'structures', flatly refuses as she claims to have been misled into thinking that she could just create whatever she wants ( which really means her current obsession!!!)She is very controlling and when she finds that she can't have her own way or manipulate the situation, thats when she explodes!I get phone calls all day long and dread the phone ringing, especially when I am at work. I have another meeting with the school tomorrow which I am not looking forward to!

It has been decided to push for a statement for her. Can you tell me what this will mean to her and us? It was explained that it would give us more freedom to find a school more geared to kids with her kinds of difficulties and that makes me think that they are getting to the point where they they can no longer cope with her! She would be devistated to have to leave!! also, she has complained for a very long time of not being able to sleep which must be contributing to her behaviour, but am reluctant for her to become dependant on sedatives and so haven't yet mentioned it to her g.p or to CAMHS! what would you advise?

She has written a very nice letter of apology to the school with a promise to get on with her work, for me to take to the meeting tomorrow however, if the past is anything to go by, she has promised many things, many times and never seems to learn from her mistakes.....just makes the same ones over and over again!! Really worried about what will happen next!!!

 

Beverley, Cheshire

[Karen A]

Hi bonbons.

As the meeting must be today I gather I will have a go at coming up with a few ideas.

 

I think it may well be worth requesting a Statutory Assessment for a Statement yourself or supporting the school in writing to request an urgent assessment.Very briefly a Statutory Assessment is conducted by the LA.It involves requesting information from all professionals involved regarding what SEN a child has.After Statutory Assessment the LA may issue a Statement of SEN which is a legal document which states exactly what a child needs and what specifically must be done to support those needs.

 

It is good that school do appear to be putting a lot of provision in place but may be worth ensuring that your daughter is on the SEN register and detailed records are being kept for evidence towards Statutary Assessment.

 

It is all very complicated when you are new to the process.In the vast majority of cases school have to show that they have done as much as possible before the LA agree to Statutory Assessment.

However within the Code of Practice for SEN there are specific exceptions.These include where a pupil has returned from hospital and requires urgent input,where a pupil has very complex needs and where a pupil with SEN is known to be at risk of exclusion.

I am aware that as your daughter has been an inpatient in a psychiatric unit and has had intensive input and may also have AS.

So I would think that she may well fit the criteria for urgent Statutory Assessment on all counts.Even more so if she is considered at risk of absconding and has a documented recognised history of self-harm or has recently been considered at risk of self-harm and this is documented.

If you apply for a Statutory Assessment the worst that could happen is that the first request could be turned down but even then there is an option to appeal.

There are some excellent web sites and organisations that provide information and advice.I will post some links later that explain better than my brief summary.

 

If school think that they may not be able to manage with the level of SEN and Specialist Provision is likely to be needed then a Statement may well be needed which names a specific school.A Statutory Assessment would be required and then a draft Statement and finally agreement on the school to be named in the Final Statement.

A school with provision for complex mental health needs and possible AS in a case where a child is academically able may not be easy to find and it is likely to take some time for the LA to make decisions on whether to name it.

The process takes many months even when it is straightforward.

So I think it is worth starting sooner rather than later.

 

Have CAMHS provided school with any expert advice on supporting your daughter ?

I would hope the inpatient unit where your daughter received educational input while in hospital might have a link person.

They will have worked with your daughter very intensively and may have some really practical ideas of what works and what doesn't.

Another option is to see if the psychiatrist or whichever professional is supporting you can link with school.

I am not an expert on CAMHS inpatient provision and discharge but would hope follow up is organised and there is a care plan in place.

 

I think you need to talk to CAMHS about whether sedation might be an option or not.

After an inpatient stay and where your daughter has such complex mental health needs I think it is worth obtaining a CAMHS psychiatrists advice.It may well be beyond the scope of your GPS knowledge.

In any case if a professional is monitoring your daughter's mental health needs then not sleeping is something worth flagging up.It could be the result of other medication if your daughter is on if any and it is a factor in her mental health.

 

These are just a few ideas that might be helpful.

I should say that although there are some parents on the Forum who have teenagers with ASD and mental health needs there are not many where it could be thought that their children had complex mental health needs.It is a very specialist area.

 

As a family we have had support from Specialist psychotherapists within CAMHS and CAMHS psychiatrists.However I do not pretend to be an expert.

CAMHS services also vary from one area to another .

Karen.

Edited September 17, 2010 by Karen A

[Karen A]

http://www.autism.org.uk/Living-with-autism/Education/Primary-and-secondary-school/Extra-help-for-your-child-in-school/Extra-help-in-school-England-and-wales.aspx

 

This link includes lots of sections that might be useful.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/Apps/Content/html/?fid=54

this one too.

 

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice-about-education-for-parents/Special_Educational_Needs

and this one.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/What-you-need-to-know/Common-problems.aspx#RequestingAssessment

There is a draft letter to request a Statutary Assessment on this page.

 

IPSEA and ACE both offer individual telephone advice too.These charities both provide advice for all types of SEN.

 

NAS have an educational advice line too.However I am not sure whether they need a child to have an ASD diagnosisconfirmed.

Edited September 17, 2010 by Karen A

[bonbons]

oh Karen! The meeting was far worse than I expected!! Her school have decided after much debate, that they don't think that Daisy can cope with mainstream school and that they do not have the specialist help she needs, and so are looking to facilitate a managed transfer to a special education unit, hopefully in the local area!! I am devastated and so is she!! We had an almighty kick off when we told her the outcome....she didn't see it coming as usually, all she has to do is apologise and promise to try harder to follow the programme....her attempts at control of the situation have not worked this time. I am so worried about her future! Even if we could persuade her to give somewhere else a go....totally fresh start with staff who can hopefully help her to succeed and flourish,I worry about the effects such a move will have on her psychological well being.....trying to fit in....again, making new friends etc. A multi agency meeting has been called next week so things seem to be moving pretty fast. Have spoken to both Camhs and the educational unit she was with as an inpatient, both of whom will attend the meeting, and they both commented that it seems a harsh decision to make after only 2 weeks into the new programme...I will look at pushing for a statement for her from our end, as you have suggested, as someone else somewhere along the way has said the same thing!!.....uncertain times!

 

Beverley.

[Karen A]

oh Karen! The meeting was far worse than I expected!! Her school have decided after much debate, that they don't think that Daisy can cope with mainstream school and that they do not have the specialist help she needs, and so are looking to facilitate a managed transfer to a special education unit, hopefully in the local area!! I am devastated and so is she!! We had an almighty kick off when we told her the outcome....she didn't see it coming as usually, all she has to do is apologise and promise to try harder to follow the programme....her attempts at control of the situation have not worked this time. I am so worried about her future! Even if we could persuade her to give somewhere else a go....totally fresh start with staff who can hopefully help her to succeed and flourish,I worry about the effects such a move will have on her psychological well being.....trying to fit in....again, making new friends etc. A multi agency meeting has been called next week so things seem to be moving pretty fast. Have spoken to both Camhs and the educational unit she was with as an inpatient, both of whom will attend the meeting, and they both commented that it seems a harsh decision to make after only 2 weeks into the new programme...I will look at pushing for a statement for her from our end, as you have suggested, as someone else somewhere along the way has said the same thing!!.....uncertain times!

 

Beverley.

 

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So sorry that is really tough for both of you.

I do not know a lot about managed transfers.However from my basic knowledge it is an agreed move between the same sort of provision in the same local authority.

I am surprised that a transfer to Specialist Provision could be arranged without a Statement as in most areas a Statement is needed.

However I think it is worth requesting a Statutary Assessment.This would help to establish exactly what sort of provision would be most apppropriate.If you obtain a Statement then you would be able to request that a specific school be named on the Statement.You would have to demonstrate that that school was the only one that can meet your daughter's SEN .However this would be a be preferable option in my opinion to a managed transfer.

 

If school really think that they cannot meet your daughter's needs and this is why they are pushing for a managed transfer they really should be requesting a Statutary Assessment.

 

CAMHS can also request a Statutary Assessment if school are reluctant.

Karen.

Edited September 17, 2010 by Karen A