Meeting ermm.... Success or not

[LS2242]

Had our meeting. Did not go quiet as I imagined. EP refused to do a cognitive assessment as the school had no concerns academically and no matter how much I protested and the CP protested she wouldn't have it. Visual timetables a no no. Doing social stories but for me to do at home rather than in school. School wise just talk to him on a one to one when going to be a big change to the timetable. Won't do social skills as he is not self aware that this area is a problem. As for homework that he can't do as he understands it in the class room basically get on with it. Feel quite deflated all in all. Not quite sure where to go from here. I asked in what instances would they do ss answer ws skated over. Asked about what I do in instances of school refusal and again skated over. Nothing was concrete in what the IEP would contain.

 

What do I do now - I feel lost and abandoned really

[call me jaded]

Interesting that the CP wanted a cognitive assessment too. Start with writing to the EP asking for reasons for the refusal.

[LS2242]

Trying to reply but pc keeps going funny. Will keep trying

[LS2242]

I asked this at the meeting and answer was and I quote "we only do assessments if the school have concerns academically, as none have been raised then we won't do it. It is upto the head how her budget is spent. It would take a full day and if nothing showed it would be a waste" I can understand this a little however I argued that he does in what I see of homework suffer academically. CP argued this also and said he can't tell the time, do fractions etc... Do thongs kids his age can. Also he argued he needed it for his dx anyway. Either way she said NO outright without consulting with the head about how she wanted to spend her budget.

 

To add the behaviour support person sat there and said let's not try and fix what is not broken - again I argued my son is broken ( please don't take that out of context, I mean lack of social skills etc and not in a nasty way) I said that just because he is passive does not mean he does not need support. If he was to react by throwing a chair round the room everytime he was stressed, anxious, didn't

understand etc...then you would be the first to do something and look at the underlying causes...

 

I honestly feel alone right now and don't know what to do next.

[Kazzen161]

I am presuming this is a primary school, in which case I find it hard to understand why they are so unwilling to help him. Would you consider changing schools, as with an attitude like that I can't see things getting any better. What does your CP suggest?

[LS2242]

He is in yr 4. It is not the school, they just want to be guided in the right direction. It is the EP who refused point blank. I have not spoken with CP since the meeting and am interested to hear his views, but that won't overturn there decision. I appreciate that there are other children within the school who may need EP input more than my son but the point still remains he needs some support but if they ate unwilling to assess what can I do. Maybe nothing. I got the vibe rather than prevent and teach him things let's wait until he breaks which is exactly what I dm aiming to avoid. Going to ring NAS and the CP in the morning and see what they suggest if anything.

 

In the mean time all I can do is carry on being the good mum I know deep down that I am.

 

Changing school is def an option I have been considering but will it change anything if the EP is unwilling

[justine1]

Hi

Kazzen is right.Although the EP has made the decision,if the school were backing you 100% they would have pushed harder.If the school want the tests etc carried out they will liase with the LEA,if they not happy with the EP's decision then they can request anothers opinion.

 

So in the end it does actually lie with the school.Not suggesting you take him out but maybe tell them that you are not happy and if they arent prepared to do anything you will be taking things furthur.

[LS2242]

Right ok, that I did not realise. I presumed because the head sat there all nice and quiet at this stage that it was out of her hands. Yet she portrayed all the way through she wants to help but does not know how. I just don't know what to do next and feel like giving up. I have not got enough knowledge. I have looked on NAS and could not find anything. To top it off we suddenly realised last night that in the corner of the room tucked around the corner from where I was sat was my son's teacher's wife. I totally forgot she was there and at one point I heard her say something and she left-the penny dropped I was saying how her husband made me feel like the over anxious mother rather than offering support. Whoops. That won't do alot for school relationships. I didn't say anything I would not say to his face but still a bit of a clanger!

 

If the EP says academically he is fine and so does the school. What basis have I got for them to do assessment. I say different because of what i see in homework. I

suspect he can learn it in one environment

but cant adapt it into another. The CP agreed with me also. I really thought out of anything he would have been given social skills support but he wasn't and that I find really difficult to take. Just because he is not self aware, does that mean he should not be taught a few things and helped put them into practice. It can still be done without raiding his suspicion if done correctly.

 

Right ok, so what can I do.

[Sally44]

This is the response I was getting in the beginning.

My son was intially seen by the SALT and EP when school first raised concerns with me and he was moved onto SA+

The SALT did put together a programme (but at that stage had not assessed any social skills - and it took me around 3 years to find it it was their remit and to write to them and ask them to assess that area).

The EP did not put anything in writing to the school or me. Just verbal advice.

After that she had nothing to do with my son because the school did not seek her advice because they did not have concerns.

Even when he was years behind his peers, school still did not have concerns presumably because they just were happy with his low performance and thought that was typical???

 

Others are right. The EP cannot go into school unless the school has invited them. And school has a budget for EP time. So school decides who the EP sees.

 

What you can do.

 

You can look and see if your LEA has a primary school that also has an autism unit and has higher funding that typical mainstream school. See if it is a specialist speech and communication or ASD school. As you son does not have a Statement you might be able to move him to that school as another mainstream pupil. But you would be responsible for transport. At that school they should be more aware of difficulties and should start to get the EP involved or start the assessment process. BUT if they don't you don't need to wait. You can request an assessment even if no-one agrees with you.

 

You can ask the LEA to assess towards a Statement. Then the LEA has to ask the professionals, which would include the SALT and EP to go in and assess the child and produce written reports. If the LEA refuses to assess you can appeal that. If they assess and then refuse to produce a statement you can appeal that.

 

Even if you don't get a Statement, you will have up to date reports.

 

SEN and IEPs and Statements are not just about academic things.

But if you are finding he cannot do at home what they say he can do in school, then that might be generalisation problems. Or school may be doing things in a rote way that he can learn but can then not appy that information in other situations or environments. And really you do need an EP to assess this.

 

But what about his other needs?? What about social interaction, emotional regulation, any sensory issues, problems with handwriting etc.

 

Or you can pay privately for an EP or SALT to assess him. But that is really a last resort because if the CP is supporting you you might be able to get them to write a letter to that effect.

 

Look at the Code of Practice relevant section and start putting things in writing.