Appeal

[seeking-sanity]

Hi everyone, havent posted for a while, been having a hard time with lea and with J.

Sent my appeal of for an assessment, spoke to the lea yesterday and was told by them that since april "a child with JUST aspergers and dyspraxia would not get a statement", I feel so fed up at the moment and that nobody is listening, going round in circles. At the moment J is having 2 hours a week home tuition(wow), he is very depressed and has become extremely angry with the world, I would like to eventually intergrate him back into school, but unless the right help is with him, he will be back in this position within 3 months for the lack of understanding. Ive been recommended by the salt to go another school as J will not get over being let down by his current school. The lea tell me every school has to give the child the help they need from their budget, but every school asks if J is funded!!

I dont know where to turn or what to do for the best for my little man, Js 10 and in year 5 and I know without good support he wont manage, cos they will think hes managing, until he reaches this point again.

The lea tell me it wont be until october at least for the hearing for the assessment, I have to have his name down at a high school by then as well.

I feel like Im letting J down hes a little boy who wants to learn but just cannot cope.

Any suggestions would be really appreiated.

[bid]

Hi

 

Have you contacted IPSEA? 0800 0184016.

 

I think your LEA may be acting illegally by saying no child with 'just' AS and Dyspraxia will get a Statement...under the law they are not allowed to have blanket policies.

 

Good luck.

 

Bid

[Hectorshouse]

Yep definitely get in touch with IPSEA, they are having parents approach them all time with LEA's trying this one, yes SEN funding has become more devolved, but they are not allowed to refuse a statement on those grounds, it infact actually means the opposite. IPSEA recently took Devon LEA to task for not agreeing to statements, do not let them bully you, get some advice and hang in there.

 

Have you been in touch with NAS? or the Disability Rights Council?

 

This is discrimination and is not in line with the DDA, Ed Act or the SEN & Disability Act. They are clearly operating outside of the legislative framework, and if they can get away with it they will, they do not expect parents to know or understand any of the legislation.

 

HHxx

[LKS]

Hi SS I'm quite new to this forum so I might not be as much help as some My son has whats called a high incidence statement, which he's had for 3 yerars he's in year 6 now. High incidence means for conditions that are more common such as Mild learning difficulties, Speech and language disorders, EBD ,Aspergers and a few others! Low incidence statements are for the less common disorders such as Severe learning disorders, Visual impairments, hearing impairments and language impairments. On My son's statement it says he will receive 15 hours of learning support assistance in addition to what he receives at school action plus. I have been told by my LEA that they will not be issuing statements for high incidence conditions anymore. (In fact they said that if we were going through the statementing process now my son would not be statemented) The funding for these low incidence pupils has already been allocated to the schools, but guess what the funding bears no relevance to the support these pupils need. Instead its based on some wacky formula regarding free school meals and average reading age of pupils. As you can imagine this will be an increased burden on schools and will probably make the taking of sen pupils even less popular But SS sorry if I've painted a negative picture, go for a statement IMO. Everyone in education will probably tell you you've got no chance but they are bound yo say that. I have been onto IPSEA as well they have been great, they know exactly which way to point you. Don't give up.

[LKS]

Whoops meant to say funding for high incidence statements has already been allocated

[mossgrove]

LKS

 

You should also contact IPSEA and asl them to investigate your LEA.

 

The legal position is quite clear that blanket statements are not allowed. Each child is a unique indivdual with unique needs and not simply a product of the diagnosis.

 

Simon

[mossgrove]

I may have been wrong with my lst statement, see:

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/caselaw.htm#Cumbria

 

Simon

[LKS]

Have spoken to IPSEA. they were very understanding but said it doesn't really matter where the funding for the statement comes from, as long as my son receives the hours as stated. I think there will be a great temptation for schools to lump together a lot of their sen pupils in order to cut costs. I just have visions of me for ever checking that the school are providing what they are supposed to. I thought that the funding for my son's statement would follow him to his next school. It doesn't seem quite right to me. I believe in Hackney they are proposing to protect funding for support written into all those statements in place as at 31/03/05. Another case I suppose of LEA's doing what they want.