Conflicting report by same person

[LS2242]

Had a few weeks ago the report from the EP after a Multiple Agency meeting. The report said that they would introduce social stories at school and give us patents training in how to do them and with effectiveness! Great i thought, until our training session was cancelled. However this morning I received another report from the same person about the SAME meeting saying basically school to THINK about doing social stories and basically for my son to be left to manage as he is doing ok academically. These are two conflicting reports. My understanding was that of the first report and that ss would be introduced regarding change of routine. I have SALT now coming in to do more assessments but that is only because I have been a pain in the bum really, and insisted on it. After half hour with my son she has already noticed bits and pieces and is coming in again tomorrow to look into things deeper and speak with teachers.

Question is how do I deal with thes conflicting reports? Do I write and bring it to their attention?

[Sally44]

As the SALT is also going in it might be worth waiting for their results as well before you get in touch with the EP, as any difficulties they find will strengthen your case.

Have you given a letter of your concerns to the SALT and asking for social communication to be assessed as well as things like inference, comprehension, literal interpretation of language, giving narratives, expressive and receptive language, following instructions. And give any examples of difficulties you have seen ie. difficulties putting a sentence together, difficulties with word finding, difficulty understanding the meaning of words, problems with pronouns or verb tenses, difficulties understanding the concept of time, incorrect articulation etc.

 

Whilst you still remember, what was it that triggered the EP recommending social stories. Was it difficulties with transitions or stopping/starting something? Whatever that difficulty is, I presume it is still there. Then phone the EP and ask them to explain why their first report said he "would" need SS and their latest report says school should "think about". She may well reply that it is to allow the school some "flexibility". But the CoP (in relation to Statements) says that flexibility should be for the benefit of the child and not the benefit of the school or system. So if he needs SS that is what he should get.

 

School may have problems with delivering this in terms of staffing provision. Speak to his class teacher about Social Stories.

 

I seem to remember that he is on SA or SA+. The only way to get this provision legally binding is to get a Statement and get Social Stories in the Statement as something that "must" be used.

 

If he has IEPs another way of highlighting this difficulty would be to ask for a target such as "For XXXX to cope better with transitions" (or whatever the difficulty was that needed SS). IEPs have to be SMART so they would have to detail "how" they would help him to cope better. If they don't use Social Stories I presume that he will not achieve that target. Which is what you want as evidence that he does need SS. So when he fails the first target suggest that SS are used "as recommended by the EP in their report". And see what happens.

 

I would also recommend taking the Parent Partnership with you to IEP meetings. You have a right to suggest targets, and I would suggest you start recommending targets in his areas of difficulty. That is what IEPs are for. They are not to detail how well he is doing academically! They are to address the very needs and difficulties that caused him to be on SA+.

 

Any conversation you have with the EP, or anyone else, always send in a clarification letter afterwards about what was discussed and what was agreed. Again that is your written evidence.

[call me jaded]

I would say wait too. What might happen is that the person withdraws the earlier report which wouldn't be helpful to you. Keeping both reports 'live' and in the system is better for you at the moment.