panicking over statment meeting/school made son write out lines

[sawjd]

Hello everyone,

 

We have a meeting to discuss the statement and its on the 27th. I have been told by IPSEA that i should ask for a complete statement and not have amendments attached.

 

Please correct me if i am wrong in anything i have been told or if there is anything i have left out. I would be extremely grateful if anyone could give any advice on how to handle this, my emotions are almost at boiling point after one conversation i have had today which i will come to later. Tried ringing IPSEA no joy i will try later.

 

I understand that anything in part 3 of the statement is what the LEA have to put in place. If its in part 6 they are not obliged to.

 

Some provision is in place. I want this put in part 3 that this is what is being met (how do i word things correctly aswell)as i and other people need to know where k has started from and that what may need to be changed. Can i ask for this to be done ?.

 

I can't see them objecting as it shows willingness on their part to help our k. It does need to be in the statement otherwise how can we move on if we don't know what was in place first. How can it be changed to improve for k.

 

Toileting is a problem and k is so reluctant to wipe himself and i have asked for one to one support for this and one to one support for him going on trips so going to the toilet should not be a problem. The SENCO (who says k does not need extra help in this area and one to one is a waste of valuble resources on him. He actually said 'does not see why k should have more help than other children'. How is it a waste trying to teach him to wipe himself, what he does sometimes at home, he needs help with at school. They (school) fail to understand that what a ASD child learns in one place does not transite to another without help.

 

The school are going through a period of change. The advisory teacher for autism has explained that she has been told (verbally) that every class will get a permanent TA, so at the moment k and other children do not have a someone permanently in class for them. It changes on a daily/weekly basis. No wonder k is getting confused.

 

The school failed there ofsted last year and its taking to long to enforce this change and in the meantime k is getting lost in all of it. The school should have things up and running by Sept. Seeing is beleiving.

 

I have been told to hold on and stay with this process for change. I am reluctant to move k again. Should i let him stay, things have not improved with communication with the school. The teachers don't tell me when events are coming up and k gets all anxious and tells me when its too late. The school give me the impression that he is pulling the wool over my eyes, and that he is some naughty school boy trying it on.

 

He had a flair up again of not wanting to go to school again today because of big writing and literacy and that no one is helping (this relates to not having a TA in class i suppose). Do we stick with this school as its been since last july that the school failed there ofsted and really things have little improved. What do we do ?.

 

The teacher k had, has just left due to family concerns and that was about two weeks ago. During this time ks behaviour has not been great and he has been made to WRITE OUT LINES for bad behaviour (he was made to write i must learn how to behave and managed nine lines). Do they STILL DO THIS ? i really thought this was done in my day. I am taking this piece of paperwork to the meeting to show the SENCO and shove this paper in his face and the school teacher when they say he behaves well and not bad at all. All i seem to be getting from the autism officer is 'well the school are improving and they really should do this and that.

 

She is going to give me (autism officer) a plan of action to take with me to the meeting (her plan) she is not able to attend and no one else is going with me (apart from OH other half) and because i am having trouble in printing things out on this computer she is going to give a copy to the SENCO to give to me. REALLY, this man and the school teacher have my phone number my email (k and one other child are the only two children in the school with statements, is it too much to ask to call and leave a message) and still fail to inform when of events changing. (ie sports day). She wants me to trust them with giving me communication.?

 

What to do now ?. Sorry for long winded post. JUST SO FED UP WITH NAGGING. You can see why i am almost at boling point. I need to be structed about this. Being dyspraxic is so xxxxxx annoying. Frigtened of getting muddled and looking an idiot.

 

best wishes

 

sarni

[Sally44]

Yes everything should be IN the Statement and not attached.

 

You want provision in part 3, not 6 [although medical diagnosis can be listed in part 6 the provision needs to be in part 3 for it to be legally binding on the LA].

 

You simply want all his needs in part 2, and provision to meet each of those needs in part 3. If they don't do that, they finalise the Statement and you appeal. It is very unlikely you will get a legally binding Statement without going to appeal.

 

Regarding toiletting issues, you need to get in writing, from a consultant, or the incontinence nurse, or any medical professional what his difficulties are and what he needs to support that difficulty. If you can't get the 'provision' or 'support' need to meet a child's incontinence needs in writing, then it is quite logical and the SEND Panel would ask questions of the attendees on the day of the Appeal for their recommendations, and that includes YOU as his mum.

 

But try to get things in writing. Write to the relevent professional who has seen your child and knows of their incontinence saying something like:

 

"We are in the process of getting a Statement of special educational needs for xxxxx. That requires that each and every need is detailed in part 2 of the Statement and provision is quantified and specified in terms of hours of support and staffing requirements to meet each and every need.

 

Could you please detail in writing HOW my son's incontinence should be supported in school as he is currently coming home soiled each day and, as you are aware, is permanently sore. He is unaware of his toiletting needs and does not appear to feel when he needs to use the toilet. He currently uses diapers, and they need to be checked at regular intervals to ensure he is clean and dry. If he is not, he needs an adult to clean him up. School are not currently agreeing to do this. This is making him very uncomfortable, and other children are commenting that the smells.

 

He also needs to be taught to be as independent as possible in this area, and therefore he requires referring to Occupational Therapy, for them to work with both home and school and how we can teach him to become more independent and also for the OT to provide a sensory integration therapy programme to improve his sensory processing.

 

Could you please confirm this in writing, along with any additiional reocmmendations or advice you have on this subject. Could you please refer xxxxx to the Community OT and also tell me how I can obtain free diapers for my son's incontinence."

 

You include that letter in your evidence, along with the reply you receive.

 

You can ask the SEND Panel to "word he Statement so that it is legally binding" as currently his needs are not being met, and provision does not quantify and specify how to meet each need, and the wording of the current Statement is vague and ambiguous."

 

Part of your argument is "the Statement should be a clear indication of need and the provision required to meet that need and produce progress. Currently the Statement is not clear on what is being provided, or how progress will be monitored."

 

You don't have to "work it all out yourself. It should already be in the reports and correspondence you have, which you submit as your evidence, and then you discuss it with he SEND Panel on he day, going through the Statement need by need.

 

You can even put in your appeal, that you need help from the Panel to word the Statement because you suffer from Dyspraxia, and are finding it very difficult to do yourself and are finding that the LA is being uncooperative.

 

Do you have a computer?

Do you have a copy of the Proposed or Current Statement on your computer?

 

What you will need to do [before any Appeal, but not necessarily right now], is to make your own "Working Document", which is the Statement as it stands, with your additions that you want added in parts 2 and 3 [in different typeface, so that you know they are your additions], and you annotate it all eg.

 

Part 2

Severe Semantic Pragmatic Speech Disorder [sALT report 1.6.12 pg 5]

 

part 3

xxxx will receive 15 hours per term of direct 1:1 speech therapy from a suitably qualified speech therapist. Each session will be observed by xxxxx's dedicated TA, who will carry out the SALT targets on a daily basis as detailed in xxxx's daily timetable. SALT targets will be incorporated into IEPs and outcomes will be monitored by the SALT on a termly basis. [sALT report 1.6.12 pg 15]

 

The SALT will laise with home and school and provide training to school staff, parents and TA. The SALT will dedicate 9 hours per term for administration including note taking, assessments, observations, training, laising, amending SALT programme and targets, contributing targets towards the IEP, attending IEPs and will produce an up to date report for the Annual Review [sALT report 1.6.12 pg 24].

 

There is an annotating tool on Microsoft. I don't know how to use it - maybe you can find how to use it on-line. But you will make notes of everything as above. So on he day of the Appeal, as you are going through the Working Document each amendment will be annotated and will have a number so that you all know what you are discussing on the day.

 

Many of the issues will be sorted and agreed BEFORE you get to the Appeal, and so you will work through those that are still outstanding.

 

Even if the LA agree to all your requests on the day of the Tribunal, still ask the Panel to go through the Statement and word it so that it is not vague or ambiguous. If they do that, and the LA do not comply with the Statement, you can seek Judicial Review. If the Statement is vague, you will find it hard to get them to comply with it because it is not clear what should be provided.

 

So no words like "access to, regular, as necessary, when appropriate, significantly more, frequent, additional, as required."

Edited June 22, 2012 by Sally44