Attempt at Media Pressure

[Aginoth]

Our local newspaper, The Weston Mercury (http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk) has picked up on our ongoing fight to get DS the education he needs.

 

There isn't a digital copy yet but I have scanned a copy in and uploaded it to Twitpic at http://twitpic.com/a474h5 where it is possible to zoom in to a readable size.

 

We are trying to get as much coverage as possible so would appreciate it if any of you with a Twitter Account could tweet the twitpic link (http://twitpic.com/a474h5) for us (pls add @aginoth) with suitable hashtags.

 

Full details of our ongoing attempts to get DS into the school he needs to be in are here on the Education Forum http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/27785-going-to-look-at-special-school-after-half-term/

 

 

Thank you all

 

[darkshine]

Hi, I don't have a twitter account but I just wanted to wish you luck.

[Sally44]

I don't know how useful a media campaign will be.

 

I contacted my MP some years ago, he wrote to the LA and they assured him that they were doing everything they could to meet his needs. And the MP just took them at their word!

 

And you may get a backlash about he cost of the independent school, £100,000pa is alot of money, and the general public do not know how SEN law works, which is basically what your case will depend on.

 

As your son is no longer being taught with any other pupils etc. And that was the 'verbal' advice of the EP, I would make sure that you get that in writing now by writing to the school and saying that:

 

"We have been advised that on the verbal advice of the LA EP that xxxxx is now being taught in isolation from all other pupils and staff, and is in school for xx hours per week. Can you please provide me with a timetable of what is being taught during those sessions, where he is being taught, and can you tell me if the teacher working with our son has an additional qualification for teaching children with autism on top of his teaching qualification."

 

Then write to the LA EP [if you haven't already] and ask for a copy of her report and give them a timescale within with to reply to both of those letters of 14 days.

 

Whatever they do you have to get it in writing. If you don't, and at the tribunal you say "our son was being taught in isolation", the LA may just deny it and you have no evidence that that was happening.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Sally44

[Sally44]

Also, about a month after you have lodged your appeal I recommend you do a Freedom of Information Act search. The LA and their various departments will be discussing how to proceed and you need all their file notes.

 

You will need to write to the LA Inclusion Officer involved the LA EP and any other LA employee such as the autism advisory teacher. Or find out WHO within your LA deals with FOIA searches - as they may just need a list of names and departments involved.

 

You need to write to the school and each NHS professional involved, and that may mean writing to different NHS Trusts if the SALT and OT and Clinical Psychology and CAHMS are based at different hospitals or come under different NHS Trusts.

[trekster]

Good luck i would hate to see another kid like me leave school and have a breakdown as a result of poor provision.

[trekster]

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/education/college_turns_hotel_into_autism_support_centre_1_1431615

 

Theres also something called 'the post 14 centre' or there was sometime ago.

[KezT]

http://www.theweston...entre_1_1431615

 

Theres also something called 'the post 14 centre' or there was sometime ago.

 

This is aimed at adults though.

 

would love him to stay local, that's why we tried so hard with mainstream, and personally visited all the local special schools. but there are no suitable options that I can find:(

[trekster]

Spoke to people who work at Weston College last week, the Post 14 centre still exists and is for kids

at risk of exclusion or those that need a gentle break into college.