Fall in Special Needs Statements

[annie]

Found this on the BBC website.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4727851.stm

 

Annie

[karin]

hi annie is it frighting or what my first meeting when i go back to school in sept will be with the senco teacher as i feel on looking a my twins's school report they have gone backwards instead of forward i intend to have them looked at by the educational psychologist i am ready for a fight with the school keep smilin luv karin xx

[jlp]

That's interesting - I asked about a statement and have been told that we are very unlikely to get one as G's needs are being met by school action plus (debatable - he's not throwing bikes anymore but not reaching his potential imo)

 

The specialist Autistic teacher told me that only children in the 'bottom' 5% of the autistic spectrum are given statements which I find very hard to believe as does our local Barnardoes support worker.

[call me jaded]

Education's overriding emphasis is on academic achievement. Funds are only ever directed to those who aren't achieving. The spectrum is so wide and often academic achievement is good, so it doesn't surprise me that only 5% of children with ASD have statements.

 

What concerns me greatly is that an increase in the numbers diagnosed without any increase in the SEN budget nationally means that more children are struggling to access help.

[karin]

hi all read all the info about this subject can anyone help me do you think my twins need to see the educational psychologist or not (is this the person who decides if your child needs statemented or not?) twin1 in english his spelling is steadily improving next year he should try to develop his vocabulary&use of standard english,in writing he should be checking&correcting his work independently in maths he finds multiplication,division difficult&requires support when doing this next year should work on his basic number skills&ability to read the sum more carefully has to work on ability to recognize fractions 1/2,1/3,1/4,1/5,1/10 needs to understand division&RECOGNISE IT IS THE INVERSE OF MULTIPLICATION EH? IS GOOD AT SCIENCE,HISTORY,GEOGRAPHY,ITC,DC,MUSIC,PE,.TWIN2S ENGLISH NEEDS TO LEARN ABOUT PUNCTUATION&NEEDS TO ORGANISE HIS THOUGHTS MORE CLEARLY EH? IN MATHS NEEDS TO WORK ON BASIC NUMBERS SKILLS&MEASURING SKILLS CANNOTS UNDERSTAND FRACTIONS 1/2,1/3,1/4,1/5,1/10&USE THESE TO FIND FRACTIONS OF SHAPES&NUMBERS EH? DOES NOT UNDESTAND DIVISION IS GOOD AT SCIENCE,HISTORY,GEOGRAPHY,ITC&DC,MUSIC,PE HE IS TOO EASILY DISTRACTED BY OTHERS HE WORKS WELL WITH TEACHER DIRECTION BUT COMPLETES SET TASKS WITHOUT FURTHER EXPLORING THEM HE FALLS OUT WITH FRIENDS OVER TRIVIAL MATTERS HE OFTEN NEEDS REMINDING TO FOLLOW SCHOOL RULES AND SOCIAL CODES HE IS OFTEN UNAWARE OF INAPPROPRIATE PEER INFLUENCE AND IS EASILY LED ASTRAY HE IS SOMETIMES A DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE SORRY IT IS SO LONG IF I PUT EH? IT MEANS EVEN I DONT UNDERSTAND HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP KEEP SMILIN LUV KARIN XX

[Zemanski]

how old are they, Karin?

 

Yes, they probably should see an ed psych and you should meet the ed psych after to discuss your concerns - ask school to set it up, make sure they are treated individually and that you get 2 meeting, or at least discuss each twin sepately (I've just had a case where twins were given joint funding 'because their needs could be met together' - this is not acceptable, they are separate people and have individual needs)

 

 

When the ed psych reports come through they will include recommendations which school should act on. If school does act and the needs are met then you don't need to take it any further (you may need to give it a term to give school and the twins time to see if this works - unfortunately schools rarely do manage to meet ASD needs without a statement but some are very good once they have the right advice)

 

if they don't then -

 

the ed psych can recommend an assessment for a statement, as can school, but they are encouraged by LEA and government policy not to so if you feel their needs are not being met you will probably need to ask for that yourself.

 

if they don't already have a full diagnosis you will need to set that in motion too - go to your GP and ask for a referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. It will take time (months) but it helps with the process.

 

hope that helps

 

Zemanski

[LKS]

Although my son who has Aspergers is statemented when he transfers to secondary school in Sep. the funding will no longer go with him. Because he has what our LEA class as a high incidence statement, his funding will come out of funds already delegated to the school. This is based on some bizarre formula including how many pupils at the school have free school meals He achieved level 5 in his SATs so the academic side of school is not his problem, but so many other thing are. Interestingly IPSEA are looking at my LEAs criteria for assesment as they think it could be illegal. On paper it looks a wonderful idea doesn't it, put the funding straight in to the schools so that children can get help without having to be statemented, however nothing my LEA have told me convinces me

[call me jaded]

"Children with SEN are more likely than others to receive free school meals.

 

In January, 30% of children with SEN in primary schools received free school meals, compared with 14% of other pupils."

 

If you're not going to issue statements, there is a strong correlation between free school meals and SEN so this is a logical way of funding to me.

 

Another concern: as a school governor I know there is nothing in law to prevent a school from using the SEN budget when funds get tight elsewhere. This is where you need a strong Governing Body to prevent this.

[Zemanski]

LKS, where the funding comes from for a statement is immaterial, the LEA are still responsible for meeting the statement and if the school doesn't meet it then they are breaking the law.

It's actually nothing to do with the criteria for assessment either, just about saving money really.

 

the important thing for you to consider is whether or not your son's statement is being met and whether or not his needs are being met (not necessarily the same thing)

 

if it's all in place and working then there's nothing to worry about.

 

if it's all in place and not working you need to look at the statement and probably get some amendments to tighten it up

 

if it's not in place, or not all of it, you need to challenge the school and the LEA.

 

good luck

 

Zemanski

[LKS]

Call me Jaded is this true 30% of children who receive free school meals are SEN. Does this mean if you have a dx of Aspergers for example your parents are more likely to be in the lower earning group? Have been speaking to my local ASD group out of the 30 people I was chatting to only one child has free school meals( this is because the father has done a runner!) Is this more typical do you think?If you are going to put funding straight into schools I suppose there has to be a formula, but I think all children who have already been issued statements should have their funding protected. Zemanski you are right it shouldn't matter where the funding for a statement comes from but I think the schools in my area for example think it does. Some of the head teachers fought a long battle to try and get funding for statements already issued protected, but failed. For example I believe the LEA Allowed approx �5,000 per year for an L.S.A for my son. The chair of governors at the secondary school has said that if they provide all the support that is stated on the statements of children already at the school and those coming in, there is very little else to support the children at SA and SA+. The LEA tells them to use the funds in a better way again for example having several pupils who are statemented working together with 1 L.S.A. As has been pointed out to me on this forum before what is best for the school is not necessarily best for your child. So when my son starts secondary I shall be checking very carefully to see what support he gets. But really this means me questioning him most days to see what support he has been getting.

[karin]

HI ZEMANNSKI MY TWINS ARE 8 WILL BE 9 IN NOV05 WHEN I APPROACHED THE SENCO TEACHER A WHILE AGO SHE TOLD ME YOU HAVE TO BE DIAGNOSED TO BE STATEMENTED (I THINK SHE IS TALKING RUBBISH OR IS THIS TRUE?) I AM TAKING STEPS TO HAVE THEM ASSESSED THROUGH OUR LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF A GUY WHO WILL COME TO MY HOUSE TO ASSESS THE TWINS HAVE TRIED THE CHILDEN&FAMILY SRVCS THIS IS THE GUY WHO SAID THEY HAD TRAITS OF ASPERGERS/ADHD BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR A DIAGNOSIS HE HAD TAKEN A COURSE WITH THE NAS (DONT KNOW HOW LONG HE HAD TRAINED WITH THEM BUT I COULD ASSESS THEM QUICKER THAN HE COULD!!!!) WILL KEEP YOU POSTED KEEP SMILIN LUV KARIN XX

[call me jaded]

Call me Jaded is this true 30% of children who receive free school meals are SEN.

 

I quoted from the first article. They are DFES statistics.

 

Barnados produced a report called 'Still Missing Out' which found:

 

* Parents of disabled children are much less likely to be in full-time work than parents of non-disabled children. If they do work they are often in low-quality employment, receiving state benefits to supplement their income;

* Parents often feel they do not have enough money, going into debt to meet their child's basic needs;

* In 2000, about half disabled children and young people received DLA, with poorer families and those from ethnic minorities least likely to claim.

 

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/resources/rese...nts/STILMIS.PDF

 

A 1998 study (Ref. 5) showed that caring for a child with a disability costs an estimated �7,355, at least three times that of bringing up a child without a disability.

[5] Paying to Care: The cost of childhood disability. Barbara Dobson & Sue Middleton, York Publishing Services 1998 ISBN 1 899987 75 4 Web: http://tinyurl.com/fmgl

 

I know from my own experience I have given up well paid employment and now

Mr J works his self-employed socks off so we don't qualify for FSMs

[invent 10 things b4 breakfast]

I go to an informal coffee morning run by my local Parent Partnership Rep and apparently the LEA are not issuing any new statements as of April this year! Apparently the system has now changed and there is a new panel of people that meet, this is called a STAR panel. I took this quote from our local LEA site:

 

"The Authority supports the DfES recommendations and guidelines regarding a more open system of decision-making about statutory assessments and requests for top-ups. However, the Authority retains statutory responsibility under Part IV, Section 321 of the Education Act for decisions relating to the formal assessment and statementing process and educational placement of pupils with special educational needs. The STAR Panel comprises Headteachers, SENCos, Educational Psychologists, Education Officers and other specialist staff who will be able to consider and advise on the requests received. It also involves representatives from Social Care and Health and the Health Authority as needed. It meets fortnightly during term time to consider requests for additional funding for individual children with extreme and complex special educational needs."

 

It seems that those who need to attend special schools are not affected and are still being statemented, as I know someone who's child will not speak or interact and his was refused but overturned in the end.

 

So it's no wonder that it's at its all time low if they are not being issued Looks good on paper but what about our kids getting what they are entitled to??

[UltraMum]

We live in a relatively 'middle class' area in Doncaster - the school has 3% of its children on free school meals, 11% of pupils are 'statemented' and a further 20% at school action plus - the sums don't add up for many schools. The other school in this area has an [unwritten] policy of discouraging applications from parents whose children have special needs ... ... yet they have a similar number of children with free school meals ... what happens to their money?

[Zemanski]

Karin,

 

the twins do not have to be diagnosed to be assessed (officially - see DFES good practice guidelines for ASDs downloadable from the DFES website but largely ignored by LEAs and schools)

 

but

 

it is hell of a lot easier if they are

 

the LEA will usually do all it can to avoid acknowledging ASDs - they cost money and require effort - so having a piece of paper to wave at them does help a lot.

 

invent 10 things,

 

I don't think the LEA can refuse a statement or at least assessment for a statement as it is still in the education act, as is the right to appeal to tribunal if they refuse to assess or refuse to give a statement once assessment is done. - if your LEA has actually stated that they will not issue statements they are probably breaking the law, IPSEA will know!

 

however, they can make it very difficult

 

The STAR panel will have its equivalent in most LEAs now, ours is the SEN moderating committee I think, and their job is to decide on the top up funding that goes to school budgets for children on school action plus that have needs above the average. (It is very difficult for schools to persuade these committees to part with funds and I have seen many a senco tearing their hair out over a child that seems to need endless support but just doesn't fit the criteria for the funding or the committee just turns round and says the school hasn't provided enough evidence to justify extra)

This funding is not usually allocated specifically to the child in question (as was the case with the old statement funding) but to the school SEN budget so it does not necessarily get spent on that child (they word it very carefully to make you think it does though). Most statements are now also funded this way but the difference is that a statemented child has the right to have the provision in the statement actually provided by law whereas a child on school action plus has no legal right to the provision and parents have to trust that the school will meet their needs.

 

The question about freeschool meals and SEN is an intriguing one.

across the country free school meals and SEN do correlate pretty accurately - most kids with basic SEN ie. behind with learning rather than with specific diagnosis, do come from families and areas with high incidence of social, economic and educational deprivation. Add into that that most families with children with severe physical or other disabilities have to give up at least one income and sometimes two then they may fit into that bracket whether they are middle class or not.

 

however, although around 30% of kids with free school meals have SEN it does not follow that that is all the SEN children there are, it's just a strong correlation that gives a guide to how to fund most schools.

 

In the case of some disorders there seems to be a strong indication that 'middle class' kids are more likely to be diagnosed - AS and Dyeslexia are two examples.

This is not because there are more 'middle class' kids with those disorders but because there is a diagnosis bias.

Many kids with AS are not diagnosed at all and these will mostly be those whose parents don't have the resources to fight the long and complex battles many of us have had.

It is not easy to understand all the jargon and see through all the manipulation; if you don't have financial resources to go and get a private diagnosis, or a good level of education so you can look up things on the internet, or know where to find someone who can support you, or even recognise that you need to find support, then you are likely to just accept what the senco and the ed. psych say, and be pleased to accept whatever is offered.

As many of us have experienced, LEAs are often very reluctant to acknowledge our children's diagnoses and ed psychs rarely suggest an ASD so these kids will end up being described as having S&L problems, or behavioural problems, or a specific learning difficulty, or non-specific developmental delay ......

 

lots of interesting issues here - remember that old book from the seventies though - how to lie with statistics?

being a trained economist and accountant it was compulsory reading at university and I always like to look further than the stats imply - apparently 80% of us are happy with our children's SEN provision according to the DFES, were you asked?

 

almost forgot, all that money the school gets doesn't actually have to be spent on SEN - SEN money is often creamed off for other things because it is now just another aspect of the budget so the schools that discourage SEN applications and don't have statements to fulfil can choose to either have their few SEN kids rolling in resources (some chance of that!) or spend it all on something fun.

 

Zemanski

Edited August 8, 2005 by Zemanski

[DaisyProudfoot]

HI ZEMANNSKI MY TWINS ARE 8 WILL BE 9 IN NOV05 WHEN I APPROACHED THE SENCO TEACHER A WHILE AGO SHE TOLD ME YOU HAVE TO BE DIAGNOSED TO BE STATEMENTED (I THINK SHE IS TALKING RUBBISH OR IS THIS TRUE?) I AM TAKING STEPS TO HAVE THEM ASSESSED THROUGH OUR LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF A GUY WHO WILL COME TO MY HOUSE TO ASSESS THE TWINS HAVE TRIED THE CHILDEN&FAMILY SRVCS THIS IS THE GUY WHO SAID THEY HAD TRAITS OF ASPERGERS/ADHD BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR A DIAGNOSIS HE HAD TAKEN A COURSE WITH THE NAS (DONT KNOW HOW LONG HE HAD TRAINED WITH THEM BUT I COULD ASSESS THEM QUICKER THAN HE COULD!!!!) WILL KEEP YOU POSTED KEEP SMILIN LUV KARIN XX

Hi Karin,

 

When you talk about assessing the twins easier than he could, I was talking to my son's psych about a similar kind of situation.

 

When she was originally considering whether to give him a diagnosis of AS I explained that what she was seeing with my son (by the time he came to her he was 8 years old) was years of training (by us) to get him to a social stage that was becoming acceptable in polite society. He is now really good (most of the time) in social situations and only returns to his normal self in the security of familiar territory.

 

We have probably all done this over the years in our different ways especially if you have a child like mine who is high up the spectrum to start with and you reckoned he was just a particularly naughty child. (Especially as my other three kids - including his twin were not like this). It was only when I met another child with AS and saw the similarities that I considered taking it down a more medical road.

 

His psych took this into account and is now willing to give him a diagnosis of AS - which I really felt he required to make his move to high school easier and so that he could understand why he operates the way he does. I don't think educational folk and medical folk realise just how much work we do to help our kids perform "normally" before we seek their professional assistance.

 

And what Zemanski said about going through the GP I would agree with - his school teacher advised we do that because it's a lot quicker and it has been.

 

By the way, my son's on packed lunches, perhaps someone should do a poll to see what the stats are on this one and send it to the DFES.

 

Keep going strong,

Daisy

 

[Silvertongue]

The reason in the fall of special needs statements is because they simply dont care, after all i dont see any autistic members of parliament!

[helenl53]

Aha Silvertongue, but a professional actually said to me the other day, "I would not mind betting that Baroness Warnock now has a family member who has AS and who is having difficulty with services and education"

 

Makes you think doesn't it.

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL