Statements/ Statatory Assesment How long?

[Tensing]

For those of you that have gone down the road of assessment and statements, How long did it takke from your first request, and how many knockbacks did yoy have?

 

Henry Started School in January and before he started I went into school and spoke to the Headteacher, and his class teachers about his needs and problems.

 

In June he recieved an offical diagnosis of Aspergers, attention deficency, motor skill problems, (as well as his hearing loss), and I applied for assessement. Both School and Educational Pyshcologist backed us up, but we were turned down.

 

I am now in the process of appealling, and have contacted IPSEA, NAS etc. I know its going to be a long fight, but how long?

[bevalee]

Hi Caroline

 

It took my 5 year to get my son diagnosed with AS/ADHD/Dyspraxia/Dyslexia.

 

The LEA turned down the statement twice and three days before going to Tribunal, they decided they would statement him. He was nearly 15 athe time.

 

You have to fight for everything. Even when you have your statement in your hand, you still have to fight!

 

My son couldn't cope in a main stream setting and now attends a specialist school for AS in the private sector.

 

Good Luck

[bid]

Hi

 

Turned down for a Stat Ass at 5 (I think...it's only looking back now that I realise I was given a form to fill in, but didn't know anything about SEN, LEA, etc, at the time...), and also at 8, when I knew a bit more but not enough.

 

Finally got a Statement last year when he was 15, because of help from people on this forum. He was out of school by this point, having had a breakdown.

 

From applying for a Stat Ass to getting a Statement and starting at a residential special school for AS took 6 months! I should add that this is unusual!!

 

I would never have achieved this if it hadn't been for this wonderful forum

 

Bid

 

Dx no problem...dyspraxia at 5, AS and ADHD at 7, possible Tourettes at 14.

[Zemanski]

timescales are pretty set - see the COP, section 8.134.

 

The code of practice states that the process should be completed in 26 weeks but you have to add appeal time into that. For us it took about 9 months from requesting the assessment for a statement to actually getting the statement, basically a full school year.

We only had to appeal once but I know people who have had to appeal for the assessment and then again for the statement. You may also have to challenge the proposed statement if it is too vague or not suited to your child's needs (talk to IPSEA at this stage)

 

Our LEA is currently trying to give a Note in Lieu which has the same format as a statement but is only guidance for the school to use at school action plus and has no legal rights attached.

If you get one of these our PP is currently advising that it is best to see if it works before appealing against it as the tribunal can then not say that you haven't given it a chance but I would ask IPSEA as the problem with that may be that you have to start the process all over again and I think you have to wait 6 months before the LEA has to consider a new request for a statement.

 

seems like forever but it's worth it

 

stay strong

 

Zemanski

[helenl53]

I agree - stay strong and stick to your guns.

 

I think everything is weighted against us and it seems you are damned if you do and damned if you don't - i.e. waiting to see if a statement in lieu works before appealing to SENDIST.

 

This seems to be happening a lot lately in my group where the lea are arranging to meet with the school and parents and then promising that things will change. There is a cost of course. The parents have to withdraw their appeal to SENDIST. I guess, then the LEA have another year without having to put provision in place

 

I am very suspicious that this is another tactic. If we do not jump through the hoop then the lea can tell SENDIST that we did not co-operate and it doesn't look good.

 

Turn to IPSEA or NAS and be guided by them - they are dealing with this on a daily basis.

 

Best wishes

 

 

 

HelenL

[Zemanski]

I agree, a note in lieu is a cop out and LEAs see it as a way to avoid statements but give token consideration to a child's needs.

 

Unfortunately the DFES is encouraging it as a way to improve provision at school action plus - they want the SA and SA+ system to take over from statementing altogether and see this as a way of meeting the parents halfway by giving them what appears to be a list of provision without any actual requirement on the school or LEA for it to be fulfilled.

There is also no requirement to specify provision at all so they can be as vague as they like.

 

Zemanski

[Suze]

Hi from applying for assessment to getting a statement took 8 mnths.This includes the summer hols and first refusing the statement due to lack of hours.Your struggle can depend greatly on which lea you have.I believe we were very lucky.My son was dx dyslexic when we requested an assessment.....dyspraxia and ASD/AS came during assessment and the ed physch had never seen him prior to this.