Distorting the truth

[Tez]

I have finally managed to get hold of a copy of the school's request for statutory assessment and now understand their reluctance to allow me to see it.

 

The comments made in it are a complete distortion of the truth and give a completely false impression of what has occurred in school over the past few years.

 

Quote, " While A is achieving a high standard of education, he is finding it increasingly difficult to attend school, due to his inability to comfortably partake in lessons. He is currently not attending school because of this. He was also unable to take part in the SATs examinations in May due to the stress of the situation.

 

We have during the time running up to SATs, provided A with 1:1 help from an LSA, however this meant taking the LSA off other groups to do this and once the SATs were over, it could not be maintained. Since then A has felt unable to attend school."

 

To the question indicate the child's area/s of need

 

They have answered yes to Emotional/Behavioural difficulties and

Medical condition

 

They have answered no to sensory impairment, speech/language difficulties and physical difficulties

 

The real truth:-

 

A was signed off school in April by a Doctor because of continuing bullying that the school was unable to prevent. A had been excluded from all breaktimes for his own safety and had to attend a safe area by the Deputy Head's office. Even here he wasn't safe and a group of boys physically kicked the door off its hinges to get inside the room he was in.

 

The bullying occured in class and in front of teachers, who were powerless to stop it as well as in the more unstructured break times. It was no wonder he was not able to comfortably partake in lessons, pupils would be throwing things around the room and shouting, a group of boys regularly swung from the metal bars attached to the ceiling and a teacher would write on the board, "Please oh please, be quiet and get on with your work," no wonder his sensory problems and anxieties escalated. These facts are not in dispute and have been acknowledged and put in writing by the school. Other parents of NT children have also made formal complaints. The LSA was provided by the school in an attempt to ensure his safety during the more unruly classes.

 

The bullying meant that measures to enable A to effectively access the curriculum could not be put in place, e.g. it was agreed that the only way he could effectively present his work was by laptop due to problems with dyspraxia, but, he could not have it because the school feared he would be mugged for it. This meant that because it was not his usual means of accessing his work they could not obtain dispensation for him to use it in his SATs and due to his dyspraxia he would have been unable to complete the written areas of the exams even with breaks and extra time.

 

A did not feel unable to attend school he was told not to attend school by the Deputy Head who told me he could no longer ensure his safety and he was at risk. He was signed off sick by his Doctor who said that the emotional abuse he had suffered at school had caused severe depression and that she was extremely worried about him. There was never any talk of not continuing LSA support after the SATs, indeed, I was told it would be kept in place, but it is irrelevant because A hadn't been to school since April. Indeed the Deputy Head asked that A try a return to school in June and that further 1:1 support would be in place. This failed because he was punched in the face on his first day back and sent home injured. He returned the next day and was water bombed and sent home within an hour.

 

Thank goodness my parental advice was more accurate and fully backed by evidence. I tried to play fair and tried to carefully chose my evidence so as not to reflect too badly on the school, I wish now that I'd used some more graphic examples that showed more explicitly just how extreme and inexecusable some of the bullying had been. There were many things that the school could have used to justify a request for statutory assessment without twisting the truth in this way. I think that their lack of understanding of ASD would have prevented them seeing this and their desire to protect their backs over rode their sense of decency.

 

The SATs were not too stressful for him, by this time he was just too ill to participate in life at all, he was self harming, electively mute and had escalating problems with tics. This wasn't caused by academic pressure or work worries but by bullying.

 

A has a dx of Prosopagnosia (face blindness), Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Dyspraxia, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (probably most accurately described as Asperger's Syndrome but one specialist feels it would be more appropriate to classify it as Classic Autism, Semantic Pragmatic Language Disorder, Depression and Dyspraxia.

 

So quite clearly he has sensory impairement, speech/language difficulties and physical difficulties.

 

I asked for a copy of all evidence and advice submitted but the following reports have been ommitted from the info given me - SEN Summary Sheet, Copies of reports/advice prepared by external agencies, copies of all IEPs and review documentation, Evidence of interventions and strategies used.

 

Is this distortion normal and am I justified in being just a little irritated by the slant the school has put on things and clear lack of understanding of my son's problems?

[Hectorshouse]

Unfortunately Tez this does happen, for some reason some SENCO's feel that they are being questioned in their own ability when it comes to statementing, they can then dumb down information, and some schools do not like having to be answerable for their SEN money, which they do have to be for statemented children.

 

I am hoping though that your SENCO was just ill informed and uneducated about the true nature of your sons dx, ignorance breeds abuse, and her ignorance is culpable.

 

Keep chasing those other reports though, you are entitled to see them, they might make further enlightening reading.

 

hHxx

[Ian Jordan]

You might find my lecture and demo at NEC on 24 Nov very interesting.

Will be showing how many of problems you have described can be addressed (including prosoagnosia! It is much more common in ASD than people realise and can often be treated in seconds)

[Tez]

Thanks Ian I actually only live about 10 minutes drive from the NEC have you got any details of times, costs etc.

[annie]

Hi Tez,

 

Have you, as part of your parental advice given the LEA the names of Paeds. GP. etc. that should be contacted as part of the assessment?

 

As part of the assessment process, the LEA should have regard to medical reports which should contradict what the school have put in writing.

 

I agree with HH, plus statements are getting harder to get. It makes you wonder sometimes if LEAs/schools are getting commission or something for every assessment/statement that is being refused.

 

Keep at them Tez

 

Annie

<'>

[Helen]

I wish now that I'd used some more graphic examples that showed more explicitly just how extreme and inexecusable some of the bullying had been.

Then why don't you? You could submit this evidence as further parental advice. If you have any more information that will benefit your case, don't hold back on it, give it to the LEA.

Edited October 7, 2005 by Helen

[Ian Jordan]

conference organised by desumo cost �40 tel 01531 631642

thurs nov 24

time 9..5

programme

 

Rosemary Kessick on diet

Dr Steven Hinder - special diets in ASD

Me - One eye, no nose, it hurts my ears - visual perception in ASD

Dr D Van Steenis - interplay of causative factors in ASD

Dr G Stewart Risks and benefits of chelation and use of methylcobalamin B12

Andrew Wakefield - no title as yet

 

I can only speak for myself in that my talk (1hr 50 mins) will be geared to parents. I will start with video showing many traits in ASD that we address (some will surprise most parents), a little theory , if you saw the BBC2 programme "my family and Autism" you get a flavour of what I will be showing. I intend to address every sensory system. t is impossible to predict what will be possible to show but the demo itself will last a full 30 minutes and it is likely to be controversial

hope this helps

Ian Jordan

[Zemanski]

do be careful about emphasising the bullying too much, and the school's culpability, Tez, I just had a case where bullying was a central issue (as bad as this). The parents wanted a different school named in the statement and the LEA argued that if the bullying was the cause of the girls' inability to access the curriculum then this was the school's responsibility and was not an SEN issue so they would not uphold the parental preference. When the parents tried to appeal the tribunal turned it down on the same grounds.

 

yes, put the bullying in - it is important and was part of what swung the tribunal when Com needed to be assessed, but concentrate on the SEN issues.

 

stay strong

 

Zemanski

[Tez]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the comments,

 

Annie - I'm really lucky the Doctor who signed A off sick is also the school Doctor and she conducted his medical for his Statutory Assessment today. She has stressed his sensory problems and the way they impact on his ability to access the curriculum in the school environment. She also knows how much physical effort he needs to put into things because of his Dyspraxia and she has stressed how the Dyspraxia and his lack of co-ordination also leads to misunderstandings in subjects like PE which make bullying incidents more likely. She has also stressed the difficulties that his Prosopagnosia causes because he is unable to identify the bullies and the practical problems of just not recognising people who aren't intensely familiar to him.

 

The Occupational Therapist who is due to see him on Monday has a report from the Neurologist detailing his coordination and motor skill problems and also his sensory difficulties. She is going to use that and her own views to submit a report on the difficulties caused by both these things in school and how they are a very real disability.

 

I have also got an appointment with the EP on Tuesday and I'm going to express my concern that so many difficulties have been ommitted from the school's advice and try and explain to him just how much A internalises things.

 

 

Zemanski,

 

I agree with you. I have tried to be very careful not to place too much emphasis on the bullying because I was aware that it would be viewed as not being strictly relevant to A needing extra support. However, I tried to show how difficult it was for the school to combat it when the culprits vary and A is unable to identify them and unable to communicate exactly what happened and how it came about (indeed he often doesn't report it at all). I have also tried to show that because A cannot read body language he is totally unprepared for what is going to happen and when it does he often has an autistic shutdown, hence the bullying continues far beyond what is normal. I feel that these aspects of the bullying are applicable as they make him far more vulnerable and make it far harder for the school to stop it. I think to this extent some of the more graphic examples I had may be of use because they illustrate his unique vulnerability far more.

 

Helen,

 

Thanks. I've had a think about things and there is extra evidence and advice I can submit that will counteract the school's submissions. I will not in any way criticise the school because despite all that has gone on A wishes to return there on a part time basis and if he does I will need to be able to work with them. The Doctor is going to recommend 4 hours per week in school teaching with full time support and the rest home tuition supplied and maintained by the LEA. She says it is not a normal approach but she agrees it is a sensible approach and she will do her best to help us get it.

 

I think that in reality we have already decided that A will have to be home educated for the forseeable future but if we can find a way that the LEA will take responsibility for it so much the better, if not we will if necessary deregister him. I also keep telling myself that the LEA have agreed to assess him despite the school's submission so I must have done something right with my advice.

 

Thanks again for all the support.

Edited October 7, 2005 by Tez

[annie]

Hi Tez,

 

Great Nobody will be able to say that you haven't got enough medical evidence.

 

The package that your doctor suggests sounds like a good idea too. It may not be normal, but if it suits your son, he's happy and copes well with it, that is what matters.

 

Annie

<'>

[Mother in Need]

Tex, Good Luck! <'> Your parental advice was very very good (you sent me a copy remember, and I have taken quite a bit out of it and adapted it to my sons situation.) I'm sure you'll keep it all up till you get the best for your son!

My school is also not playing ball, and they are the ones who have been asked to supply more information in our case; and I have no idea what they are going to say...

LEA's deadline is Oct 11, so I should receive some mail soon...

[Tez]

Mother in need I'll keep my fingers crossed that your LEA give you the answer you want. Let me know how you get on.

[nvapid]

point of law:

if you make a request IN WRITING to the school for:

* his/her COMPLETE scholl records

* copy of the SEN budget (which should be a matter of public record)

* copy of the Statement Application (which MUST be provided at time of sending to the LEA)

 

the school has 10 days to provide it (plus two days either side for post)

if they do not provide the documents within that time you may and should make a written compliant directly to the govenors sighting obstruction and failure to respond within good time...

 

that will get you your full documents.

[Canopus]

Of course schools distort the truth.

 

I secretly tape recorded a meeting at my special needs school and sent a copy to my LEA. They said there were discrepancies between the tape recording and the summary of the meeting written by the headmaster. In other words the headmaster blatantly lied. He was furious when he found out about the tape recording because I outwitted him and exposed him as a liar.

[Hectorshouse]

Canopus, just a word of warning, you can tape any meeting/telephone conversation etc .. BUT ... you must let the other party know they are being recorded, otherwise you might be in a tricky legal position. You may not have the right to use it as evidence and it can be seen as in invasion of privacy (ludicrous I know) as the other person was talking with out prior knowledge to your recording. I do use dictaphones, but I always inform the other parties, I wouldn't worry about people not letting their guard down with it their, you'd be surprised how quickly people forget about them. Use them definitely, but make sure you use them so you can use the evidence at a later date.

 

HHxx