Where do I start?

[BusyLizzie100]

Can anyone help me?

 

Every time I sit down to put together the parental contribution for a Statutory Assessment, I just don't know where to start and invariably just give up! I just can't figure out which is the best route into my son's difficulties.

 

Briefly: he's eight, has AS, very high verbal IQ but very low spatial IQ. That means he gets very frustrated because he's Gifted but can't get his ideas down on paper - writing is illegible. He is doing well academically but not fulfulling his potential - the dyspraxia side of things cancels out his brilliance so that he does well enough - not very fair to him, though.

 

Has usual problems with social skills, apparently fantastic language but literal and just doesn't 'get' what's going on.

 

He has very high anxiety levels and panics easily with subsequent meltdowns and/or hysteria (like a child possessed, sometimes). He operates on Red Alert all the time, so is exhausted from the constant stress of it all. Makes huge efforts to fit in at school but it's really taking it's toll.

 

A private psychologist's report says he definitely needs a Statement. The NHS report says he's doing fine and its recommendations are a bit sketchy (eg keep an eye on him in the playground; enrol him in Beavers - I ask you!)

 

I've finally decided that a stat assessment is necessary, even to clarify why there's so much discrepancy between the two reports, but I just can't figure out how to start or what my major argument should be! Help!

 

My younger son (aged six; ASD) already has a Statement, but his situation was a little more clearcut, whereas the elder son's difficulties are more subtle, or at least, harder to see.

 

Any advice much appreciated!

Lizzie

[bid]

Hi Lizzie

 

Don't know if this will help, but I organised my parental evidence under headings: Overview, School, Home and Conclusion.

 

In the Overview I outlined my son's dx, and the particular situation we were in (he was out of school following a breakdown). I also included a sort of 'timeline' from birth, just briefly using bullet points for each year, which showed when I was first concerned, when OT, etc was started/finished, when meds were started/finished, etc.

 

In the sections on School and Home, I used bullet points again to focus on his difficulties, giving specific examples. I also included photocopies of writing, exam papers and teachers' comments from his work.

 

In the Conclusion I reiterated that his problems were severe and complex, and what we wanted to be done to help him.

 

Within the sections I quoted letters and reports from Drs. etc, and then included the full copies of these letters at the end of each section.

 

Phew...we probably got a Statement just so I'd never send them anything again!!

 

Good luck!

 

Bid

[Suze]

You basically need to do a complete history of your son from pregnancy till present.Tackle it in sections with a big conclusion at the end.I don,t think you can ever put too much in.......I had pages and pages.

[Elanor]

I always find that whenever I've got something to write (i'm in the middle of the DLA claim) just open up a new word doc, and just write whatever comes into your head and in whatever order it comes. Don't worry about punctuation and spelling - just write. Ideas will bounce off themselves - it'll be all over the place, but you can just go back later and put it into a sensible order.

 

I never start a letter with the greeting - I do that last! - It just puts me off otherwise.

 

Elanor

[Kathryn]

Hi BusyLizzie,

 

There is no right way to do this, (and LEA's give little guidance ) but I think Bid's outline is an excellent one to follow. Make sure you cover everything but keep it concise - if that isn't a contradiction! Make it easy for the panel (8 people) to find the information they are looking for - they won't be reading between the lines. They won't all read everything or spend the time discussing the evidence in depth. They have a checklist of points to look out for and a panel member will go through your reports looking for these - if they tick enough boxes, your child will get a statutory assessment. It really is that mechanical. I know we are in the same area and I have this information about the process from a senior SEN officer.

 

When you are compiling your report, try to address these questions as the panel will be thinking along these lines:

 

Are your son's difficulties severe and complex? Does he need a lot more help than a child his age normally would? I loosely categorised my daughter's difficulties under the four areas of need given in the Code of Practice: communication, cognition and learning, emotional/ social: sensory/ physical. Children with AS very likely have difficulties in all these areas. This framework helped me organise the details and illustrate the complexity of my daughter's ASD.

 

Have his problems persisted over a long time? It's important to show this, and this is where a brief outline of your son's difficulties as they have developed over time, will help.

 

What has the school done to try to meet his needs? (Don't say or hint that the school hasn't tried hard enough - you want to show that everything within the school's power has already been done).

 

Give specific examples, but not too many, and if you talk about your child's behaviour at home, always relate it to what is happening at school.

 

Bid has already mentioned this: keep referring to professional reports: "As Dr. X states..." Remind them that this is not just your own biased observation of your son but that you have a body of evidence to back you up. Don't assume they will read everything in the reports - highlight the important bits for them. Play down the NHS report if it isn't helpful and quote from your private Psychologists report.

 

I'll stop there - enough to be going on with!

 

Hope this helps,

 

K x

Edited January 25, 2006 by Kathryn

[UltraMum]

Hi Lizzie

 

I've emailed you a suitably anonymised copy of mine

[lisa]

BusyLizzie

 

I'm in exactly the same situation. In fact it could have been me writing your post!!!!

 

I've been trying for the past two weeks to start writing my representation but every time I sit at the computer to start my mind goes blank. I haven't requested assessment yet, I want to get my parental representation completed and myself properly organised first. I know that our LEA are going to turn us down and we'll end up at tribunal (we went through all this last year).

 

 

MotherEve, I'd be really grateful if I could have a copy too please. It might give me idea where to start.

 

Thanks.

 

Lisa

[BusyLizzie100]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

Bid and Kathryn, that's really useful advice; and MotherEve, thanks a million for the PM.

 

Now I've just got to find the time to get it all down on paper! I can see a bit of midnight-oil-burning coming on - that's if the kids will leave me alone to get on with it!

 

Any further advice warmly welcome,

Lizzie

[Kathryn]

Lizzie,

 

Do you have a copy of the LEA criteria for Statutory assessment? You may find it useful.

 

K x