convincing lea child needs 24 hour curriculum

[hollie]

Dear all,

i new to this board but has gained valuable info fron here, my 8 year old daughter has autism and adhd,she has very challenging behaviour and so far no medication has been effective.She is currently at a autism special needs. Her challenging behaviour has really affected the rest of the family, my 1 year old is constantly being attacked by my daughter. She stays one night a week at her school which has a limited boarding beds.

 

We feel she needs ongoing structure and consistency and will benefit from extended learning opportunities, we have to write a parental report for her annual review and want information to convince the lea to state 24 hour curriculum in her statement, i already have letter from GP, SOCIAL services have recommended 24 hour curriculum but i think they expect lea to pay for it only.

please can any one help.

many thanks

[nellie]

Hi Hollie, welcome to the forum,

 

It can be difficult to get LEA's to pay for residential placements. You would have to argue that the 24hr. curriculum is for her educational needs and not care. The LEA are not allowed to make blanket policies, saying they don't fund 24hr.curriculum, residential or out of county placements would be a blanket policies.

 

You could ask for joint funding (LEA/SS) but you couldn't take your case to tribunal for SS funding. I think it would be best to seek advice from one of the following SEN helplines.

 

National Autistic Society (NAS)

NAS Education Advocacy including Tribunal Support Scheme 0845 070 4002

Website: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=143&a=3435

 

Independent Panel for Special Educational Needs. (IPSEA )

SEN Helpline: 0800 018 4016

Website: http://www.ipsea.org.uk

 

Hope this helps.

 

Nellie xx

[jen]

What does you educational psy say? Does she have an up to date statement?

If the ed psy supports your case and your child psychatry support your case then you needs a reassessment of her needs.

If your childs statement is not up to date eg all her diagnosises then you can ask for your statement to be amended. This does take 6 months from start to finish. If you are not happy with the finalised statement then you can go to tribunal questioning her placement.

 

Do the school feel her needs are being met if not then her statement needs to be changed.

 

 

You need to ask for updates assessments from everyone involved with your child and get everything in writing, Keep detailed records of any problems your child is having at school and at the LEA.

 

Jen

[hollie]

thanks to nellie and jen for replies.

we asked for a meeting as we were not happy with proposed statement after moving to a new area, we asked for statement to be specified and quantified. my daughter has been in her a new school for 3 months . at the meeting tthe LEA admitted they had copied straight from previous lea's statement.

the agreed plan, a reassesment of my daughters needs. LEA is reqesting reports from Educational psychologist, the school's speech and language therapists only. i have been told with my parental report i can include medical reports.

 

Now, the school has some boarding facility, which are usually used for a day or two stays, the school is moving to a bigger premises next year, i asked at the meeting if the lea could provide funding to increase my daughter's stay from one night to 3 or more nights and was told to ask informally the headteacher about this and that will not appear on statement. i have history with Headteacher, as after a really bad week,on the phone to him, i suddenly said i could not cope and to give daughter to social services-i did not mean it of course, well may be i did mean it then ,as i can't seem to meet her needs as she is very challenging for a 8nyear old.

i really feel my daughter needs 24 hour curriculum as she suffers a lot at home without structures sessions, she cannot self direct and need constant attention.

 

i want 24 hour curriculum to be written in statement, even if that means attending a different school from one she currenly attends.

 

I have spoken to her teacher who admits my daughter is very challenging, but i think she does not want to commit herself. i don't know what EP will assess my daughter.

We are currenly waiting to see a new Paed, as our old Pead is in a different pct,shame as i'm sure i would have got a letter of support from him.

This is all very hard for me as i love my daughter very much and she is only 8, but she is regressing so much, i feel i can't do it anymore ,meet her needs and mainly for her seek to try residential provision.

 

I have spoken to a NAS advisor who has advised me to gather ' evidence', however i need to really convince them. so far i only have a report from GP and really need to build a strong case in my own report.

sorry fro waffling on....

[Kathryn]

Hi Hollie,

 

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry you've joined under such tough circumstances.

 

You will have a battle on your hands, as Nellie says, and I'm sure you know. Don't give up though.

 

We went through the statementing process a year or so ago. I was hoping my daughter would go to a residential placement and put together an argument in support of this. (She didn't end up there but that's a long story) Our circumstances are a bit different, but if you bear with me till tomorrow, I'll have a look at what I wrote and see if there's anything useful I can pass on.

 

Kathryn.

[jen]

Hi Hollie,

 

If I was you I would contact your old paedatrician and say she is not coping and needs an urgent reassessment. Ask them to contact the paedatrican in your area to speed up the process. You need help and support and should not have to ask the headmistress for a stay this should be in the statement.

 

When is the final statement due?

 

We will all support you on the forum do not worry about waffling a problems shared is a problem half solved. You can always pm us if you want to talk to us directly.

 

Jen

[bid]

Hi

 

My son is at a residential special school for AS, and I got the LEA to state the need for a 24 hour curriculum in his Statement. Although they insisted in qualifying this by adding 'during term time'!!

 

I think you need to concentrate on making a very strong case about your daughter's challenging behaviour and the effect on the rest of your family, especially any other children.

 

I think you are looking at joint funding with SS, so if you haven't already you will need to get a SW to do an assesment of your daughter and the effect of her special needs on the rest of your family.

 

Good luck...it is possible!

 

Bid

[hollie]

Thanks ,hope to hear from you kathryn

we alraeady have an assessment done by the social worker, who recommended 24 hour curriculum -but at her current school,where the children mainly do overnight stays.Even though she mentions 24 hour curriculum and i think she used it loosely for respite care. nonetheless its mentioned clearly in the initial assessment report.

 

i will contact former paed to see if i can get a report from him, even though he is not seeing my daughter anymore, he might do it,he last saw her last december.

[Kathryn]

Hollie,

 

I've sent you a PM,

 

Kathryn.

[hollie]

thanks Kathryn.

 

 

 

Hollie,

 

I've sent you a PM,

 

Kathryn.

[jen]

Hollie,

 

if you go to tribunal I know a fantastic person who can represent you. He just won my friends 11 year old 24 hours care and an extension to her home. PM me if you need it.

 

 

Jen