what happen next now i have a dx

[bjkmummy]

hi,

 

my son is 4 and is in a mainstream reception class

 

finally have a dx which i have in writing for as, adhd, dyspraxia and sensory problems

 

i gave the school a copy of the letter last week

 

i have not yet met the senco although she has been monitoring my son.

 

the school just have him on school action and have done an iep for him

 

from what ive read, the school normally dont go for a statement until the child reaches action plus but now we have a dx - do i have to request that we try for a statement????

 

the school agree he is stuggling but is there a chance that the lea would not give him a statement even with a written dx????

 

we want to change schools in the next term or so cos my husband is in the raf and im moving to where he has been posted too but im worried that without a statement and only a dx im in no mans land. the area we are moving too does have a special school which i have visited. the special school would statement him and then pass him back to a mainstream school with an asd unit but the ed psychologist can only do the referral but wont do it till we move so i could end up with no place for him to go until he sees an ed psychologist

 

so many questions - hope i havent confused youall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited April 2, 2006 by bjkmummy

[lynnej]

Schools do not automatically go for a statement. All over England the LEA are encouraging people not to hve statements saying schools can cope by putting in extra support. However a statement gives your child a legal contract that the schools and lEA have to follow.

 

You can apply for a statement by writing to the LEA to request a statement. Even with a diagnosis or several the lEA can still refuse to give you a statement.

 

If a child has a statement and it is shown he is not coping in mainstream school than a special unit or special school is the next stage. Saying that your child does not have to have a statement to go to special school it all depends on the lEA

 

Jen

[Suze]

The lea won,t statement a child until they have been at school action plus..........the school needs to have shown they have given all the help possible and the child still needs more support despite this.The first thing I would do is request he be moved to school action plus and a new IEP drawn up.

[bjkmummy]

i think that i need to arrange a meeting with the senco at the school to see whether the school will be supportive in the long term regarding a statement. im going to phone the school first thing in the morning and get a meeting for this week sorted out so that i can get some answers. hes on on the action at themoment and not due for review until sept so if i wait until then - and he get moved to the next level etc - we could be looking at sept 2007 before a statement could even be in place!!!!!! a long time for a little boy to be having no help. at the moment he gets 1/2 an hour a week

[lisann]

Hi

My son got his DX at the age of three and we too thought we would just get a statement because that's what happened in the past.Unfortuantly as stated in a previous post this is not how it works anymore.We had a very bad nursery school and although Char was struggling he wasn't put on school action plus,we did have IEP's but they where a waste of time.We choose to change school for him and his sister (sister "normal" no problems aged then seven).I have to say this was the best decision we have ever made he still has his IEP's and now is on school action plus but we feel we don't need a statement at this stage as he is doing well.I really believe a good school would help you get the statement if he truely needs it but I also understand there are many whom shut there eyes.If you feel he needs a statement meet the SENCO and if you have a Parent Partnership or a Austism outreach then get in touch with them for support.

 

Hope you get your result you want keep us posted

 

Love Lisa x

[DaisyProudfoot]

My 9 year old son has a dx of Asperger Syndrome and he is on School Action with an IEP and 1:4 LSA help. The school have said he's not able to have School Action Plus because he is too academically advanced - however his social and behavioural skills are something else.

 

We are writing to the LEA to ask them to do a statutory assessment, hopefully leading to School Action Plus. My concerns are for the transition to high school rather than his current primary school situation where he is only one of about 150 kids and can be accommodated.

[bjkmummy]

i spoke to his teacher this morning. at parents evening a few weeks ago the teacher wanted to get outside agencies involved after senco had seen ben. they put him on school action plus wrote an iep. i stated that ben was seeing a consultant in the following week so they were happy with this - we then got dx.

 

his teacher said this morning that as the school had wanted to get outside agencies involved they can move to action plus and also now due to the dx. the senco is off sick but hopefully if hses back this week the teacher will arrange a meeting with her for me to discuss things and for me to get it into my head as to how thoings will go. his teacher also said that inlight of the dx the school would like him to have a statement but then thats another subject!!!! so i will keep nagging them so that ben can get some help. he is struggling at school and is finding it harder and harder and is definately falling behind so im anxious that the school act quickly and to be fair to them they were quick to realise that there were problems with him so i think i will have a supportive school

 

now just the dla forms to worry about...............................

[bjkmummy]

just an update - met the senco last week and my heart has sunk - yes i have the senco who is a silly old moo!!!!!!!

 

quite clearly said that he wont see an EP until september!!!!!!!!!!! even though his teacher has said that ben is sooooooooooo behind now in his learning. im just sooo fed up with it all. you fight to get the dx and now have to fight to get some help.

 

anyway weve decided to move to another area - ive already spoken to the ep in that area plus have her tel number - shes wants reprts on ds so have spent the last couple of days writing the report of all reports from me so that she will refer for an assessment period at a special school and then hopefully the special school will do the statement before returning him into the mainstream

 

its just soul destroying that to get help that i have to move house......................

[JsMum]

I think that what you are doing now with the reports and special school assessment will really make a big difference in the end, and it is great that you have been proactive with the ed psych in your new area, it really does differ from area to area, I have changed my sons school and what a difference already, he has just recieved his preposed statement too, he is nine, so I promise that all this hard work will prevent what might come if you dont and leave it to the system.

 

Good luck to the partime special school and new beginnings, I feel that this is going to really make a big difference and a special school will know what to include in the assessment for a statement more than a mainstream and the possible longer term support.

 

JsMum

[nellie]

Hi bjkmummy,

 

she will refer for an assessment period at a special school and then hopefully the special school will do the statement before returning him into the mainstream

 

I would be very wary of what the EP has said.

 

A Statutory Assessment determines the provision needed for the child and it would be very unusual for LEA's to agree to place a child in a special school without a Statement of Special Educational Needs. It should only be done in exceptional circumstances and would be classed as an emergency placement. All professionals and parents have to be in agreement.

 

The Code of Practice Section 8:23 to 8:28. covers assessments and emergency placements, I recommend you read this.

 

As a parent you have the legal right to request a statutory assessment, you can find details here. It might be worth giving IPSEA a call.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/sevenfixes.htm

 

Keep gathering evidence and take notes to support your case. This is a link to the SEN Toolkit - Section 8 covers Guidelines for writing advice including Parental Advice.

 

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=4613

 

 

The following are some useful documents on SEN procedures. With the exception of the ACE Handbook they are all free. Although the ACE handbook is very good.

 

Special Educational Needs Code of Practice - a guide for schools and LEAs about the help they give to children with special educational needs. Obtained free - Tele 0845 60 222 60. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=3724

 

SEN Toolkit - - Obtained free - Tele 0845 60 222 60. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/s...istant/toolkit/

 

Special Educational Needs: A guide for Parents and Carers. - Obtained free - Tele 0845 60 222 60. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=3755

 

The above documents can be obtained free from the Department of Education and Skills (DFES) Publications: Tel: 0845 222 60

 

ACE Special Education Handbook 9th Edition ?17.00 from ACE - Advisory Centre for Education.

I recommend this book for anyone going through the SEN process.

This publication cuts through education jargon, helping parents to understand the school system and SEN procedure.

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/publications/shop/SENHand.html

 

Good luck hope you get something sorted soon.

 

Nellie <'>

[2pink2blue]

My 9 year old son has a dx of Asperger Syndrome and he is on School Action with an IEP and 1:4 LSA help. The school have said he's not able to have School Action Plus because he is too academically advanced - however his social and behavioural skills are something else.

 

 

I don't understand this as B went on to School Action plus almost immeadiately after being put on the school special needs register. Accidemically she is flying but as you say it's all the other stuff! I thought that the plus bit just referred to any use of outside agencies. We don't have a dx yet, although we have just started the process of assessment. Does your school not use the ASD team then?

[bjkmummy]

thanks nellie - youve certainly given me som ethings to think about!!!!! i will do a lot more reading up on the subject as i dont want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire!!!!! why is it that once you get the dx nothing is ever straight forward??????????