turned down for assessment

[cjsmum]

Can any one offer any advice.

Had a letter back from local LEA today refusing to assess cj for a statement.

School have done everything to get cj assessed, but LEA feel that his needs are being meet by his primary school (which in this last school year is true, but it took them from year R to yr 5 to decide that cjs problems were more than him being nasty and naughty) so he doesn't need to be assessed.

the whole idea of the statement was to have one in place for this september when he moves to secondary school, so that he wouldn't have the same problems there as he has had at his primary school.

the Head in her words is spitting feathers over the decision, but she doesn't feel an appeal will get us any where, apparently our LEA doesn't think Aspergers or adhd warrant statements. So what do we do now? any ideas. are parent partnership worth a try?

it took 8 yrs for us to get a dx of AS and ADHD so why am i surprised we are not getting anywhere now.

 

H

[Kathryn]

Hi cjsmum,

 

Sorry to hear this - it feels like an uphill battle when you get news like this. Don't give up yet though. It may be worth putting in an appeal: you've nothing to lose at this stage by doing so and you can always withdraw it. It may make your LEA think again, and the support you are getting from the school strengthens your position. Don't be put off by what your head says, LEA's are not supposed to have a blanket policy not to statement AS or ADHD.

 

Re parent partnership - mine was never much good at giving impartial advice: they just kept telling me what the LEA's position was, but yours may be better. You may be better off talking to IPSEA or the NAS who know their stuff and will give you good advice.

 

K x

[Flora]

Hi,

 

I've recently been through exactly the same thing. The difference in our case being that my ds has been increasingly unable to cope with school. I applied for stat assessment last August/september. He was immediately moved up to SA+ with the promise to review in December. December we had meeting with HT/senco, LEA and ed psych. It was a very traumatic meeting where they put up a brick wall and refused to assess. Meanwhile I'd contacted SENDIST and had a date for tribunal in March. In January had several meetings with LEA and both the primary school he's at now and the secondary school he will go to in September. To cut a very long story short I didn't go to tribunal because the secondary school have put in place a flexible time table and full time learning support for when he starts there. I have absolutely no doubt that if I hadn't made such a nuicance of my self that none of this would have happened.

 

You must put in an application to SENDIST for a tribunal to challenge the decision. If you want more information and advice please feel free to PM me. I'm sure I'll be able to help and will be happy to.

 

Lauren

[PinkSapphireAngel]

Hun, don't you let them put you off going to appeal.

 

We were turned down and messed around for years and in March we took the LEA to SENDIST where they and the mainstream primary my ds ( aged 11)

is in were told off and wwe won and they are now doing the assessment and I fully intend taking them back to tribunal IF they refuse a statement at the end of this.

 

You go for it, you have nothing to lose by appealing and you will have the peace f mind of knowing you have done everything possible!

[fiorelli]

Have PM'd you.