GETTING CHILD TO SPECIALIST SCHOOL

[Daisydot]

Am I an old dragon ?

 

My son H is 7 with ASD, Dyspraxia and Severe receptive and expressive language deficit.

 

We are convinced he needs to go to a specialist language school such as ***** in Surrey. He was in a mainstream school until recently and we have just removed him as he was being bullied (school denied it was happening). He gets 4 x contacts per term from a SALT who acts more as a consultant to H's Teaching Assistant rather than giving direct therapy. The LEA are adamant he cannot have any more therapy and he cannot go to a specialist school. They say his needs are being met in mainstream. H has a Teaching Assistant 1-1 for 25 hours a week, which is supposed to help him access the curriculum. The TA is neither experienced in ASD or SAL, although she was quite kind and helpful. We have no doubt that H's needs have never been met in mainstream school and will not be met unless the LEA up the amount of SALT significantly. We have had H independently assesed. The independent SALT recommended H needs 1-2 sessions of direct SALT per week from a qualified therapist (not a Teaching Assistant as his needs are too complex) as a MINIMUM. He also needs the SALT to have input into lesson planning for him. He really wasnt coping with Mainstream school anyway, finding the playground and other children very difficult. He wasnt being fully supported by the TA. We found out that during the school's SATS recently, his TA was sent to help those children with their SATS as were all the other 1-1 TAs in the school. All the SEN children were left without their normal TA support, which for H is not good as he needs the TA to break down the language before he can even begin to access the curriculum. H has normal/average non-verbal skills. The mainstream school say he was doing ok, but he only got KS1 sats results of P6-8, which is less than a Level 1, so he obviously isnt doing that well ! Harry needs OT as well, which he has not had whilst in mainstream.

 

We had a meeting with the LEA last week to put all this to them, but they basically said that is all he can have and that sending him to a specialist school is not an option. if we want to take it any further we have to go to SENDSIT.

 

Does anyone have any comments on whether we have a good case or are we wasting time here ? We have been told that as soon as the Final Statement arrives we should appeal against it and contact IPSEA for support/help.

 

I wish I could win the lottery and never have to go to the LEA for funding my son's education again. Wouldn't it be bliss to just be able to provide the best for your kids without grovelling to other people. I feel like I have to make myself public enemy number one. The LEA think I am a right

 

Any other suggestions / help / support / will be gratefully received.

 

Thanks a million for this website, its been fascinating reading.

 

Daisydot

 

[ edited by moderator to remove name of school ]

Edited June 20, 2006 by Kathryn

[Flora]

Daisy,

 

You're not alone in being viewed as a nuisance by your LEA... most people on this forum are fully paid up members of the awkward squad... needs must!!

 

Having never been through the statementing process with either of my boys I don't have any experience of the appealing provision in a statement... but many people do appeal part 4 of the statement where the school is named to have a school of their choice named instead.

 

Welcome to the forum by the way

 

Lauren

[LKS]

daisydot <'> My dd is 9 and also in mainstream. She was receiving 1 visit per term from SaLT who, the same as you have said, gives advice to staff working with the particular children. While I'm in no doubt that the L.S.A's are very competant in what they do, they are not trained to assess or evaluate a childs level in speech and language. After 4 years my dd had begun to make progress although she is still on the first percentile for certain things. Their answer was to discharge her Luckily most of the other professionals do not think this is a good idea. What we are going to have to do though is prove that she needs continued input from the SaLT service. It seems that it is all about proving that your child needs a certain level of support and advice from these outside agencies. Regarding getting a child in to a specialist school I should imagine in 99.9% of cases the LEA will say it is not possible, how you go about proving that they need this provision I don't know daisydot but I'm sure there are some here that do Good luck

[Daisydot]

daisydot <'> My dd is 9 and also in mainstream. She was receiving 1 visit per term from SaLT who, the same as you have said, gives advice to staff working with the particular children. While I'm in no doubt that the L.S.A's are very competant in what they do, they are not trained to assess or evaluate a childs level in speech and language. After 4 years my dd had begun to make progress although she is still on the first percentile for certain things. Their answer was to discharge her Luckily most of the other professionals do not think this is a good idea. What we are going to have to do though is prove that she needs continued input from the SaLT service. It seems that it is all about proving that your child needs a certain level of support and advice from these outside agencies. Regarding getting a child in to a specialist school I should imagine in 99.9% of cases the LEA will say it is not possible, how you go about proving that they need this provision I don't know daisydot but I'm sure there are some here that do Good luck

 

 

thanks for your reply.

 

You are right in saying the LSAs are usually competent. However, a speech and language therapist undergoes a four year degree course, so they are trained to provide therapy which is tailored to the childs particular need. The LSA should be carrying out extra work in between direct therapy sessions. Its like going for an operation on, say, your knee and having the receptionist carry out the operation. The receptionist is no doubt a conciencious and hard working person, and good at being a receptionist but she is not trained in that particular field.

 

You will probably have trouble proving your daughter needs continued support, if the SALT are saying she does not. The LEA/NHS SALT are undoubtedly under pressure to say certain things and recommend certain amounts of therapy and are not giving an independent view. Sounds like if you have some professionals recommending she still needs the therapy input, you may have a good chance. Fingers crossed.

 

We have hired a private SALT, but the LEA will not take her recommendations into account. However, a tribunal will, so we live in hope.

 

Good luck with getting continued therapy for your daughter

[Daisydot]

Daisy,

 

You're not alone in being viewed as a nuisance by your LEA... most people on this forum are fully paid up members of the awkward squad... needs must!!

 

Having never been through the statementing process with either of my boys I don't have any experience of the appealing provision in a statement... but many people do appeal part 4 of the statement where the school is named to have a school of their choice named instead.

 

Welcome to the forum by the way

 

Lauren

 

 

 

Lauren,

 

Thanks for the welcome and advice. I have had a lovely day posting notes all over this website and not doing any housework or what I meant to do today. Never mind.

 

I shall carry on being a old dragon then until we win our battle with the LEA.

 

 

The battle continues..

[jen]

In the mean time you could ask the LEA for a copy of all the information on your child under the Data protection laws.

 

Have you got any of the informaiton in wiritng that he was not succeeding in school. Exam results etc. This information will be essential to back up your appeal.

 

When you receive your final statement you will be able to appeal. It normally takes 6 months to go through the appeal. The statement needs to describle all your sons problems in part 2 and than what educational resources are going to be provided in part 3.

 

 

Jen

[JsMum]

Make an appointment with your local MP and discuss this with that leader, its amazing what they know and how you can get your sons needs met, also have you had any legal representation from NAS or a SEN legal service, have you contacted the school itself as well, had a look round and see what other children are already placed there, get intouch with other parents that have children already placed there and ask them for there support in getting your child in that school, the LEA are basically not listening to your veiws you need someone in the council who will listen, and this is where MPs are good for that, would you be willing to use your plight for the local newspaper, publicty might get there finger out, I understand you may not want to do this but local radio stations might be interested!

 

If you want your child to attend a special school and he has a statement and it meets your childs needs then you should have a preference.

 

your LEA are really not listening, so you need to go to someone that will get them to listen.

 

Jsmum

[madme]

We won at SENDISt twice - first for assessment and second for such a placement on basis we paid transport. You will need good evidence. If strictly he needs a mainstream it is possible to build a case for specialist school on the basis that you can show no more expensive. Firstly start with cost of AWPU ie the cost of every child at the mainstream school sen or not. Then you add on the cost of LSA/ LST hours - you will need to find this - often hdden in budget statement on lea website. It is the cost of employing not the gross hourly receipt. It is difficult to get the true costs but be persistent. Then you add on the cost of OT or SALT - you will argue that it is more than what they are saying - get figures from your salt - it should also cover costs of attendance at iep reviews etc. Transport is often the biggie and for the sake of placement it may be worth conceding. There is a case which Ive tried to get hold of but it was mentioned on a cvourse I went on called Wardle-Heron -v- Newham (2002) EWHC 2806(admin). In that case the judge remitted the case back to the Tribunal for it to consider whether the extra cost was " unreasoanble" - LEA package was ?5641 and parental preference was ?12,286 - thus recognising that nearly ?7k was not unreasonable. Dont know what the outcome was and would be interested if anyone knows. The notes of this v useful course are available online. Search on David Wolfe outline of Specila Educational Needs Law. I would recommend the ACE handbook - and contacting IPSea and NAS. Good luck. Sendist do show stats- parents do win. You may need a solicitor but could do lots of the legwork yourself.

[pleasehelp]

Hi there and sorry to hear you are having so many difficulties in getting what you feel is the most suitable provision for you child. If it helps we have gone down the route of finding a special residential place for my oldest son and found that it helped us no end to actually approach some of the schools we thought would be most suitable and go and look and speak to them too. They usually have a very good idea of the sort of children they provide placement for and can probably help no end in specifying what it is that they can offer your child that mainstream cannot and this is pretty much what you need to be armed with to take the matter to tribunal apart from budgets costs etc because the money side of it should be a secondary issue to that of needs being met (tho we are all too painfully aware it as often as not doesnt work like that). These schools will invariably have a number of children there who's parents have had the same difficulties getting the placement so they will have a mine of useful experience and advice to offer and it will help no end if you can name the exact school you want and pitch for that rather than just saying you want a special school place in more abstract terms. Gabbitas net is your best port of call for finding out what is out there independent wise, look at as many as possible so you know what's available then you can not only see for yourself the alternatives available but you can see exactly what they do that mainstream dont which will hopefully help strengthen your case should it get as far as tribunal which in our case it didnt once the LEA realised we had all this info besides anything else to back us up. Hope this helps and best of luck x x

[hev]

steve was out of school for 18 months,i took him out of mainstream primary as he was being bullied and just wasent coping anymore with mainstream,i phoned LEA all the time,got my doctor involved all with no success,as a last resort i went to my MP,i say as last resort cos i didnt think they helped with things like that,within a fortnight of me seeing him steve had been given a place at the special school i wanted,im not saying this will work for you but do give it a try,i do know how stresful and worrying it all is but keep on fighting and coming on here,this site helped me so much with education advice in language i could understand!!

[Daisydot]

Thank you everyone for your replies and support. I am going to see my MP next week and the local councillor who lives down our road. If that fails, we are off to SENDSIt. The school we wanted to send my son to recon we have a good case.

 

Thanks again for all support, will keep all posted.

 

Daisydot

[Karen A]

Just wanted to say you are not alone.I also feel the LEA probably regard me as public enemy no one and I become more of a dragon by the day.Never mind we do what it takes At least when I read posts here I find we are in the company of very reasonable people who have also gone to SENDIST,MPS.LEA,Council to get appropriate help for there children and some even win in the end