LA asking to assess ds for "assessment"

[2boysnamedR]

I had a letter today saying that my LA have agreed to assess my son as I was aware from their recent correspondence ( that I haven't had!)

His SEN school panel is in March so they are cutting things very fine.

A DR wants to assess my son for the LA but he's been under a pead for two years, he's got his Dx, he's seen a OT.

Why can't they just take their word for it?

I am really fed up of telling God knows who my business and having my son looked at.

I told them he's non verbal with asd, they can see him again - but he will still be non verbal with asd.

I really wish the LA would just check their facts. He is in a ASD nusery, he couldn't get in unless he had a firm asd Dx. I wonder if they think he has grown out of it ffs

[slkk]

The assessment will probably just be a collation of reports. Ds was not seen again during his assessment and it was pretty quick.

[2boysnamedR]

They want me to take him to another Dr a good 15+ miles away with all my reports so far.

I honestly don't want to go and I seriously considering heavily redacteding his reports. But I do want him in a SN school.

It just feel like they are either totally incompetent or playing games with me.

[slkk]

Sorry it's such a pain but do persevere through all the hoops. I had to fight so much to get an ehcp for ds as his nursery thought I was making a fuss about nothing. Now he's barely coping in his sen unit. The right school is so important. I know you know all this. Just giving you a bit of encouragement to keep going!

[birdlover1977]

Sorry to hear the LA are being such a pain, but Good Luck x

[2boysnamedR]

I know your right so thank you.

I just wish I could stick my fingers up at the LA and the education system in general

[blaeberry]

Do you have the details of the Doctor? Could you give their secretary a ring?

[2boysnamedR]

I did ring them yesterday. She said she didn't know he was under a peadiatrician ( but it's the pead who diagnosed him and notified him to the LA)

She said they might just do a phone consultant with me, but they the LA might just say it's just my word, it's all in my head so I'm not happy with that either

[blaeberry]

Because the paediatrician and the doctor live on completely different planets with no means of communication or access to patient summaries.....

[2boysnamedR]

Hmmm.. They both work for Virgin care. Maybe they have two different IT systems? Or Virgin care doesn't trust Virgin care staff opinions? Or maybe because his Dx was a multi disaplinary team who all work for VC?

I really wish I could swear at some one today.

[KOKOagainandagain]

tbh I would say this is unnecessary assessment and not in the interests of the child. I think this post may be of use www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/2553288-Anyone-dealt-with-a-deliberately-obstructive-school

Think deliberately obstructive/cost cutting LA.

Ask specifically why this re-assessmennt is necessary and in the interests of the child. Don't assume you have to jump through hoops. They can at least keep to their own criteria. This can be done 'on papers'. They will need a bloody good reason to state, in writing, why this is not good enough and to give evidence of the need for reassessment.

[2boysnamedR]

Thanks Keep

I still keep thinking their is overwhelming pressure on me to say "up yours" and let him go where ever they put him.

Because it's going to blow up spectacularly.

When I took him for his OT assessment he pulled the mats off the wall onto his baby sibling, he pulled a modesty screen over, jumped off a chair, he drew on the therapist. He was generally hyper and a whirlwind.

Let the la minimise this. I hope he gives someone the hell they have shown me.

If his bloody head fell off they would swear it hadn't.

I have even looked into weather he would get a better education in foster care.

I just don't want to do this anymore. They keep pushing me and I just want to scream. Utter tossers.

[KOKOagainandagain]

Try to imagine that this is your first child - you have never been screwed over or lied to - you believe that every child matters and you have high expectations

Your child has been assessed. Your child is in appropriate provision. You expect this to continue (regardless of chronological age/NT expectations).

What objective evidence of progress is there to change things in the interests of the child?

All DC on the spectrum are different. DS1 was a dream at school but a nightmare at home. Now he is out of school.

Scales of severity are meaningless.

I can understand how we fail to understand why one DC 'qualifies' whilst another does not - that is because the distinction is arbitrary.

[2boysnamedR]

If I only I could pretend I didnt have history with the LA. Trusting them again is as likely as me shaking my tribunal officers hand and thanking him for his understanding ( I imagine lots of things happening to him, none pleasant. He has a online profile as a humanitarian! I'm sure that only extends to well off neurotypical humans)

He is progressing. But he is still is undeniably non verbal. I can all most hear the "mild speech delay" quote and my blood boils.

I think I need to take up kick boxing as I am just so angry. I think I have more rage than the hulk and it's just bottled up.

Pead has just phoned, they haven't even asked for her report. She has prepaired one and she has said severe communication issues. There is no way he will get into MS on her report. He needs pecs integrated into all aspects everyday etc. Maybe that's why they aren't asking her.

[Ineedmorepatience]

My LA wanted Dd3 to be seen by a different paed when they were assessing her, I rang them and said she was already being seen by a different paed and asked them to contact her instead.

Amazingly for my LA who are seriously obstructive they actually did and Dd3's paed wrote a great report from all her notes and her knowledge of Dd3!

Maybe it could be worth a phone call!

Great news that they have actually decided to assess him though!

Good luck

[2boysnamedR]

I think their wording was "proposing to assess him" what ever that means. More obtusive faff no doubt

[KOKOagainandagain]

DS1 was seen by a different comm paed at the request of the LA and they then phoned her to speak to her directly.

She was absolutely brilliant and wrote one of the best reports we had saying that he needed ss. As did the indi SALT that the LA insisted had to assess DS1.

It is perfectly normal and rational to mistrust the LA but they do not employ health professionals. We are all used to LA EPs minimising to get the cheapest possible intervention but there is no comm paed follow up care anyway so they have nothing to lose. NHS SALT and OT are a different matter.

[AgnesDiPesto]

The new SENCOP page 155 says under evidence LA MUST get 'Medical advice and information from health care professionals with a role in relation to the child’s or young person’s health'

Not sure what this means - does it mean a dr with an existing / ongoing role in their health - or just someone in a relevant discipline?

The SEN Regs (6)(1)(c ) say medical professional identified by the responsible commissioning group - i.e. the CCG

But (6)(4) says the LA must not obtain advice if such advice has previously been provided for any purpose and the parent, medical professional and LA are satisfied it is sufficient

I would politely write back (remembering correspondence might up in a tribunal bundle one day) and ask them to clarify why the current paed advice is not sufficient and if its not why they cannot get the additional info needed from the paediatrician already involved as that would avoid an unnecessary further appointment

I'd decide once you have seen the LAs reasoning - there may be a genuine reason e.g. CCG commission someone to do reports because normally paeds don't do them on time / don't specify etc but I think you are entitled to know why before agreeing + I would ask for your expenses