Is it possible to have a Statement for Social/Emotional Development only?

[yodelayheehoo]

My DD was diagnosed with ASD/Aspergers Syndrome a coulpe of months ago and is being tested for ADD on Monday next week. She is high functioning and achieving age appropriate grades, but she has massive problems socially and is emotionally delayed.

Her teacher has said that it is unlikely she would be granted a statement as she is very bright, can anyone tell me if this is true or if they have a statement for their child for just social/emotional problems?

She also finds it hard to concentrate, is easily distracted and often does not finish her work in class (work has on occasions been sent home to finish, but we find it difficult enough to her to complete her regular homework!) This leads me to believe that she cannot possibly be reaching her full potential. Is this something the school should be concerned about or are they only obliged to support children who are "behind"?

She also takes a long time to get changed after PE and Swimming, which her Teacher has said disrupts the class. So much so, I have been asked to go into school and help her change for swimming once a week!

I am so worried about her .

[IndigoBell]

You get a statement if school cannot cope with DD from within their own resources (ie they need to employ another TA or something like that.)

You can apply for a statement yourself, you don't need school's approval or backing.

Many, many, people on here have statements for kids who aren't behind academically.

Why don't you start by ringing parent partnership? Or download the SEN-COP which is the law around this.

[nicevideoshameaboutthesong]

Yes, full stop.

my DD1, who has HFA, has a statement for social / emotional / whatnot. She is in Y2, but educationally 2-3 years ahead.

we're still haggling with the stingy bastards over the wording though :/

[IndigoBell]

The Code of Practice provides more specific advice regarding the types of SEN a child may present with. For example a child may have an SEN if he or she:

• continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period of time
  
  
• continues working at curriculum substantially below that expected of children of a similar age
  
  
• has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with the child?s own learning or that of the group, despite having an individualised behaviour management programme
  
  
• has sensory or physical needs and requires additional equipment or regular visits for direct intervention or advice by practitioners from a specialist service
  
  
• has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

[asdx2]

My dd and my ds both have statements for social and emotional need only. Ds is above average and dd is exceptional according to school anyway.They both have autism.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Ignore any naysayers and apply for the statement yourself.

Statements are also for social/communication needs as well and I would argue that she will need such a document in place anyway particularly when she is at secondary school.

Certainly download the SENCOP.

//www.ipsea.org.uk have model letters you can use; would suggest you ask the LEA asap. Some Parent Partnership organisations are better than others; for instance the one in my LEA work out of the same building as them so they are not impartial.

[nicevideoshameaboutthesong]

our PP and LA are also in the same building, and regularly lunch together. Bleh.

[IndigoBell]

Of course the PP and LA are in the same building. Doesn't mean they're not impartial, from here I know that some are and some aren't.

My one has been very helpful and very supportive. And working in the same building as the LA means they're very knowledgeable....

They are worth an initial call. If you don't like them, then don't use them again.....

[moosemama]

Absolutely, we are just in the process of applying for a statement for ds based purely on, social, communication and anxiety problems relating to his Aspergers. According to our local ASD Inclusion team there are more and more statements for social/communication problems coming through these days.

Some people will try and tell you that your dd won't get support unless she's academically X number of years or NC levels behind her peer. That's categorically not true and actually in contravention of the SEN Code of Practice (SENCOP) as its a blanket policy statement and LEAs aren't allowed to have blanket policies about who will or will not get a statement - it has to be based on the merits of each individual case.

There are plenty of bright children with statements, even some who are gifted and talented, yet still need support around social and communication problems.

Have a look on your local council's LEA website and see if they have any details about SEN. As Indigo said, you could also call your local Parent Partntership - whose number should be on the LEA's website or I think there is a national website if you google - sorry no time to do it for you at the moment.

In addition, your dd's school should have access to some sort of specialist ASD inclusion service, which tends to go by different names depending on your LEA - our is the Specialist Schools Inclusion Service - ASD. They are able to come in and advise the SENCO and teacher on how best to support your dd and will also be able to advise on applying for a statement.

I will try and get back later to add some useful links for you if I can. Don't worry, there is help out there and if your dd needs a statement, you can apply yourself, you don't need the school to do it. I understand how worried you must be feeling, but keep posting, there's a lot of great help and support here.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

My DS with ASD has average academic abilities and above average in Maths and has a statement. However, he was only 5 when we requested and he was still very far behind with his speech at that point, and his behaviour, self help skills etc. We have been told that in our LA it would be very difficult for him to get a Statement these days, due to the progress he has made. (Obviously, without the Statement, who knows what progress he would have made.)

The boy I support sounds a lot like your DD, although he is a bit behind academically, but with his DX of ASD and Dyspraxia he did manage to get 15 hours support on a statement, so it can be done.

It sounds like your DD needs some support, even if just for monitoring her output, prompting her to get on with work and to provide social skills groups and activites to improve her skills and friendship base. A statement is the best way of getting that help.

[tabulahrasa]

Not a statement, because I'm in Scotland and they don't do them, but I know lots of children on IEPs for purely social and emotional development, including DS for a long time.

Just to add to the - ignore them and apply anyway lobby, lol

[bigbluebus]

Yes you can definitely get a statement based on social skills and behaviour as they are both a barrier to learning for your DD - especially as the school do not seem to be coping from their resources - although it may just be that they are not trying hard enough!
My DS was DX HF ASD at age 7 and got a statement after that. He was in all the top work groups at primary school, reading age off the chart when in the infants and still in top set now for all subjects in YR 9. But he still gets 25 hrs a week support even though he is hoping to get top grades in GCSE's. But all the GCSE's in the world aren't going to help him when he leaves school if he doesn't get the help and support he needs to learn to modify his behaviour and to 'fit in' and get along with others - hence the statement.
Ignore the teacher - apply for the statement.

[Eveiebaby]

DD is in reception and has a statement. School applied for the statement when DD was in nursery and SENCO went through the application with me. I am sure that under the category for ASD it was further broken down into 4 subcatogaries - social and communication being one of them. That was the category used for DD as at the time her expressive language was behind (probably still is) and she was having difficulty with direct interaction with her peers. I think one of the other categories was behavioural but I can't remember what the other two were. It is not right for the school to say that academic achievement excludes a statement. Although saying all that my DD was only 3 at the time of application and it is my understanding that it is harder to get a statement in junior school. DD has another two years of almost guaranteed help but to be honest this will be reviewed for junior school and may well not apply. How old is your DD?

[Gooseysgirl]

YES you can get a statement for this. I'm a learning support teacher and I supported the application for a statement for a child on my caseload last December with very similar needs to your child. We submitted the application with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties as the main area of need. (The statment was granted in the Spring much to the enormous relief of the child's school and family). Having a diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD does not automatically entitle you to a Statement... but difficulties arising from these conditions which are hindering learning CAN support an application. Incidentally, changes to the whole system are afoot: www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/sen/a0075339/sengreenpaper
Stand your ground!

[Gooseysgirl]

OMG I've just re-read your initial post... YOU have to go and change your daughter after swimming?!?!? It is the role of the 1-1 support that she SHOULD have to help her in this situation. Schools receive SEN funding as it is (in my LA schools are given the funding for pupils needing the equivalent of 15hrs or under per week). It's outrageous and counts as evidence towards your application. You need to have a serious chat with the school SENCO... be assertive and ask to see your daughter's SEN file which should contain a chronological record of evidence of what they have been doing to support your daughter at School Action plus (IEPs, outside agency involvement etc)

[yodelayheehoo]

Thank you all for your replies. I feel very encouraged and in a much stronger position with regards to my/my DD's rights. I will phone Parent Partnership on Monday and also make an appointment to see the School's SENCO, who I spoke to briefly after the DX and was told that they wouldn't be looking to properly assess her until Y4.

I asked her teacher if she was on School Action Plus and the teacher told me that they 'don't exactly follow that system' but because she had received outside intervention it would be the equivalent to that.

[yodelayheehoo]

Sorry I forgot to mention that she is 8 (Y3).

[moosemama]

Is it a state school or independent yodelayheehoo? If its state, they have to follow the system, they can't just opt in and out to suit themselves.

I can't believe they said they weren't going to properly assess her until year 4. Why would they not assess a child who clearly needs additional support until some arbitrary date at some point in the future? Well its obvious why I suppose - money! It makes me so mad when they fail to see the child at the centre of all this budget juggling.

They have a duty to assess her needs and make reasonable adjustments to support her and enable her to access the curriculum. That's in both the SENCOP and the Statutory Statement of Inclusion.

[moosemama]

This is another good link for statutory inclusion requirements.

[yodelayheehoo]

It's a state school. Thank you so much moosemama, your input to this thread has been invaluable to me along with all you other lovely people.

I kept telling myself that the school must know best, but alarm bells have been ringing for me about so many things. I am so glad that I decided to post about this, it consumes my thoughts every day. Thank you again.

[Eveiebaby]

The important thing is "can your DD accesss the curriculum"? Because if she cannot, for whatever reason, then she is certainly entitled to extra help.

[Eveiebaby]

Plus there is no way you should be having to go into school to support her. This is evidence to use in support of a statement.

[moosemama]

You are so welcome yodelayheehoo, we've all been there.

Keep posting, this is an amazing place for help and support and there are so many people here with far more knowledge than I could ever dream of having on these things. Its been a real life-saver for me over the past couple of years.

Please don't be shy about joining in the Friday Night chat threads either. They tend to start winding down a bit at this time of night - as we're usually all exhausted by this time on a Friday night, but its a good place to introduce yourself, share the ups and downs of your week and relax with chocolate and or a .