Statements, has anyone ever had theirs scrapped??

[devientenigma]

As in, not on a statement anymore??

[Hassled]

Yes, DS3, by choice. He was diagnosed with Verbal Dyspraxia and completely unintelligible at 4. Statemented with 20 hours 1-1. Loads and loads of speech therapy, both with the SALT, the LSA and at home with me.

Anyway, by 8 (last year) it was sort of laughable that he had the 20 hours. He didn't need it - speech inflection is still a bit odd, and slips when he's tired or stressed, and he still loses some consonant sounds, but most people wouldn't realise he's had problems. And he didn't want it - hated the different-ness at school.

I don't regret stopping the Statement, but without all that intervention it's time to go and see the SALTs again - a definate slippage over the last few months.

[devientenigma]

Hey Hassled, it's great all that progression, love it, well done.

Maybe I should be a bit clearer. I'm talking a child with specific problems, severe learning disabilities, challenging behaviour etc etc. Always attended special school. Always been statement due to an obvious disability.

Sorry if I seem abrupt, I am not for one moment disregarding the depth of your ds problems and how hard he has worked, just had a really bad week.

[TheTimeTravellersWife]

Hassled, I am sorry but I don't understand why you were happy for the LEA to cease to maintain the Statement for your son?
Especially as you are now saying that his speech has regressed since his intensive therapy that was in the Statement has now stopped?
It's great that he has made so much progress since the Statement was made, but wouldn't it be better to have kept the Statement with it being amended to reduce input?
Without a Statement, it can often be virtually impossible to access SALT, hard enough with it in the Statement in some LA's.

Just curious that's all.....

[devientenigma]

but with a statement in can be impossible to access SALT etc also!!

[Hassled]

TimeTravellersWife - yes, with the benefit of hindsight, that's exactly what I should have done. I should have gone for 5 hours 1-1 or something. I was de-mob happy at the time, and was being told "He's cured! It's a miracle!" (or words to that effect). So I'm a cautionary tale, I suppose. He has done bloody well, but the last few months have served to remind me he never won't have Verbal Dyspraxia.

[Hassled]

Sorry - to clarify, I meant I didn't regret the 20 hours, which was insane. I wish I'd been a bit more on the ball re future needs, though.

Anyway - devientenigma - are you OK? Who's suggesting teh scrapping?

[devientenigma]

Yeah, I'm ok for now, thanks for asking. I have had a really up and down week with the start of school and a child who doesn't go. I don't know if you have seen any of my previous posts but we have a load of conflict and contradicition going on and no one can agree on what to do next etc so basically time flies and we don't have much fun. I just thought if I scrap the statement altogether could I then get him into a different school, as he is in the only special school in the LA, then as the school see issues take it from there.

I realise it's a bit of a long shot but I was just thinking of ways forward. It's also not suitable to put him into ms but I just thought, maybe iyswim.

[IndigoBell]

But surely he can go to the MS school with a statement?

I don't think the statement is the problem.

[devientenigma]

The statement states the local special school so no one else will take him with it as they can't meet his needs. However the special school are not meeting all his needs either and due to all the hassel and lack of support etc I was trying to find a get out clause.

[insanityscatching]

Dd 8 doesn't need her 20 hours statement (secured at 3) but there's not a cat in hell's chance I'm giving it up. School and myself provide good reasons why at every AR as to why she should keep it (we meet beforehand to make sure that we have enough evidence ). The TA is there should she need her, mostly dd directs her elsewhere and her teacher has a spare pair of hands but things can change I have no idea if her next teacher will be as good at ensuring dd is happy although the statement means I get to choose her class. As for secondary I'll get to choose her school and expect it to be a whole new ball game so maybe she will need it more then.

[pleasestoplying]

I don't think you get it scrapped; I think you ask for a re-assessment - similar to asking for the assessment for the Statement in the first place - on the basis that his needs have changed and the Statement now doesn't meet his needs.

I would have thought that you have an excellent chance of getting the re-assessment and you can, of course, ask for a mainstream school placement to be named on that Statement. They can only refuse currently if that mainstream placement would be incompatible with his age/ ability or if it would badly affect others' education (and would have to prove why this was the case).

This IPSEA link has a model letter www.ipsea.org.uk/What-you-need-to-know/Common-problems.aspx#RequestingReassessment

[cornsylk]

do you kn ow where you want him to go instead of his current school? If you know exactly what you want it's easier to build a case for it.

[TheTimeTravellersWife]

Sorry if a came across a little abrupt.

I recenlty had an experience a SN support group with two Mums who behaved as if I had said DD has two heads when I told them she had a Statement.

Even worse, when I asked if they would be applying for a Statement for their children (ASD) they virtually through their hands up in the air in horrror and told me no, they did want all the assessments and involvement of nosey Parker social workers and as they were going to send their children to private schools, they wouldn't need one.

The implication was that because I could not afford a private school that somehow I had "stigmatised" my daughter with a Statement.

Made me feel dreadful, so it is a subject that I a bit sensitive about at the moment.

[Agnesdipesto]

devient the LA has a duty to meet your child's needs whether they want to or not so, and whether the parent wants a statement or not.
i don't think for SLD they would get rid of the statement. I doubt they would even get rid of it if you home ed. But you do have a legal right to mainstream school unless that is incompatible with the education of other children or an unreasonable use of resources. And they do have to do all they can to make it compatible of that is what the parent wants.
But usually in your situation if the local LA special school hasn't met need you would be looking to the indep special school sector either as day pupil or residential

TTW they will have to find a private school who will take their child first,many won't want to.

[pleasestoplying]

TTTW how horrible - but also weird; Statements are like gold dust round here and there's a horrible/ sad envy at my parents' group from those who wish their kids had them. Everyone knows that it's the only way of guaranteeing support!

[insanityscatching]

TTTW my nephew has a mother similar.She can't contemplate that he is anything other than perfect. Eg she was looking at Oxbridge unis when it was obvious he was going to struggle with GCSE's and her money meant the school didn't enlighten her. He initially went to a state reception class but once they discussed concerns and getting in an EP she moved him to a private school. He undoubtedly has dyspraxia and most likely AS although once he was out of the state system he had no other assessments. He coped because he was always in a class of five but he would have fared far better in a maintained school with a statement to address his difficulties rather than being spoonfed poor exam results tbh.

[devientenigma]

The social worker is the only supportive professional around. The social phobia dx also impacts on her role as social services. So thank fuk for that.
It doesn't matter which school is listed he isn't going to go, it's the accepting of his reasons why he won't go that is needed.
However after re-assesment, the social worker and I can guarantee we are back at the same school with a similar statement, so trying to work out a way round it.

[madwomanintheattic]

there were quite a lot of children at the secondary school i worked at whose current needs weren't accurately reflected by their 'current' statement - largely because none of the sn staff had any time at all to refelct on necessary provision as they were too busy providing what was on the statement. some fo the statements hadn't been changed since the kids were at pre-school, and the 'annual review' was essentially a rubber-stamping exercise to roll over provision for another year.

the staff just didn't have time to do it. a large amount of the parents had no inclination to do it. the lea had no interest as they were too busy assessing for 'new' statements to worry about reassessing. it was soul destroying.

in the end i left because i was so utterly shocked. it seemed as though i was the only person who had the capacity to try and work out what the kids actually needed, and try and get it for them.

personally speaking, dd2's statement lapsed as we left the uk. so if we ever return, we have to start at the beginning again. (but def no social workers here. she isn't disabled 'enough', despite having been on high rate care and mobility lol).

[devientenigma]

Thankyou MWITA my ds reports on his statement are all dated 2005 when he was 4, he's now 10!! Maybe this is partly the reasons why school refuse to see some of his needs he has now. I just don't see why the school need to be so defensive.
As for the social worker, I had to take drastic measures to get help and in turn get a SW. DS has been HRC and HRM from 3 months and 3 years respectfully, the earliest you can get them and again same here, he was not disabled enough!!!

[cornsylk]

Hope you get some help with this dev. It must be wearing you down. What about the psych who suggested teaching him at home f/t- could he/she help to reassess his needs?

[devientenigma]

Thanks corn he is supposed to be helping. The home ed service have this term started to ask if his Thur hour can be done in school with them as some sort of staged return. I couldn't get hold of the psyc to tell him this so was obliged to take ds in to school. Needless to say we didn't get there. The social worker was on the phone to psyc on Friday and told him. He has stated home tuition can do that but they get him there. So see what happens.

[cornsylk]

staged return The psych is thinking outside of the box at least from the sound of things.