School aibu

[halcyondays]

dd1 has Aspergers and chronic constipation, has a lot of issues with pooing so is still in pull ups. She is now changed in school by TAs, when we put our foot down and said that it wasn't acceptable for her to be left sitting for 15-20 minutes for me to come in to change her. She got a Statement and in March the Head said he would advertise for her 1:1, but it might take a while. It is now mid September and there has still been no sign of her getting her assistant. Surely the school could have found someone by now, there must be plenty of people looking for a school hours, term time job?

Dd2 is now starting nursery, I think she is showing some signs of Aspergers, and she isn't toilet trained, she just doesn't seem to get it. I do not want to try to push it, as I feel we tried too hard to push dd1 and it just made things worse. Dd2 just seemed to hold in her wee and poo when we tried to train her and I don't think she's ready. However, she very rarely poos in the morning if she's out, we usually go to toddler groups and I rarely have to change her. She nearly always goes later on at home. So it would be unlikely that she would need changing very often at nursery as she would be going for the morning session, 2.5 hours. They say they won't take her unless I agree to come in to change her, I do not want her to be left sitting dirty, especially as she has eczema and you can see marks on her bum where she has been scratching at herself.

[IndigoBell]

1. Find out why they haven't hired someone yet. Schools normally get hundreds of applicants for TA jobs, so you need to really push this. Where was it advertised, how many applicants did they interview, etc.
   

1. Complain to someone that her statement isn't being implemented.
   

1. About ASD and chronic constipation, read the GAPS diet. Might give you some ideas about how to help it.
   

1. Start to get your DD2 a dx. Don't leave it......

[anonandlikeit]

when the statement is issued the LA also ususaly issues a covering letter informing you & the school of the timescale for implimentation. I think in our case the school were given two months to get all the recommendations in place.
If they haven't done it they are failing to comply.
Have a check & then request a meeting with the head & just say you are a little concerned that things are still not in place etc etc.

As for your dd2, you knwo her best go with what is right for your dd & you.

[halcyondays]

Thanks, will ask them about the statement and 1:1. Can't understand why they haven't got someone yet, they were pushing us to apply for the statement and complaining that we were taking resources away from children who needed help with reading Will have a look at the statement, can't recall whether it mentioned a timescale.

I asked the HV to refer dd2 for assessment, got a letter today for an appointment with speech and language therapy. Not sure why she has got this instead of a multi- disciplinary assessment, dd1 had the multi-disc, followed by an ados assessment. Her speech isn't delayed, it's quite advanced for her age, she speaks quite precisely and will correct you if you say something wrong, she also has an unusual accent, dd1 also has this.

[auntevil]

Re DD2 - and the nursery refusing to change her. What are their reasons? I had all my DS s at the same pre-school - and I had to go in and change, but it was not their property and the building did not have baby change facilities. tbh, the toilets weren't much either.
If it were a school nursery - or one with suitable changing facilities - i would ask why, as refusal to change is discrimination

[halcyondays]

It is a school nursery, auntevil, and as far as I'm aware they are not supposed to call parents in to change children.

[appropriatelytrained]

A statement is enforceable from the moment it is issued.

In law, schools and local authorities are not given any time frame. The law says there is no 'best endeavours' defence. This means local authorities can't say 'we've been trying really hard but sorry we've not go someone'. The duty is absolute from the minute the statement is issued.

Your child is being deprived of their legal rights - this can constitute a breach of both the Education Act and the Equality Act as depriving a child of provision can constitute disability discrimination.

Your choice of action is - complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (slow and not impartial) or to threaten judicial review. Look at the SOS-SEN site about this. It would be worth getting a solicitor to write to the LA to at least threaten this.

This is an absolute disgrace. Your child has been assessed and Parliament has given a period between proposed and finalised statement to get the provision in place - the duty is absolute - no excuses.

[halcyondays]

Thanks, at. I find it really strange that they've delayed so much with this, as they were really keen for us to get her Statemented and complaining about how they couldn't cope, so would have thought they would have got someone ASAP.

[tiredoffightingwithjelly]

but while they are not paying for a 1 to 1 they are saving money which is always high on a school's agenda in my experience.

[anonandlikeit]

I bet budgets are issued at a particular time of the yr & they are trying to bakance the books until the additional statement funding is included int he schools budget.