I'm at a loss, out of my depth and completely confused - proposed statement

[sweetteamum]

Ok, I have to admit, I'm all the above (and probably more).

We received dd proposed statement which is not quantified and specified - however I have read within the sencop toolkit, that sometimes when a child is going to a special school, this isn't always necessary - is this fair to say?

Then I am confused as I work my way through part 2, where it should specify her needs. Now I've worked my way through and picked every negative point out from the reports and am listing them in educational and non educational needs......what I'd like to know is, am I doing the right thing?

Then I'm working my way through the advice given and making sure I'm putting all the advice in a list also.

Every time I read it I'm confusing myself more and feel I'm making more work for myself. I understand there are charities like ipsea that I can call, but it isn't the same as someone seeing it in the flesh - aarrrggghhh, bloody school holidays. I've never used pp but even they could give me some idea.

If you've got this far, thank you for reading :)

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Sounds like you're doing it exactly right.

What you need to do, is match a recommendation from a report to a need. It might help to number each 'need' in part 2, and then put a corresponding number for a 'recommendation' in part 3.

Parts 5 and 6 should be left empty in nearly all cases, though if you want to send a message to the LA you can take out probably the first stupid line of the statement that says something like 'ds is a charming boy with an engaging smile' and re-home it to part 5.

I would rewrite this particular line and start the statement with 'Ds is a very capable learner with adequate educational support'.

If the objectives are wooly, then leave them so. This will prevent them from ever being met and give you more control over when the statement is ceased. Make sure though that at least one objective relates to the outside agency input you require i.e. at least one must be speech and language difficulties if you are then making a recommendation for a SALT to be involved iyswim. Same with OT.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Whilst the statement might not have to specified in the same level of detail for a special school, you still need to make sure that the statement is of sufficient complexity to avoid a MS school saying they can deliver it.

If you have a school in mind, and they are supportivee, then you might want to get them to help.

[sweetteamum]

Starlight, you've saved me from having a meltdown. I honestly thought I was going in the wrong direction. I will do exactly as you say. Although I did notice they've put salt in non educational needs.

Some of the reports don't specify what's needed either which makes it more frustrating. I'm just corresponding that to what I feel is appropriate.

Once again, really appreciate your help.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Well if they don't specify then by all means make it up. You can 'intrpret'.

So if it says needs SALT 'support'. You can elaborate and state exactly how that 'support' might look. Someone has to after all.

No harm in asking for the moon either as you can always negotiate and there's the tribunal. I asked for the moon and the tribunal process gave me the planets as well.

[bjkmummy]

An yes salt in part 6 trick. Remember if it is In Part 6 it is unappealable at tribunal and there is absolutely no onus on the LA to provide, your battle will be with the NHS who will probably just discharge him.

You need to ensure that his salt needs are in part 2, then as an objective in part 3 then the therapy also in part 3 to meet the objective. Also ensure than any professional reports have been appendiced to the statement. The appendice list is usually on page 2. If its not there just make sure that somewhere win the body of the statement there is a reference to the reports that are being relied upon when the statement has been written.

[sweetteamum]

That's great starlight. Hopefully, I'll go in the same direction as you.

Thank you bjk also. The only reports that have been left out are the private reports. Should I query this?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

'The only reports that have been left out are the private reports.'

Yes. You need to include them in your 're-writing' and then in your cover letter let them know that you have made an assumption that the reason their statement was so crap was because they were missing some vital information that though you had sent them, appears to have been forgotten, and you expect now that error has been corrected, they will sensibly agree to everything you have written.

[sweetteamum]

Thanks starlight :)

[sweetteamum]

If there's anyone around who could help i'd be really appreciative :)

Here is a list in part 2 of dd's SEN - Does it look right to you? I have took all negative details from the reports encolsed.

Part 2: Special Educational Needs

• Struggled with the change from Primary to Secondary -
  
• Experienced Bullying - Struggles to forgive and forget -
  
• Diagnosed with Autism -
  
• Emotional, Social and Communication Difficulties -
  
• Social Anxiety -
  
• KS2 & CATS show progress is below the level expected -
  
• Very unsettled (& anxious) in Mainstream High School
  
• Performing at a level expected in 8-9 year olds -
  
• Will dominate situations -
  
• Difficulties with Short-term memory -
  
• Gives up easily -
  
• Mild difficulties with Literacy skills -
  
• Mild Dyslexia -
  
• Significant delay in ability to recognise semantic associations between vocabulary items -
  
• Will find it difficult to develop an understanding of word associations -
  
• Lacks Confidence - reluctant to answer when unsure -
  
• Cannot be given large chunks of information -
  
• Finds it challenging to process and retain key items of information
  
• Working Memory difficulties -
  
• Conversation tends to be one-sided -
  
• Eye contact is inconsistent -
  
• Difficulty describing how it feels to be happy or sad -
  
• Failed to develop relationships, based on mutual sharing of interests, activities and emotions -
  
• Poor understanding of relationships -
  
• Behaves inappropriate to the social context -
  
• interrupts conversations -
  
• Will repeat information -
  
• Talks about something not related to current conversation -
  
• Will not join in conversation or interact with people in a group -
  
• Appears to have no concept of friendship -
  
• Lacks empathy, rarely considers others' feelings -
  
• Lacks social use of language, exchanging pleasantries and doesn't understand what chatting is -
  
• Limited topics of conversation -
  
• Speaks in a monotone voice -
  
• Struggles in make believe or social play -
  
• Lacks flexibility -
  
• High levels of anxiety
  
• Severe anxiety in relation to rain hitting surfaces and the noise it makes, the noise wind makes and black clouds (anticipated fear of rain) -
  
• Hair pulling, tearfulness, tantrums, sleep disturbance
  
• Does not really communicate, unless in answer to questions
  
• Would not be able to initiate conversation
  
• Groups usually operate around her - She continues to do her own thing
  
• No real concept of friendship
  
• Finds large chunks of spoken information challenging to process and retain key items of information -
  
• Her overall understanding of a range of sentence structures was below average range, more specifically her ability to respond to a range of instructions varying in length and including different linguistic concepts was significantly delayed -
  
• Courtney demonstrated specific difficulties with sequential terms such as 'before' and 'after'
  
• demonstrated a significant delay in her ability to recognise semantic associations between vocabulary items. Therefore she will find it difficult to develop an understanding of word associations which is likely to impact on her ability to retain and retrieve new vocabulary -
  
• may demonstrate difficulties engaging in spoken discussions in school, where she has been unable to follow the comments and questions of others -
  
• Repeats information over and again, which annoys people -
  
• has difficulties starting, maintaining and finishing conversations
  
• doesn't understand sarcasm and will take things literally -
  
• Talks over her friends who have become used to her -
  
• Will only usually offer information once a question has been asked, unless it's on her terms about a subject she loves
  
• Will not ask for information
  
• Doesn't pick up on subtleties of social behaviour
  
• Great difficulties describing how it felt to be happy and sad
  
• Difficulties writing imaginatively -
  
• Lacks flexibility - doesn't like surprises -
  
• overreacts -
  
• If plans change, will tell people they are mean -
  
• If a usual route changes, she becomes anxious -
  
• Significant receptive language delay -
  
• Mild expressive language delay -
  
• Qualative impairment in social interaction
  
• Abnormalities in communication
  
• Restricted/repetative patterns of behaviour -
  
• Never played with toys in a functional or symbolic way -
  
• Conversation lacks reciprocity -
  
• Doesn't show spontaneous make-believe play -
  
• Verbal comprehension extremely poor -
  
• difficulty expressing herself using words -
  
• Cannot engage others in conversation -
  
• Limited topics of conversations -
  
• Difficulty understanding complex clauses and rhetorical language -
  
• Struggles to respond to open ended comments or questions -
  
• Gives a running commentary of what she does -
  
• Difficulty generalising skills from 1 context to another -
  
• Outbursts without apparent cause -
  
• Certain smells can affect her -
  
• Has very few friends and they're all younger than her -
  
• Courtney is very small for her age - (gets intimidated easily)
  
• once settled, tries to state she will not do something -
  
• Gives up easily -
  

•        Cannot work independently - <br />
  

•        Craves attention -