Can you remind *Moondog* please of chief factors to consider when a statement is drawn up?

[moondog]

Thanking you.

[ancientmiddleagedmum]

Moondog I can send you my statement if you'd like? Basically, the most important section is 3 - where you should check over every word to make sure there are no hostages to fortune for the future. For instance, mine says that my DS will have "a mix of part time home based ABA and part time mainstream inclusion, with support, as the most suitable education to meet his needs at present, with a graduated pattern of increasing school attendance in line with progress." Then section 4 lays out the school which is chosen. Every word is careful - so that they can't push me into full time school too quickly (..."in line with progress") and so that they can't send him in unaccompanied ("with support"). Section 3 also includes reference to funding, which links to a separate funding statement. Sections 1 and 2 are just verbiage about the child's deficits, but must link to 3 , as the needs outlined in section 2 must be met by the provision outlined in 3. Hope that helps??? They write the first draft, but if you have done enough chatting/influencing upfront to the Ed Psych, whose report seems to pretty much go straight into the statement, you should get a good result. You can suggest a few drafting changes when it is sent to you, but it is difficult to completely rewrite at that stage. I suggest making what look like minimal changes (which however do importantly change the emphasis), then playing them down ("I've just scribbled on here some minor changes, but otherwise it looks fine") and then they are more likely to take your changes on board just to get the thing signed off. Or at least that's how it worked for me. Think of what they might try and take off you in the future, and get it into part 3 (however briefly) as you then have a legal right to everything in 3. Good luck!

[moondog]

Tyhat's brill AMAM. Thank you very much indeed.
If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to see it.
bethanatfishdotcodotuk

[ancientmiddleagedmum]

I don't have it on email so will have to copy and post, I will email you so you can send me your address?

[flyingmum]

Hi

Its got to flow together so part 2 needs to be got right - all the bits about what they have etc so that part 3 links into it to say EXACTLY what provision is needed. The LEAs will put words like 'adequate provision' and 'regular visits from the SALT' without quanitfying so you need to get it quantified and 'future proofed', ie, so watertight that they can't take away the provision later.

I can also send you my son's if you wish - I wrote it and the LEA (eventuatlly) accepted it.

Actually a question for you Moondog. I'm changing my job to teach pupils in a support centre in mainstream. They have S&L difficulties (mostly receptive/expressive) plus severe literacy difficulties. Do you know of any courses or people who run courses that I could go on for the SALT side of things and if so can you advise me. I know a bit (having an ASD kid with Semantic/Pramgatic & expressive and receptive) but not really very much and not enough to be therapeutic in any way to these kids. The SALT does visit probablly termly but they need more imput than that so I'd like to do a course to get me more up to speed on it all and also be able to advise the mainstream teachers on techniques etc, to use in class. Sorry, I've hijaked a bit.

[moondog]

Elklan training courses are very big at the moment. I don't use it but other SALTS rave about it

Headsprout is brilliant Online reading programme based on ABA principles. Subject of my MSc research project.My dd has just completed it. Best £100 ever spent.

Hanen courses are also very popular Parents go on courses run by facilitators.

You haven't hijacked FM. It's good for us to share expertise.

[flyingmum]

Many thanks

the Elklan course for secondary age looks really useful. I shall go and wave it under the professional development manager's nose. It may be as well that my work county SALT provision run courses. I know that the county where we live do so I will investigate.