Advice for a friend please.

[Dingle]

Amelia has a little friend who also has DS.She used to go the SNN with him but now we only see him really at SALT as we share the cost of our private sessions.

He is due to start mainstream school in September and his mum has just got a draft copy of his statement.

In general it just seems very vague and my friend is concerned about the amount of help actually offered. The scholl is taking him on a 6 week trial period only so she feels apprehensive about it all obviously.

For example it says things like;

X will benefit from SALT.
X will benefit from sitting in a brightly lit area!!

Should a statement give details of how often, how long "additional" work /therapies should take place?

I have given her the details of IPSEA, but I don't have any more advice to offer her!

[RnB]

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[RnB]

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[Jimjams]

and SALT should be in parts 2 and 3. Bet that vague statement in in parts 5 and 6 (where it's worth nothing). IPSEA again I'm afraid.

[Dingle]

I haven't actually seen the statement, but wouldn't know what to look for anyway! Our SENCO asked me yesterday if it was OK for them to look at the starting the statementing procedure for Amelia in September, now they have more of an idea of her needs!!! I was so gobsmacked, I almost fell off the chair!

I had a few books from the Dfes that I thought might help her, so I let her have them to look at this morning- I feel so useless that I can't help her. It will be me going through this myself before we know it!

[MeerkatsUnite]

Hi

Your friend needs to read parts 2 and 3 very carefully. This will specify number of hours per week as well as provision. If nothing is stated in either part then it will not be readily given and if not in parts 2 and 3 it may not be provided at all by the LEA in question. She can appeal the draft statement; again IPSEA will be helpful in this regard.

Dingle - as regards your good self you as the parent will need to ask the LEA to get your child assessed. Infact I would write to your LEA now asking for your child to be assessed. If school do it and the request for assessment is turned down they have no right of appeal. It needs to come from you (you have the right to appeal the decision if the LEA do not assess for whatever reason). You also need to bear in mind that it can take around 6 months for a statement of special need to be issued (and that is if its all straight forward in that you do not disagree with anything the LEA write. If you had to go to appeal then of course this will take longer).

IPSEA are very good in this regard and there are model letters you can use and adapt. Their website address is www.ipsea.org.uk.