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Adoption

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on adoption.

FASD/masking/school meeting needs

6 replies

AMP16 · 28/07/2024 17:38

I’m a solo adopter and have had my lo 10 months now. My lo has had delays and portage etc in foster care. He had a sudden change in carers about 15months before he came to me. His alleged subsequent ‘amazing’ foster carers have lied through their teeth about his progress to the professionals and got rid of portage etc. His social worker was pretty useless and accepted everything at face value. I was told pre matching that he was fine with no delays or significant emotional problems etc.
Fast forward 10 months and I have a child with significant sensory needs, high likelihood of FASD, global delays in everything at nursery and significant control, demand avoidance and sleep issues. He is very settled with me and I understand FASD etc was all highly likely. I have had to threaten legal action to get post adoption support (sw was not able to do anything so was passed to RAA team, so put in order to get rid of her and her La). I am so furious that I am now playing catch up and how badly he was let down in foster care. We’re about to start school in September and looking into EHCP, although he masks all day long at nursery, so they don’t feel he has much need (I disagree). Nursery say he’s making progress and doesn’t need it, although seem to be accepting his delays due to being adopted, but have put nothing in place to help him.
I feel so gaslit/lied to/exhausted I don’t know if I have the energy at the moment to fight for ehcp given likelihood of it being refused!
On the plus side the post adoption social worker is appalled by the situation and is working hard to help!
Has anyone else managed to get ehcp?
I have a meeting with virtual school so hopefully they will be able to advise.
Thanks for reading 😊

OP posts:
Ted27 · 02/08/2024 14:00

Hi @AMP16

Sorry you haven't had any replies.
I don't really have any advice to offer but as a fellow single adopter I just wanted to say it sounds like you are a fabulous mum and an amazing advocate for your son.
Hope the virtual school can help and at least you have good SW support.

You will find the energy because he is your boy, buy there is no harm in taking a short break from it all over the summer to find your mojo

Trainham · 02/08/2024 17:30

Ask to see all the files. I found lots of infro from gp files they were the easiest to access. I had to fight to see SS ones and I had been lied to too even when spefic questions had been asked.if your sw is good might be easier to access all the child's records if you ask her.
Good luck

sunshineandskyscrapers · 03/08/2024 08:39

My son has an ehcp but was a little older when he got it and there was strong evidence of difficulties at school. The school applied for it but would not have done, had I not pushed them to do so. If the nursery do not feel you have enough of a case and you are about to leave, the best thing would be to contact SENDIASS and ask them to help you with a parent referral.

I understand your struggles. I'm a solo adopter too and a good chunk of my life is spent advocating for my son's needs. It sometimes feels like wading through treacle. I agree with Ted about taking a break. Back-to-back admin can be relentlessly soul destroying, especially when you're constantly having to talk/write about his worst days. Make sure to take some time for you and some time to enjoy being a parent without having all the admin burden eating into your thoughts.

LeoLeo2 · 03/08/2024 20:46

My son had his initial EHCP before he came home to me - but the provision in it was woefully inadequate and I had to fight to get it changed. All I kept hearing was, 'He's fine'.

I would take the summer off, make a 'friend' of the SENCO as soon as your son starts school and spend the first six months there documenting meetings, support plans etc and chasing any medical or other reports.

If there is someone you can get into his class to do an hour's observation and write up a report, then make it happen. One person, focusing solely on your child and noting what they see can be very powerful (often because it shows up what busy class teachers miss - especially with a masking or compliant child). Maybe use your adoption social worker for this - as she could write her report through the lens of trauma or FASD (and a social worker on your side can be a powerful ally in an EHCP battle).

To gain an EHCP you have to be able to prove that your child's needs are so great that the usual class based and then wider school based strategies and support systems do not work. This means you need to have evidence of what has been tried, what happened/why it didn't work, what was tried next, what happened ...

It is hard, but it can be done. Rest and recharge over rhe summer. Enjoy your time with him and then be ready to start the challenge in September.

Torvy · 03/08/2024 22:50

Goodness me I understand how frustrating it is when you find out information after the fact.

There was lots of dodgy dealings with foster carers with our eldest, and we had to fight to get all the information after they had been placed. The anger is real, and I have spent many nights lying there with my boy in my arms the way his foster carer should have done and didn't. Fed him the way they should have done and they didn't. Taken care of his body and hair the way they should have done and they didn't. I'm furious on his behalf and have cried when I think of his little body not having it's needs met the way he deserved. I'm also sad and angry for us because it took so much energy away from when we should have been bonding with our child and we were trying to work out what on earth was happening and why. I cringe when I think of all the time I wasted trying to parent in a way that wasn't very effective, and had we known all the history, we would have done it differently. It makes me bitterly sad.

If he is still there, don't accept nursery accepting delays. I know it's easier said than done, but get them to be specific about the interventions they are running to bring him up to speed. He deserves it. They should understand his risk factors are huge, and he needed people to take that seriously. I would be sitting down with whatever report they have been given, asking for a meeting with the new school and saying that you want him to either be making progress before Christmas or them to start working on finding out the reason why.

It is really frustrating when they don't see what happens at home. Our eldest is a dream at nursery 98% of the time, and it is only after nearly 18 months that the mask starts to slip at nursery every now and then. However they have seen the pick ups that are difficult, and we have been very open and honest with them about what we face at home. That really helped them to contextualise the behaviour we saw and how it had an impact at nursery.

Hopefully school will be more supportive because they will have more skin in the game- after all they will have him for 7 years, so it is worth it for them to get it sorted sooner rather than later. However it might help to speak with the senco as soon as term starts outlining your concerns and explain what you see at home and what your suspicions are, as well as where you are at with any referrals to community paediatrician, ASF etc.

You can definitely do a parent EHCP application if they aren't willing to assess though. Our borough was surprisingly helpful with this, and although it was laborious, it got the attention of the settings and the pressure of an external panel asking for information meant that interventions were delivered, reviewed and adhered to, which made a difference to our son. It is about your child's ability to access all aspects of life, social life and family life as well. My children cannot access that in the same way and it is detrimental to their health and ability to access education, and I would argue that if your child is already not meeting his expected development goals, there are grounds to say that it is affecting not only these aspects but his educational abilities as well.

Finally, do take some time to reflect and regroup. Living with and loving a kid who has multiple needs can be tricky and draining. (Being that kid isn't a basket of apples either, but this is Mumsnet not kidsnet so you get the sympathy here!) if you don't have someone to back you up it can be hard, and it is valid for you to feel all sorts of emotions about that all at the same time!

AMP16 · 04/08/2024 07:58

Thank you for all your supportive comments/answers/thoughts! It’s been really helpful

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