Statement process - tips & advice please

[JustKeepSparkling]

DS2 has developmental delay as a result of Infantile Spasms (form of epilepsy) and brain surgery last year.

He is nearly 3 (Jan 2011) and we have just formally started the Statement process so he can go to a SN pre-school (& then sch) from April 2011.

I've been warned it's a long process but his SALT & Portage worker assure me it's a 'formality' in his case so not to get stressed about it :)

I've just received the initial forms for me to 'tell them about my child' and would appreciate any tips from anyone who's been through it/knows the process to help me through.

Questions to answer that may need some thought:

"What are your concerns about your child's education?"

"Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your child?"

"What is your child good at at home?"
" ditto at pre-sch?"

"How do you think your child can best be helped at sch?"

TIA :)

bump :)

Dear JKS,
Its simple, your case is genuine, and inorder for your little one to access education effectively and to the best possible level, the statement process will help identify the extent of his SEN. I have been through the process with DD, 6yrs, and i too recieved one of those forms, which i used as a template to make up what is called a PARENTAL ADVICE letter.
You can include info regarding DS's abilitles with regard to his peer-age expectations and milestones. Tell them about why you think he would benefit from a place at a SEN pre-school, eg, needs regarding medication, nurses available, special support or first aid trained staff etc...
Try to include things you think he fares well in, and those where he might need more suppor in order to be able to access his Early Years Education Goals as laid out in the EYFS Curriculum.
(for ex, my DD is often able to dress unassisted, and yet, at times she gets extremely frustrated and wants help, or even shuns my help, so i have to be careful to ask her if she needs help. She might say yes, then, as i walk away, she will scream out asking for help). Her situation is behaviour, communication and learning difficulties, so my inputs as a parent were requested alongwith school's, Educational Psychologist's and SCD team's views.
Just relax, tell them yor concerns, keep informing them or his progress, request updates to his IEP fro the pre-school when you think he's already performing beyond his current IEP level.
All The Best!!

Thanks so much Shineon :)

I have started on it, stuck on the 'is there anything else...' question as i'm sure there is i just can't think what.

I will reread your post tomorrow whilst sitting with the form & some scrap paper and makes some notes.

Hi Just keep sparkling!

I hope you have an easy time making the Parental Advice document. If you need any more info, send me a post, and i'm looking through my parerwork (got loads since i re-started college this september) and trying to find my daughter's documentation for reference to reply to you in detail.
TC n best wishes,

Sorry not been back in a while.

Did my form, got the Portage worker to check it and she said it was fine.
Just the preliminary stuff so far.

She said she's done her bit so will bring it round to show me next week before sending it off.

And we had another visit to the SN school and can start to imagine DS2 being there and enjoying it :)

Hi Justkeepsparlking!!
I'm so pleased that you little one has been to see the SN school with you, and that you feel he'd enjoy it there!! Go Girl!!! Trust your instinct about the pre-school, cos that's so important! I hope everything works out fine for you. As the parental advice is in place, and Portage worker's set to do hers soon, it should be smooth sailing soon! Get all the help they offer with DS2, cos i can tell you from my DD1's experience, if you try to cope with everythig on your own, your other child might not be able to get the attention from you that they need.
DD1 and I visited the Paeds Doc yesterday, for her review, and the Doc thinks she might be able to get a firm diagnosis with her soon, if Occupational Health says their findings are consistent with the Docs. She suspects it is Dyslexia, alongwith Social Communication difficulties. Went on the web n browsed around for Dyslexia U.K- the signs of dyslexia are almost all present with DD1... lets see what the doc says... in a way, its going to be a relief to know what it is i'm dealing with- cos just being told she has Special needs is not easy- it gives me no guidelines to work with, or know what sort of behaviour to expect in a new situation...
you take care and keep me posted! Hows DS2 doing now?? I pray for him to have a good time at the new pre-school!!
take care,
R.

Ah, yes, have a HAPPY CHRISTMAS, you all!! love to the family!!
-R

Aww Shineon, thanks & to you too + Happy New Year :)

When we went to the SN school, it was just me & DH (& the portage worker who knows it well), the plan is to get DS2 to go for multiple visits with his 1-1 (our Nanny) between half-term and the end of term. I would like to go at least once with him to see him there for myself too.

Getting a 'name' is always better i think, any progress with your DD?

Well we've got the Appendix A forms through and the portage worker is going to go through them with me on Thurs, but i thought i'd try and write some notes beforehand - though i kind of feel that the parental bit is more of a pandering thing to make the parents feel included rather than being crucially important?

So far i'm on the 'what do you remember about the early years?' bit. Not a lot is the answer, a sleep-deprived haze, lol!

If your son needs physiotherapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy or speech or language therapy make sure it is written into the statement and how often - I think section 3 is where it should go to be legally binding by the education authority.

Once it is in the statement your son will have to get it and there can be no quibbling.

I would also request direct therapy if needed otherwise you may get it through a teaching assistant just over seen once a term by the therapist
Good luck

Thanks Aprildays - i will look out for all that when the draft comes through.

Our portage worker helped me through all of my Appendix A today, so have loads of notes that need writing up, hopefully over the weekend so i can post it off.

She also made me realise that Appendix A isn't just for the statement process but also v useful for the SN school to get info about DS2 once he's there.

Have started the merry-go-round with other HCPs, the Ed Psych observed him in pre-sch this morning, and made lots of stupid statements, totally winding up our Nanny (his 1-1), culminating with a) 'I don't think he really needs to go to school' + b) 'actually i've never been there so don't know much about it or the children they have there' And lots of 'oh well lots of children are like that sometimes', err right yes. The fact that he as a 1-1 and is in the room too young for his age doesn't give you any clues?!

Oh and she said she'd read up about him but then was surprised that he could walk....he got wobbly with his walking just pre-surgery but never lost it.

Anyway, after having a wobble that maybe we were totally on the wrong track and being too negative about him, luckily the portage worker arrived and reassured us (in a strange way) that he does need to go to SN school and he will get a statement. She is going to talk to this EdPsych and take her to the SN school for a visit hopefully before the silly cow woman comes for her home visit next Thurs.

Thought I'd update, now i'm not as cross as i was, lol.

The Ed Psych refused to make time to go to the SN school with our Portage Worker, so still hasn't been there.

PW spent an hour on the phone with her on the Fri (day after pre-sch visit) and spoke to me afterwards, was totally frustrated with various comments.
'they do know sending him there won't fix him don't they?'
and others.

Anyway she came here on Thurs, arrived late, and i'd warned PW that we'd be packing up at 2.45 to go on school run.
EP was all sweetness and light and didn't seem like she was even going to mention the school so i brought it up.
Said i know you have concerns but we are really keen that he goes there and have reassurance from the head that is will be possible to change schools if needed in the future.
She kept going on that where she came from (diff LA) it was different and not easy to change schools - well i had checked beforehand that here at least if you are moving from SN to mainstream you are top of the list, catchment areas etc are irrelevant. so he will go to wherever is recommended/suits him best.

She also said she'd read his Griffiths Development check report which is why she thought he was at 7months - that was only his fine motor skills for one thing, it would have said he was walking if she'd read it all properly. And, at the time i complained that the Griffiths check had not shown him at his best as he was still refusing to cooperate with a stranger present, let alone one asking him to do stuff.

Anyway, she was entirely aggravating!

The PW came round again on that Fri, next day, and we had a long chat. Again reassuring me (& DH) that the SN school is the right place for DS for now.
She also said that the EP had spoken to PW's boss after her home visit and made the unbelievable comment that:
"well that bit of his brain will grow back won't it and then he'll be fine again"
&

makes me so mad.

Anyway, sorry this is long, we have filled in out Appendix A, and added in the 'any other info' bit at the end, that:
'all of the professionals involved in DS2's long-term care agree wrt this SN school, the EP seems to be a lone voice in disagreeing and we feel her opinion is incorrect as she has only met DS2 twice and never been to the school'

Hope that gets the message across and she maybe even gets a rap across the knuckles

DS2 has got his statement :)

Draft statement arrived yesterday, we need to find some time (& brain power) to read through it all, but broadly we agree with it all.

Then we just have to nominate our preferred school (which our local education people have recommended & is the one we want) and send it back.

Yey :)

JKS

I sincerely hope it is a good statement, many LEAs will only issue the bare minimum in terms of provision particularly if there is anything like SALT (speech and language therapy) involved.

You do not want to see anything like, "child x will benefit from...." This is not specific enough. Reject it if that is there.

Provision must be both specified and quantified; if it is not then reject it. Look very carefully at Parts 2 and 3 before you agree to anything. If you are unsure run it past one of the charitable organisations out there who help parents. Examples include IPSEA, SOS:SEN and ACE.

You could also post on the Special Needs: Children part of this website as that forum receives far more daily traffic than this one.

Thanks for the tips Attila - i will also be getting our Portage Worker to look through it, she is a star.

Must try and sit down with it this weekend with DH and look out for those phrases.