How and when do we know if DD will get a Statement?

[happyfrogger]

DD is 18mo and has a moderate (60dB) bi-lateral sensori neural hearing loss. She was aided at 5 weeks and has regular support from a TODS teacher and a speech therapist who visit her both at home and nursery.

She is on track with her peers and speech and language is developing well, she has about 15 words and her understanding and listening is also on track.

How do I / her TODS teacher start the process of assessing for a Statement? Do I start this or does her TODS teacher?

We want to understand if the best level of support for her would be in a state school with a Statement, or an Independent school with smaller class sizes and more focused attention if there is no chance she would get a Statement anyway. Obviously this is also dependant on the specific schools themselves too but when competing for places I'd like to get an understanding of the likelihood a of a Statement. Is it based largely on an assessment or on her diagnosis? She is developing so well but that doesn't mean it's easy for her - the more support the better! I wouldn't want an assessment to find she is coping 'just fine' and doesn't need one if she would massively benefit.

TIA.

I can't answer as to if she will get a statement but I can tell you about my son. He has just started reception on school action plus, he has a 50db loss in the mid and high frequencies. He never needed speech therapy as his language is average for his peer group, he did do a PARROT test at nursery to assess whether he would benefit from a radio aid for starting school, he passed the test and has the use of radio aids at school which are amazing, in my sons own words "mummy I can hear the teacher, from across the room"! His TOD visits weekly and he is doing extremely well, far less tired!. He does go to a small school (we live in North Yorkshire) about 90 in the whole school, his class has 12 children and I purposefully chose a school with small class sizes, because of the noise level. I also went and viewed a lot of schools and you would be surprised at how some where not that hearing interested! The whole of the teaching staff/dinner ladies etc have been on a hearing awareness course, the senco is superb and so is the head, which I believe is most of the battle, his specific teachers have done more training and I could not be happier. I would ask nursery and your TOD for advice on a statement, but I do believe the right school with staff that are interested and who will listen is the most important thing. Hope this helps

Oh yes it's the local authority that fund my sons radio aids, if your dd would benefit from them then they would probably only fund them in a state school. We did investigate purchasing a set, they cost around £2500.