DD6 school keep insisting on assessment

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We recently had a parents being and again, the school are wanting to have our youngest assessed for SEN help in the classroom.
The 2 previous assessments through our local health authority showed she is normal, healthy with no issues. The nurse basically laughed and said the schools being over cautious.
Dd is laid back and strong willed, not necessarily a great combination as her school can be strict.
Schools asked me to arrange hearing and eyes sight tests as she’s doesn’t always respond to instructions straight away. The optician confirmed she has 20-20 vision and next week we’re travelling to a hospital 45 minutes away to get her hearing checked out (I’m certain her hearing is fine) but happy to rule it out as a potential issue.
Im actually more upset by the teachers uncaring attitude towards our daughter. She went into a diatribe about how she finds dd challenging, emphasis all on the negative.
No major behavioural issues at home apart from not wanting to go to bed at night. Has anyone else had a similar situation? Currently feel like we’re going to have this all the way through her schooling. I’m starting to dread her parents evenings as she’s still only little and it feels that because she’s not a “good” girl for them they don’t know what to do with her.
She loves school but any guidance or tips would be appreciated, thanks xx

2 separate issues:

1. SEN Support in school. This is based on needs, not diagnosis. The school must make their best endeavours to meet a pupil's SEN, diagnosis of not. Same applies for EHCPs if one is needed. They are also based on needs, not diagnosis. Have you spoken to the SENCO? What support is being provided?
2. Diagnostic assessment. If this is being raised again, I would listen, especially since DD is having difficulties at school. Were the 2 previous assessments actually proper assessments? It would be unusual to have been referred for assessment, sat on the waiting list and been assessed twice within, at most, 2 and a bit years, so I am wondering if they weren’t complete assessments. What were the assessments for? Were they by just the nurse?

Hi thanks for your reply. I honestly don’t know much about SEND and I don’t even know what EHCP is.

You’re right in saying they weren’t specific SEND tests looking to diagnose any ND conditions. More to check she was developing correctly. A gait clinic suggested she had hyper mobility but when we went to an orphopeadic hospital for further tests who said she had good flexibility but no other gross motor skill concerns.

The 2nd test was with 2 paediatric nurses who were lovely and said she was absolutely fine. They did lots of tests and activities with her so we felt reassured.

The school haven’t explained things to me very well so thanks for clarifying how it works. I may need to toughen up a bit myself as quite often take criticism personally.

I feel reassured now so thank you.

Hi thanks for your reply. I honestly don’t know much about SEND and I don’t even know what EHCP is.

Sounds like it's time to start reading up OP. The SN Children section is usually very good at taking you through how to get a usable one.

Agree with Keep, if school want her referring to a Paediatrician for assessing for ASD and possibly ADHD o would listen and ask how she gets referred. The waiting lists are long and if she does have either it would be better for her to have an ECHP and a diagnosis before High School and Puberty both start.

If she doesn't have either then she simply won't get a diagnosis.

It might be worth going this simple SLT checker too. My DD had some important aspects of her speech missing which we were unaware of until much later.

As difficult as it is to hear, it is actually positive the school is raising concerns. Ask for a meeting with the SENCO. An educational psychologist assessment would be helpful - if you request an EHCNA and the LA agree to assess an ed psych assessment will be part of the needs assessment..

I also think it is worth another referral for diagnostic assessment. Neither previous assessment has been comprehensive, nor looked at anything in particular.

An EHCP is an Education, Health and Care Plan. A legal document in England (Wales, Scotland and NI have similar but called different things) that sets out a child’s needs and the provision they require to meet those needs. It is for those whose needs/provision go beyond what can be provided for at a SEN Support level in schools. An EHCNA is the needs assessment you first request as part of the process. IPSEA and SOSSEN are charities who support parents of DC with SEN. It is worth looking at their websites and also reading the SENCOP.

Definitely need to start researching Siouxie.

It’s certainly a new world I’m unfamiliar with. Thankfully there are lovely people like yourself and Keep to offer advice 😊

I’ll look at the SLT checker you’ve recommended and go from there.

Her school do seem to be on the ball about it. I’ve possibly been laid back about it myself so will be stepping up a gear and going into full mum mode going forward.

ND are on spectrums I do know and are more prevalent then we perhaps realise. I’ll still be looking into how schools deal with it all.

Thanks again both x