Anyone had any success with getting private support for assessments ?

[LIZS]

Am increasingly feeling that ds' potential is being underestimated because he has issues with handwriting, coordination and processing and also confidence in class. He intermittently has OT on nhs but because he is at an independent school we've hit brick walls so far with getting any further assessments. There seems to be an underlying assumption that we can and will pay if needs be.

School say if we pay to get one done now (ds is Year 5) we'd need to get another one in Year 7 to get concessions such as extra time etc in entrance tests for 13+. However there could be a benefit doing this sooner as it could enable them to support him differently if his issues were more specifically identified.

Has anyone successfully got a private school to fund assessments or sourced funding from elsewhere to do so ? It is very frustrating as it seems as if we are losing precious time in which he could be making up ground.

anyone ?

Hi Liz - I don't have any knowledge if indendant schools so Im afraid I can't offer any advice on that one. Have you asked your GP for a referal to a developmental peadiatrician? Also are you with BUPA - I know they provide an ASD assessment, although I don't know about anything else.

Thanks for the reply. We got to the OT via paediatrician a year or more back. Have asked the OT as to whether we should go back to him but she doesn't think so and was going to look into alternative routes, but that was 6 weeks ago. I had expected a letter from her summarising the last appointment and then a follow up call at half term. Trouble is it is that even if we do something soon it will be too late to action before the autumn term now.

Sometimes it seems such a struggle to make small progress in the system. Should we just bite the bullet and go private now to kick start support , or will that just reinforce their apathy ? Should we override the OT and ask directly to go back to the paed ?

hi liz.

DS is at an independent school and the head told me that he needs an OT Asessment.

i phoned up my childrens disabilities team and they have organised the OT to carry out the asessment, not sure if she will go into school or see him at her office, but the school have said they will take him if its in school time.

i was told it doesnt matter which school your child is at, it matters where you live and if you pay your rates to the local authority then their OT has to asess your child if needed.

HTH

I got my ds done privately. It cost about £300 7 years ago, and it was the best £300 I have ever spent. Everything became much clearer then.

He doesn't need another assessment in Yr 7 for extra time. That is up to the school to identify that (or at least it is in comprehensive system, don't know about private)My ds got extra time in Ks 2 and 3 after being identified by school as requiring it on the back of the private assessment I had done

I will also add that finding any sort of funding in LEA for this type of thing is very hard. There is no money in the system, but from what you are saying your ds does have some problems, and processing is really an issue that needs prompt assessment

Have spoken to the OT again who agrees that in principle we should n't have to pay and is looking into any options which may be open and will call the SENCO too. She also feels an assessment sooner rather than later could mean earlier intervention and resolve some of the problems sooner than if this goes on long term. Fingers crossed we get somewhere.