What is wrong with my lovely ds, 8? The school are defeated.

[bunny3]

Ds, coming to end of Yr 3, has had an IEP since Reception. The targets have been similar each year and loosely comprise targets for concentrating, handwriting, organisation, dressing. He has been assessed 2X by EP and referred once to a Paed (in Yr 1)who made no diagnosis (though Aspergers was mentioned).

Now the school are suggesting applying for a Statement as his problems are affecting his learning and they have exhausted all their strategies and dont know what to do next.I asked to move him onto Schhol Action+ a year ago but the EP said he didnt need to be. Now they tell me he might need a statemt but will need to be on School Action+ for a year first. I feel so sad and aslo angry that they didnt put him on SA+ a year ago as his problems were identified so long ago.

Hope this makes sense

I couldn't let your post go unanswered. Have you looked at the dyspraxia website? It sounds as if it could be partly that at least.here

Poor you - that sounds crap. I would be angry about that as well. It's all down to budgets in the end.

Has he seen a developmental paediatrician? They are the people who are the real experts in diagnosing Aspergers etc, not an ed psych who really can't. Your gp could refer your ds to a developmental paediatrician. Also has he seen an occupational therapist? if he is dyspraxic, they are the people to see and to help. My child has both and a statement. He's the yummiest boy!

Thankx 4 replies. I have had a good look at the Dyspraxia website and dh and I both agree he ticks around 10 of the 16 boxes in listed on the symptoms page. Ds was seen by the Dev Paed 3 yrs ago but I wasnt very impressed with him, he didnt seem particularly interested and was quite dismissive.

MsD, who was the most helpful professional for your ds? Can an OT help with organisation/concentration?

Hi, yes, and smy ds's OT has also been a brilliant advocate for him in school, explaining his difficulties and the best way to deal them. It has really got people to understand him better and he's much happier. He is having a block of OT sessions this summer holiday which I hope will help him more. Dyspraxia never goes away, but maturity and understanding of his difficulties help a lot - I don't mean your understanding, I mean understanding by professionals such as teachers. ds will, for example, get a laptop at school next year as his handwriting is illegible. Ds is a complex little chap with overlapping difficulties. I have high hopes for him all the same. I didn't find the paed massively helpful at all with ds's day to day difficulties, but he gave him his diagnosis well one of them ) , which has been very useful both in terms our understanding him and in getting him the help and understanding he needed at school.

MsD, how old is your ds? We want to teach ds to touch type so he can get his (fabulous) ideas down quickly. I dont know if the school will allow him to use one. It is one of my questions for the Head (meeting in first week of next term). We are also thinking of a private tutor on saturday mornings just to focus on handwriting. did you try anything like this?

As your ds has already been involved with external agencies, he's been on School Action Plus anyway - the 'plus' just means that other agencies e.g. EP/ OT are involved.

And the whole year thing is pretty irrelevant too.

The point is that children qualify for a statement if the school can't meet their needs from their own resources and have acted on advice from outside agencies without success.

Good luck - don't let them fob you off.

bunny3,

It is not correct to tell you at all that your DS needs to be on SA plus for a year before applying for a statement.

EP also works for the LEA and these people are under pressure not to do anything.

You're better off applying to the LEA for the Statement yourself now rather than letting the school do it. (You will need to write to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA and give them six weeks to apply, note that date on your calendar). This is for two reasons; first off if you apply yourself you know its been done then (some schools sit on applications for months) and secondly you as the parent can appeal if the LEA say no. School has no such right.

IPSEA www.ipsea.org.uk are good at the whole minefield that is the statementing process and they have good information on their website.

You are your child's best - and ONLY advocate.