Independant EP assessment? ...Debs40, Lougle,...and anyone who can point me in the direction, plz

[genieinabottle]

Hi, i feel the 'promised' provision is just not happening at school for DS.

Since monday, class teacher hasn't been in. So TA and a very young looking girl (showing my age here! lol) are holding the fort.

DS has had no reading book since monday, his communication book hasn't been filled, we don't know yet when SALT will be coming to see him at school for her 1st visit, no update about EP visit either. So unsure when his new IEP will be written (apparently they are working on his old one from nursery dated at least 7 months ago)
Half of the Pecs for his timeline have disappeared. Pecs that i provided as school couldn't seem to find theirs!

I just don't know anything. I have this awful feeling that as long as he remains passive and isn't being a pain for them , they will do nothing and fob us off.

I'm thinking of going along the private path and get an independent EP who knows her stuff about ASD and speech and language delays/disorder for an assessment...
Anyone can recommend one in my area (south of england)? and what are the costs involved?
If i find someone how do i go about getting school to agree to let EP do anassessment of DS in classroom?
At least i'll be able to trust what comes out of it, and be able to make a better decision re:whether to go down the statementing route.

Thank you.

Hi genie. Firstly, have you spoken to the EP service yourself, going around the school? The EP for your area says: "You can contact us directly. We will discuss your concerns and agree a way
forward. Sometimes we will suggest things that you might do or suggest
someone else to contact. Sometimes, with your permission, we will discuss
your concerns with those that know and work with your child.
We don?t operate a referral system with strict criteria so do not have a
waiting list. We do have priority areas of work and there are priority groups
of children with whom we work, for example, children in care and those
that have experienced bereavement. As we have limited resources and
time, we rely on a responsible negotiation about the nature of any work
we are being asked to consider and, if we agree to become involved what
timescales are reasonable."

I will PM you their number, to avoid giving location away, in case you like to stay annonymous.

If you speak to the area office, and they can't give you any idea of when they might see mastergenie, then you can seriously decide on private EP assessment.

I think you do have to consider that whatever the EP says, though, the school have to be willing participants in your DS's care, and it doesn't look good

Thank you.

Two weeks ago SENco told us during meeting with herself and HT, that school was going to get EP to come and visit DS.

But that is the same EP, DS saw a year ago at nursery. She was called n by area senco and if i recall it took 4 months from referal for her to actually go in to see DS.

And all she did was a quick observation of barely 20 minutes and 10 minutes of this DS was outside running around in the nursery garden.
Then we saw her again at 2 meetings, where she was quite adamamnt telling us that DS 's needs were not severe enough to even think about statmenting, and that iho, he prsented simialrly to a child with asd but he din't have it.
She finally passed on DS's file over to a trainee EP (i was fuming!) who came out for obs at our house and actually i felt quite pleased with her recommendations and advice.

I just don't know if i can trust the EP who is attached to the school iyswim.
I just want someone to go in, observe DS , do an assessment and write a report that is acurate and trueful to help us make a decision whether DS does need a statement or not.

I have a room dedicated to it, Star. The council give me a band reduction on account of having a room specifically dedicated to disabled person(s)....

Nah, I just have a memory for that sort of thing, and genie is not a million miles away from me.

In fact, that is why namechanging is a very bad thing - it mucks up my circuit board

we went to one in reading, but i just found her by googling tbh.

i think her name was jasmine murray - don't recommend her in particular, she just happened to be handy.

about £600 iirc

Thanks for info

Genie, im in South East and have just booked an EP, i have no idea if she is any good, but she come recommended by sensos and is willing to attend tribunals if it should come to that.

I have a list of recommended EP's in my area (from sensos) if thats any good to you?

If not sensos can provide you with a list of EP's in your area who they recommend.

Claw if you could pm me your list, that would be great.

And i will have to have a word with senco again soon it would seem.

I have messaged you the list. Hope it is of some help.

Claw3, maybe something is wrong with my inbox messages ...can't see anything from you. sorry.

Ah no it's working now, just this minute i've got the two messages you send me. Maybe i was checking too quickly after logging in.

Thanks

We had an independent EP report. She spent a morning and lunchtime at my daughter's school and saw her on another occasion too.

I sent a letter in to the HT requesting this and asking for possible dates. We were forced into doing this because my child was not getting the help she needed and the HT a lying bitch never told us the truth. The school were very nervous about it and to us the report made devastating reading.

After a long struggle it did help us get my daughter placed in the school we wanted.

Genie, will send it again in a few seconds, let me know if you dont get it and we can work something else out.

Just sent it Genie.

Hiya will send you details of the woman we are seeing. She answers emails, talks on the phone and sounds like she knows DS without ever having met him! She is in Bristol, comes highly recommended and is widely known for Tribunal work.