statement criteria?

[Willmum]

I just wondered if any of you ladies could help? I'm just attempting to complete the parental report part for my sons statutory assessment, and just had a couple of queries.
Firstly his ed pysch has told me that she thinks he wont get one (theres a shock!) On the basis that he doesn't meet the lea's criteria. I asked he what the criteria were and got a 'not bery clear' answer.
I thought they were not any 'criteria' as such. Am I wrong in this or is there a way to find out what they are?

Also the reports are supposed to be in by this Sunday. However his salt (nhs) only rang me yesterday saying she's only just got the letter. She is seeing him next Fri at school and wants to then see me. So her report is obviously going to be late.

I feel I would really like to have seen all the reports before I finalise mine which I obviously can't do and meet the deadline.
I've rung the lea and they said they also haven't got the medical report nor the one from school or OT yet , but its not a major problem I can still send mine.

They also said I can delay sending mine until I've seen the others as they have 26 weeks in which to make the descision and so theres still loads of time. They said its common not to have reports on time and that they will just keep chasing the relevant people if they are not in.

So do I do what I can and send mine in or do I wait until I have seen them all so I can refer to them? I do have a prive salt report which I can refere to but would assume the nhs salt report may carry more weight?

I also dont want it to go against usif I don't send the report on time? I was thinking of just emailing them to confirm our conversation and that I will send my report after speaking to the nhs salt next Friday.

Just wondered if anyone had any advice as to what they would do?

Many Thanks

As for criteria, it depends why you are asking for a statement and the LEA panel.
If it is because he is not making academic progress then they usually ask to see evidence that he has not made progress with the support already provided by the school at School action or school action plus.
The school should provide copies of previous IEP's.
If there are safety or behavioural issues then the school/you must demonstrate that he needs additional support to either keep him safe or access the curriculum, maybe he needs an adult to keep him on task or to re explain teachers instructions.

ED psych reports are helpful in that they should show the level he is currently at (in ds2's case it gives his percentile) compared to his age, this will show a gap between him and his peers.

As for other reports, give them a ring and chase them yourself, ask them to give you a bit of verbal feedback over the phone, it may help you write your report.

Good luck.

When I google my LEA and 'SEN Statements' I found the criteria online....

I should have said this is compounded furthur by the fact that he only started pre-school this year, so only has just been given an iep, although he has had ot and salt involment for a year or so. Also the salt whose report we need has only met him once before for 30mins as he automatically got transfered to another salt when he started at pre school, so Im not sure she will be able to give much verbal feedback until she sees him next week.

Also I have tried our leas website but cant find any reference to criteria for sen statements. Are they likely to be the same 4 all lea's do you think?

Thanks again

Also have a read of the "SEN code of practice" any criterea they may use must fit with this document.
It is downloadable (is that a word?) on line, just google and it should come up.
If not I think either the IPSEA or SENDIST website has a link.

If he's just started preschool then the criteria you need to meet is in the COP. Usually you are expected to try preschool and any other support at action plus first for a reasonable time and they will add in layers of support bit by bit - called the graduated approach. To avoid this you have to say your child's needs are severe and complex and more than can be met from the ordinary resources of the pre school + SALT / OT etc. You can ask the SEN officer what do they expect the pre school / professionals to put in without a statement - here its 10 hours 1:1 out of a 15 hour nursery placement. Its very hard to show the preschool support is not enough when you have not tried it - but just say its clear it will be inadequate eg because need daily specialist teaching or direct SALT etc and appeal any refusal to statement - by the time you get near a tribunal enough months will have passed for it to be clear if the support is enough or not.

The EP should also get your views so should see you at home

i was told i wasn't allowed to see the professional's reports before the statement came out. when i did see them, there wasn't much that hadn't been included in earlier reports except SALT who had never written anything before.

we are in pre-school and we get 10 hours per week of LEA funded 1:1 support plus SALT.
OT hadn't actually assessed DD when statement process started, so they are adding in later, but other elements can start immediately by not waiting. that said my LEA seems to be a bit nicer than others are reported to be!

Hi, Ive done the FOI thing,thank-you, Ill see what they come back with. Past of the issue is that the pre-school are not giving him the support that is being suggested by salt, ot etc. I am hoping that whatever the outcome of the statutory assessment, the school may be more accountable, ie have to actually read the reports etc which currently they are not doing.
I can't understand why you wern't allowed to read the professional reports negligentmummy, as the info I've got says clearly that professionals should dicuss their reports with you before they submit them. I've emailed them anyway to confirm ehat they said so I have a record that they have said I can wait until I've seen his salt.
Thanks