Please would you mind taking the time to read and give comment on my letter? I have followed the template from the Early Support booklet I have at home.
Request For Formal Assessment
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to ask you to assess the special educational needs of my son * (D.O.B *), under Section 323 of the Education Act 1996. I am making this request as is my right under Section 329 of the Act.
* attends the nursery at , and I believe that he needs more help than the nursery can provide. currently attends five morning sessions, but his entry was delayed due to needing to determine whether would be able to cope without one-to-one assistance in the classroom. As the process for Funding is currently on-going, extra physical support for has not yet been provided, and so the staff are unable to spend one-to-one time with him. I believe this support is essential, as due to *'s mobility problems, and speech delay, he needs somebody who is able to understand he needs and ensure that he does not come into any difficulty.
I have written my views on my child's difficulties in the enclosed report.
The following people are involved with my child and are available to provide advice and reports on ** difficulties:
Mr XYZ
Dr ABC
I understand that you are required by law to reply to this request within six weeks and that if you refuse I will be able to appeal to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal.
Report Detailing **'s Difficulties
? * was born at 29+5 gestation by emergency caesarean at , weighing 1.49kgs. He was initially ventilated for just less than 24 hours, followed by CPAP for a further 5 days. He spent a total of 6 weeks in Special Care. He was initially nasogastric tube fed, but this had been removed by the time of discharge from hospital. had an ultrasound scan when he was four days old, showing a small right germinal matrix haemorrhage. A repeat scan a week later showed echogenic flares within the right parenchymal region and sequential scans showed a cystic change in the same region. had a MRI scan of the brain in October 2009 which did not show any overt focal abnormality. He had a diagnosis in July 2009 of mild-moderate cerebral palsy, and displays physical difficulties that are associated with left-sided hemiplegia. * receives middle-rate care and high rate mobility Disability Living Allowance. He is also part of the Blue Badge Scheme.
? Initial concerns arose when at around 8 months, * was not able to sit unaided, and he had fisting of his left hand. Soon afterwards, it was noted that he developed equinus posturing of his left ankle with a tight heel cord. Throughout the course of the year, continued to adopt this posture, and it became more prominent especially when he was weight bearing. Physiotherapy and Orthotic Services were involved. He was supplied with AFO splints for both legs. Botulinum Toxin has been discussed more recently and it was felt that he should be given time to adapt to the latest AFO splint and heel support he was given, with a view of being referred to the Botox Clinic at his review appointment on 11 November. * learned to sit at 10 months, but did not crawl until he was 15 months old, and finally learnt to walk at 2 years and 4 months.
? * does not have any general health problems. He sleeps throughout the night, and will still have an afternoon nap for 1-2 hours. He is quite a faddy eater, and is very reluctant to try foods that he does not recognise. It has been suggested that the occupational therapist introduces messy play with *, to introduce him to various feelings as it is thought he has a sensitivity to certain textures. His weight is below average. He has no known allergies.
? * is able to walk without the need of physical support. He wears an AFO splint on his left foot, and uses a heel support inside his right shoe. Despite the splint, Kerem still attempts to walk on his tip-toes, causing him to 'hobble' and have difficulties with his balance. He is unable to run or jump. The nursery which attends is a busy setting, with children constantly moving around. Although * does not shy away from trying to be mobile, he is hindered when trying to navigate his way around as his muscle tone increases when he is active. Increased muscle tone has also been noted in his left arm when he is active or excited, however, he will use both hands in order to do an activity. He can achieve simple tasks like throwing, pointing and holding a pen.
? 's speech and language skills are somewhat delayed in comparison to other children of his age. SALT have been involved since was around 15 months old. He uses both Makaton and words in order to communicate, but his speech is very unclear and often cannot be understood by people who do not know him well. He uses around 15-20 words, recognising most everyday objects. will answer simple questions, but struggles to initiate conversation. 's Dad is Turkish, and both English and Turkish are used at home, with understanding simple sentences and instructions in both languages. Close family members often have difficulty understanding what is saying, and so it is a big concern that in a setting where is still new, he is not able to express his needs. He does not have one-to-one help in which someone can get to know well enough to ensure that his needs are met. cannot structure questions, and can only form 3-4 word sentences. He understands key words in a question or instruction and often knows what is expected of him. can recognise many sounds and understands gestures. His sight and hearing have been checked and no problems have been reported.
? ** lacks the ability to complete many basic personal tasks that should be expected of him at this age. Due to the stiffness in his left arm and hand, he cannot put on his own shoes, fasten his own coat, or get dressed without support. The potty training process is proving difficult as he is unable to pull down his trousers in time in order to prevent an accident. He manages tasks such as washing, using a fork and spoon, and putting on a hat, but it is the skills that are needed most in a school environment that he lacks.
? ** is able to show his feelings. He is a sensitive child, and quite emotional at times if he takes a fall or sees somebody else upset. He often becomes frustrated when he can?t make his feelings understood through speech, and can display this through anger. He is also very anxious when in new surroundings or situations, and this has been visible in nursery as he has been starting the session later than the other children so that the atmosphere would be calm and settled when he arrived and the staff could focus on him whilst the other children started activities.
? * has two younger sisters and has very good relationships with both. is almost 2 years old and so her are able to play together and seek each other for company. is 3 months old, and * is very protective of her, realising that she needs a lot of attention. His paternal Grandparents live in Turkey, but has frequent contact with them through visits and over the Internet using Skype. He has only recently been able to develop on his social skills through starting nursery as he was not previously in a childcare setting. His maternal Grandparents have passed away, and he has no Aunties or Uncles living in the UK. He has only really been used to spending time with parents and siblings, and so he has developed social skills through interacting with the children and staff at nursery. He shies away from adults that he does not know, often showing embarrassment when they try to communicate with him. He has a few friends out of nursery of a similar age, and can find it difficult to engage in play as he cannot communicate well enough to initiate a game or role play situation. He will play alongside other children, but does not tend to play with other children.
? Although the cerebral palsy will not get any worse, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done by professionals in order for * to catch up developmentally to the abilities of children his age. This help is currently available through the health professionals involved with *, but the support needs to be present at nursery, and subsequently school, as he is due to start primary school next year.
? I believe that * needs the help of a classroom assistant who would work with him on a daily basis. This person would be able to learn the way that communicates and understand his needs and emotions. needs support with the most basic of tasks such as dressing and help when using the toilet. He would most certainly struggle when in primary school without this help. He would be unable to dress and undress himself for P.E. and to a certain extent, be unable to participate due to his physical disabilities. As * uses both Makaton and speech, he needs 1:1 interaction with somebody who can learn what he is contributing to the class.
This is where I just seem to trail off! As I previously mentioned, he isn't currently receiving any additional help in nursery and is being treated as the other children. SALT and physio are yet to visit nursery, so I cannot make comment on what help is or isn't available as no suggestions have been made yet. The only help I can suggest is that he would benefit from 1:1 interaction, but nursery have put in an application for funding for this that is still being processed.
Please criticise away and oops- didnt realise parts would show up in bold text with me using * for his name! Ive not done it for any reason like that!