Anyone willing to look at proposed statement?

[starfish71]

I am in a bit of a state at the moment. Have had proposed statement now for a few weeks, had initial meeting with LEA saying that I didn't feel it was setting out provision very well and what we really wanted was ds to get a place in ASD unit which looks very good.

No place at unit at moment, his name is on waiting list. Current school not very ASD friendly and frankly hard work to deal with.

As it stands have got a meeting for end of the month with LEA, school & EP but have just been told lady from SNAP who was going to attend with me is not able to attend.

Know I need to get this sorted but I know there are many more experienced mums on here who have been through this and just wondered if someone would be willing to have a look for me?
Thanks

Hi Starfish
Probably can't wade through the statement but what are the provisions that are set out. ie how many hours 1-1, how many hours OT, SaLT etc.

What do you want besides the other school, as there isn't a place what is the next best thing.

Just a few ideas and then maybe a few of us can help you with some ideas what you should ask for in the meeting.

Hi-I'm just going through the process of getting my ds's statement updated - You have to make sure that what you want is set out very clearly-how many hours-(as daisysue2 has said)exactly how will the necessary provision be delivered -don't know what you are asking for,but as an example SALT-how frequently,for how long,on what basis(group/individual)?-don't let them use words like 'should' or 'he would benefit from' ,put words like 'he will..','he must have ' don't let them get away with being woolly-when you have your meeting,try to take someone who can be supportive for you,and even take notes if necessary-and if you think the unit is the best place for your son,push for it as it amazing how places can suddenly 'appear' - good luck

Hi daisysue, thanks for replying.

It states 15 hours of teaching assistant support - that may may extended to other pupils being taught in the same group or class.

Speech and language - says - speech & language therapy targets to be provided by qualified SALT and intergrated daily into all aspects of national curriculum through the IEP and implemented in small group/individual work with teaching/support staff.

OT - school should consider implementing the 'smart moves'. Advice regarding motor programmes and sensory diets will be provided to school by the occupational therapist.

DS requires a structured individualised and numeracy programme which builds and extends on his current reading and spelling skills as well as his knowledge of basic number skills and concepts.

Then there is lots of

DS would benefit from a broad and balance multi sensory, experiential curriculum that allows him frequent opportunities to over learn and to have tasks and instructions augumented as needed. Additional direct adult support will also be required to guide him through his approach to a task.

To me it seems so vague and wishy washy but I have such little experience I am questioning whether I can get more in the statement?

Any help - very grateful

Thank you intothewest - nothing in my ds's seems to be put into hours apart from the 15 hours support and it is up to the school how it is used.
I am not very good at all this and am scared am going to mess it up for my ds.

starfish

You are okay honestly!. You have sought advice on here for a start and that shows you also to be a responsible Mum who has the best interests of her DS at heart.

How long though have you had the statement for?. I will stand corrected on this but you only have a certain amount of time (8 weeks?) from the time the statement doc is issued to challenge it.

You can and should get more, far more if you challenge them. Look carefully at Parts 2 and 3 of this document as these are the most important parts of the whole statement doc. My guess is that you're the latest in a very long line of parents that have been given a wishy washy mealy mouthed statement by a LEA determined to spend as little cash as possible.

Try and get a hold of independent organisations like IPSEA and or SOS:SEN; they will tell you what Parts 2 and 3 should say.

You certainly do NOT want anythign like "DS will benefit from..." No, just no. You instead want DS will receive...

Reject the statement outright as it stands and be fully prepared to go to SENDIST for your DS.

Thanks Attila means alot to have some reassurance and support.

I have had statement since 28th Sept. I have been told that the clock has stopped ticking once I called the first meeting. Hope that is right?

Right will try and contact those organisations and get more advice. Can you e-mail them or is it just telephone helplines?

Going to take ds up now and as long as I don't fall asleep too (does happen alot ) will try and get looking at those organisations.

Hello, I am going through my proposed statement as well, and the NAS has been extremely helpful. Look at their website for the Education helpline. I left a message asking for help and a volunteer came back to me within 2 days. She gave my statement a good going over .

Other organizations are normally much harder to get through to! As far as I can see, you can only ring their helplines.

I also tried ACE who gave good general advice. A volunteer from SOSSEN is also looking through my statement. I gave up on IPSEA who are impossible to get hold of.

Good luck, it's such a worrying time.

Hi Starfish. How old is you DS. How serious is his condition. Can he be left unsupervised during lessons, playtime lunchtime etc. How many hours did the school ask for. How many hours do you think he needs access to 1-1 (remember access to 1-1 just means a TA in the classroom not his personally).

What did you ask for in your report. Apart from being refused the school you wanted are they giving you what you asked for. Where you clear enough in requesting what you want. The wording seems as if they have cut and pasted it from the general Statement form they use.
I try to be very specific about what I want, how many hours I want it for then that way they know exactly what I want.

My DD has 28 hours access to 1-1. Fought for over many years. What I learnt very late on is that if you go back to the case officer and say you need more hours, with the backing of the school, and ask it to be put in the proposed statement, believe it or not they sometimes just add the extra hours in so long as you have the evidence to show that it is needed. I think we originally were denied anything then given 12 hours, or something similar. We kept getting it raised. Through pushing and pushing. OK so that is the 1-1.

SaLT - how much input do you think he needs. My dd has three one hour session with the SaLT each half term. The LAs then spent 15 mins with her everyday do the exercises set by the SaLT. Would this sort of provision be adequate for your DS or do you think he needs more. What did you ask for?

OT - again what did you ask for? My dd has two 10/15 minute sessions with the LA before morning and afternoon lessons. This is through a programme provided by the OT for sensory intergration therapy.

Be specific about what you want. Talk to the SENCO about what they can provide. I have all of the above but it's not all I want, it's just what the school is will do.

Write out again exactly what you want and why you want it and email that back to them saying that you want it put in the statement before you agree to it.

Thank you to all who have replied - it is a lonely business doing this and nice to feel understood.

My DS is 6, nearly 7. I want 25 hours support for him.

His SALT report states he has a severe disorder in comprehension compounded by expressive difficulties and sensory issues. He has severe communication difficulties and particular problems with the social aspects of language affecting his relationship with others. - really need this to be more detailed in terms of how they are going to help him.

DS has a recent diagnosis of autism.

I have spoken to SOS SEN and got a bit of advice and have left my details for NAS to ring me back.

Any more suggestions/advice very gratefully received. Thank you Still feeling shaky though!

Hi Starfish you are actually doing really well consdering you feel shaky!!

Have you asked for the 25 hours and proved that he needs the support ie school should say they can't manage with any less? Should show that he does well with any of the support he has. Would be a danger to himself and other children if left unsupervised in playground. Show how examples etc.

For his SaLT it should show that he needs a 1-1 there all the time to explain what the teacher is talking about as he would be unable to process the language etc.

Just need to keep banging on about every point.

This is just my view but I wouldn't say no to the statement just say you want these points added in. You don't really want to have to go to tribunal if you can get it changed through a bit of gentle persuasion. Remember they are used to parents who just accept what they are given.

Thanks daisysue, am sitting here ploughing through the statement and the advices.

There have been lots of bits missed out in part 2 - his scores in the educational testing by EP and the SALT. Also recommendations from the autism advisory teacher about being in a class with a high staffing ratio than currently provided. Also not in there is school's report which states they feel his needs would be best met through a setting with high adult/pupil ratio!

Is it this sort of stuff that I should be pointing out and getting included in the statement?

Also lots of stuff not included in part 3 from the salt - stating that ds will require a high level of additional adult support in order to cope with remaining on task, following insturctions etc.

Am I on the right track? Thank you for taking time to reply - am wobbling but determined!

Yes you are just keep cutting and pasting it out. So you would say for instance SaLT says this which would mean this level of support. Just repeat yourself a lot. I think I said previously just write the statement that you feel you want.

Keep wobblingly fierce!

Thanks daisy, feel bit better that I have made a start! Off out in the cold to get ds now but thank you again am on right track now I hope!

Just another quick question if anyone about.

Where there is a long list of identified needs in part 2 for example -

To develop understanding of language
to develop expressive language skills
to develop social communication skills
to develop literacy skills
to develop numeracy skills

in part 3 it should detail exactly how they plan to do this shouldn't it?

It shouldn't just say stuff like - ds will need instructions spoken in short phrases and given one at a time. /
DS will benefit from adult help and supervision to facilitate his social interaction skills.

Is this sort of stuff that is not good in a proposed statement?

That sort of stuff is fine. Reason being that the statement can go with him for a long time and will be read by teachers and TAs over the next few years. So they may not know that he needs instructions spoken in short phrases etc.

But when it says he will benefit from adult help ... for social skills. This should be qualified with say: through a social skills groups with peers, work in small groups in class room and in social settings.

It's better to get something solid. School can always say he is getting adult supervision but if it's more specific you can ask specifically when his social skills group is.

Developing literacy/numeracy skills could be "through anindividualsied structured programme that my not follow the National Curriculum".