Please help with statementing question - is clinical psych report enough?

[meagle]

Hi there

I posted this message on the SN children's section but wasn't sure if that's the right place, so have put it here too.

My son, 13 years, was referred to ARD team at local CAMS by the doctor treating him for OCD. The report concludes he has mild ADHD and PDD 'other'. We want to apply for a statement as his school does not support him well, despite me trying to get help for 2.5 years. My question is, is this report enough to back up a statement, or do we need to get a private Ed Psych report as well? Clinical pysch's report says he has low average reading score (10 yrs 11 mths) and Numerical Operations a shocking 4 years 8 months. Son is about to sit SATS, and I'm conscious that time is running out to get him help before reaching GCSEs. Any advice on statementing process would be hugely appreciated!

There's a reposnse on the SN Children board

Hi im going through statementing at the moment once the process starts the school do different reports ,he will also probably be seen by different specialists and they will ask for reports from previous specialists ect your son may have already seen in his diagnosis stage, they will send this as part of the statement to a local educational psych you can pay(very expensive) as an extra report yourself from a private ed psych but they dont advice it as they believe them as i was told to be biased as i looked into this myself and was told they frowned upon it and would probably ignore what was written, your not alone my son is autistic and its taken me since he was two to get this far hes now almost 11 and has all the classic symptoms of asd and i cried n cried out for help and its only as the situation deteriorated so badly hes now been excluded twice and is now trying to self harm they are noticing us, anything else if i can help get in touch also can i ask have you contacted your local parent partnership they are brilliant and will help you at every stage and come with if you wish and speak elequently on your behalf write letters for you ect and help you be heard? best wishes

Dear Baileyandtinks
Thanks for your message and support. I'm sorry to hear about your son - is he getting help now?
I am going to get an independent Ed Pysch route, because LEA haven't yet said whether they agree to assess, and if they do, I'm not convinced the LEA ed psych will be unbiased. I haven't tried parent partnership yet - I heard they too are biased. Maybe it depends which LEA you are talking about. Our is frankly rubbish! :)

Wait until the LA tell you whether they intend to assess before paying for a private report (unless you yourself want a full picture of your child's problems from a private Ed Pysch).

You may find you don't need it and if they do refuse you'll have plenty of time to get a private report before Tribunal appeal.

Soory just saw a bit more in your post

I'm not convinced the LEA ed psych will be unbiased.

I vcan guarantee the LEA will be biased - to save money.

I haven't tried parent partnership yet - I heard they too are biased.

I lot are - they develop a very cosy relationship with the LEA over the years and some are really not up to speed on edictaional law.

Maybe it depends which LEA you are talking about.

No - I think most LEAs (if not all) are totally rubbish.