Help - about to request a Statutory Assessment

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Hi - we are four weeks on from ASD diagnosis, have still not received the written report and I can no longer wait for it. Am going to start the process and send my request letter for a statutory assessment on Monday.
For some reason I am really scared I am going to screw up or not do good enough a job.
I have seen the sort of proforma letter I should be writing (per IPSEA). I thought it looked a bit skimpy - should I be padding it out with any extra detail?

Hmm - just went and looked at proforma letter again and would like to rephrase my OP.

I need help filling out my DS's needs and why his nursery is not meeting them.

DS is 3 and autistic. He has severe speech delay and hardly any words (open and off but only I recognise these - his teachers don't)

Nursery, SALT and health team all agree he needs specialist provision for his autism. I am not quite sure what to write in my letter.

Are there any fundamental or key phrases I should use?
One lady told me a key phrase was he needs a 'communication based curriculum' and I am ashamed to admit I am not entirely sure what this actually means

I would really appreciate any advice. Feel quite nervous about this - lots of you seem really experienced in the process.

TIA

I would say a communication based curriculum means that communication is the main focus of his learning which would help to justify him needing extra support.

The decision on whether to carry out a statutory assessment is based on whether the pre-school/nursery is able to meet the child's needs from their own resources and whether all avenues for doing that have been explored. You need to tell them that they have tried lots of different strategies with and without intervention from outside professionals and that his needs are still not being met. You don't need to send proof at this stage but do list all of his additional needs.

You can download your own copy of the SEN Code of Practice which gives you a good idea of what should be happening when.

There is lots of good advice on this thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/1077578-Can-someone-check-this-for-me

Great advice and thanks for the link PolarEyes - I spent an hour scouring the threads last night for that post which I'd read a few weeks ago but could not find it.

I have just spent all week until the early hours drafting and typing up a 32 page report for DS's nursery. All they have on file is what he can do and we agreed they need more of what he can't do on record. I offered to do it for them and they gave me the Early Years Progress grid which I cut and paste and then filled in from their point of view - they are going to edit it where they see fit.

In short I am documented out this week

I was hoping to do a concise two page letter for a Request and then gear up over Christmas to start drafting a monster Parents report complete with attachments. I have seen some other posts/advice on here to suggest you should go in fully loaded with the Request letter but this would take me ages and am feeling slightly burnt out after this week.

Do you think a two pager is okay for the request ? (Star I think you have effectively answered this but I still need reassurance - am dithering!)

Thanks Star - and thanks for coming back to check my thread. I often sit here WILLING the right person to come along.

Nursery are very on side and have put a lot of extra effort in with DS. To be honest they are fairly inexperienced at this - they are only a year old and have not been through the process before. They are happy for me to help pad out DS's file there so I am a bit loathe to be scathing of them. I read in the CoP that my report will be circulated to all those from whom advice is sought.

I need to grow a pair don't I