Has anyone else been offered an "independent autism consultant by their LA?

[Peaceflower]

My dd (13, AS) has not attended school since June.

She will not engage with a home tutor and is not receiving any education.

So, we have been offered an independent autism consultant. Has anyone any experience of this? This consultant is non-medical.

who are they and what are credentials.

stralight why would you be suspicious?

I'm also slightly puzzled. She's coming next week and I will quiz her about her credentials! Apparently she set up an asd unit attached to a state special school 2 years back.

I am also worried about where this is leading, hence my post.

Thanks, Starlight. I will pm you about where I am.

ah gotcha starlight
am in very similar situation to you peaceflower

Similar situation here too (ds 13, asd, out of school for over a year now, not engaging well with tutor). I'd be very interested to hear how you get on. And, if it sounds positive, start asking our lea for similar. We've already been turned down for extra hours from the normal out children out of school tuition service because no obligation to offer more than legal minimum. Strangely not so hot on minor details from sencop like every child's legal entitlement to access to a full curriculum...

Good to know am not alone. EIS keeps telling me they've never come across anyone refusing to see the home tutor!

Apparantly the NAS are doing research into this as there are a lot AS kids out of mainstream school and at home all over the country.

Cornsilk, that's useful to know. I have an education planning meeting this week, and it's been suggested they may take punitive action against me because dd won't see her tutor! Exactly how will that help

Furthermore, this is apparently cos I might take legal action against them in future fr dd nit receiving an education

punitive action who suggested that? Where is the tutor sent from - are they specialist?

ditto what starlight said

also I'd like to see some of these people demo how they get an aspie teenager to do anything they don't want to do...

Punitive action = fine add/or prison sentence, also poss sending dd to hospital school

blimey peaceflower how awful
who is threatening this?Is it EWO/attendance officer?

Have you seen this case?

School phobia boy granted apology

A local authority has been forced to apologise for bringing a truancy prosecution against the parents of a boy who had a phobia of school.

A tribunal ruled Suffolk County Council should not have taken the family to court because of the effect it had had on the boy's mental health.

The boy developed anxiety while off sick with a virus shortly after starting at the east Suffolk school.

In the meantime, officials have been told they must write to formally apologise to the family before 1 December.

The boy, whose identity cannot be revealed, had been diagnosed by a clinical psychologist as suffering from a school phobia.

He is now 16 and has since taken up his studies at a different school.

Gary Nethercott, the council's service director for learning, said: "We are committed to ensuring all young people in Suffolk receive the education they are entitled to".

"We are pleased that the child is now back in education."

Cornsilky, the EWO threatened this a month back. After I made a complaint about his behavioural, he's taken a step back but he will be at the meeting.

It's the EIS who have warned me [shocked]

Interesting about Suffolk, wonder how you get school phobia diagnosed?

clinical psychologist according to that case - bet it was private though

what is EIS?

Education Inclusion Service.

By the way, tried googling about NAS research without much luck? Where did you hear about it, Consilky?

Also suspicious - ask whether ever worked for the LA. Just wondering if an ex autism outreach teacher who has set up on own etc???? But hoping its genuine help.

Well, the consultant's been and gone. I quizzed her about her experience and credentials. It seems like she's the real mccoy, and she's been appointed to help reintegrate dd back into education.

As a first step, she is calling off the home tutor, as academic work is not the priority here. It is more important to work on her confidence, trust, etc.

I'm letting myself hope this is something good...