Meeting with the Autistic Advisory Service tomorrow!

[StartingAfresh]

And yes, the adjective was deliberate!

They have told me the purpose of the meeting is to explain to me their role in supporting ds' nursery in meeting his needs and how that does not involve working directly with parents.

They'll tell me that if I want to know what they are doing then I need to ask the school and that the 'liaison with parents on all aspects of education' means that they can submit a report within 2 weeks of each visit that is copied to the parents.

Grrrrrrrr. I've not even prepared for this meeting (although I'll do a bit tomorrow) because it is just same old same old. I could probably do it in my sleep.

The outcome of the meeting will be, without doubt, no outcome for me, but some contrived minutes for them, - again.....

They don't think they are accountable to parents, only to the school and if I want to know what they are doing I should ask the school.

I told them that it wasn't fair on the school to have me ask them pedagogical questions about the service provision of the autism team.

They said that nowhere in ds' statement did it say that they should work with parents.

I pointed out that it says they should use 'appropriate strategies' which they said they were. I told them that appropriate strategies meant working in partnership with parents. They said it was only me who interpreted it that way and no-one else. I pointed out that actually, Brian Lamb, Bercow, Ofsted etc also interpreted it that way.

So that is when the conceded and said that they'll fill in the form telling me what they are doing but that I have to trust them and they (poor them) have had to suffer with feeling their professionalism undermined and criticised.

I reminded them that I can't criticise what they are doing because I don't know what they are doing.

So the conclusion was kind of that they'll tell me what they are doing provided I don't criticise it.

You know as well as I do that what they mean is they are nervous about writing their strategies down in an un-vetted way in case I am collecting evidence for another tribunal/complaint etc.

It's crap, but that's the way it is. I expected a lot less from the meeting tbh so this at least is a starting point. Ridiculous for sure, but these people live on another planet, - Planet Unaccountable to be precise and they feel justified in doing so because I had all the dirt on them before and the tribunal still ruled in their favour.

FFS
Wise to pick battles too.
Remember also they aren't one huge united front.
Loads of infighting and dissent within and across the ranks.

Yes I forget that sometimes. I know the SLT is a live wire (although I know she is NHS and therefor a different organisation to LA) because when the HT was refusing on everyones behalf to complete the forms she piped up and said she would so amongst ds' 'TEAM' there are conflicts.

She's bonkers, into that wierd holistic stuff I mentioned before, but she listens and she tries to adapt as well as make suggestions etc. She appeas to have a lot of ideas and opinions but isn't an arrogant know-it-all. I've never critised her work because there has been no need. If I don't agree with something I say it and she reconsiders, explains it better or offers a trial. I almost regret asking her for her notes/form (not really) because she writes so much and I feel obligated to read it and write relevant thought-out comments back.

Anyway, - how d'ya first day back go Moondog?

Well she sounds 'willing to engage' in the crappy jargon so beloved of our services so that's a start.

Not bad at all, thanks. Got something very important written and sent off that will Further The Cause.

I think she is Dutch and there are some obvious cultural traits that make her stand out as a little odd but she is still definately bonkers!

Glad to hear your NYR hasn't been to give up your work

AT least you are working with them.

I have almost iven up hope re academic stuff. Just implement things I have learnt from here. Think this term I will try to get school to concentrate on social skills stuff etc which I can't do at home because there are not enough children. I know, previous CT told me that anyone of the children in ds's will be pleased to be invited back home and get asked to participate in ds's social skills programme - LOL - I think she thinks I am simple. This yer's CT is more willing to listen and discuss things but attitude is that I am not a teacher so what do I know.

Well we haven't been until now and we have yet to see how it pans out.

I just remembered something today. The Head said that if I didn't like the wording of the statement then I should have brought that up at the relevant stage, - knowing full well we'd been to tribunal and lost.

Old witch!

Can you write to Head and thank her for her suggestion and say you will make sure her contribution will be in the next statement!

And you only lost part of the tribunal - won enough to make her life difficult though.

Startingafresh

ds's school seem ok, pretty switched on to ASD but they never automatically include me or tell anything. I keep on having to ask. I know that parents of NT kids feel similarly excluded - they are also expected just to hand over their kids and trust school to educate. But for our kids progress is so hard won and skills are so difficult to generalise from home to school and vice versa that our dc need us to be involved.

Ds has an ot and salt and i've not met either of them yet. On my to do list for this term!

trying I do have to write to her to thank her for the meeting and outcomes.

I certainly will make sure that any ambiguous wording (that isn't actuallly) is written in a way that she understands at the statement review.

I'll also try and get the precise nature of 'working in partnership' specified in detail since she insisted her team WERE working in partnership and she's sorry I feel that they aren't

I explained that you can't have a partnership with only one side thinking they are in it!

I suppose what makes this all so much easier is that ds doesn't need their service now especially (at least that is my perception now, - perhaps when they start telling me what they are doing I'll have a different view). I think I can deal with most of his difficulties myself from now on.

Sure, I know what you mean Crunchy. I had to ask who dd's key worker was at preschool the week before Christmas so I could give her a small present. I'd let her go a whole term, including settling in, without even knowing who it was.