statement help

[devientenigma]

I know it sounds unreal that my son is nearly 10 and am only just getting my head around statements. His just seems like a general gist type blog with hardly any of his problems highlighted. Should his problems be listed as pointers or in sentences? Should there be any ideas of help or what to look for maybe stated in this? Just trying to get a good statement together for him. TIA x

Part 2 should describe all his difficulties

Part 3 should state what support he must be given for each of the difficulties decsribed in Part 3.

So Part 2 may say "X is a young person who has been diagnosed with XX. This condition affects him is XX ways: and lists the ways.

etc etc.

Part 3 will then say

1:1 support for n hours per week to (overcome the difficulty stated in Part 2).

Well, that's what would happen in an ideal world

Part 2 will say something like:

SLT: He is delayed by 12 months in receptive language.

Part 3 will say consequently:

SLT: He will receive monthly SLT by a registered SLT which will be observed by a trained TA who will then work twice weekly for 25 mins, with him on the recommendations made by the SLT.

You need to bear in mind what he is likely to need in secondary school and start trying to get some of it now. i.e. does he need support at play times/ transition times, as it doesn't work the same in sec as it does in primary.

Is it a Proposed Statement or a Final?

If it is proposed then you should be able to request a meeting with the person who wrote the statement so you can explain how you would like it to read.

If it's a final draft then you can request an interim review where you can ask for changes to be made.

A good statement should describe your child well, so that anyone who will be working with them gets a good idea of who they are as a person. It doesn't matter if it's a mixture of bullet points, sentences or paragraphs as long as it reads well, and you are happy that the description of your child is acurate.

In part three the objectives for your child should be clear, and should have come from the advice given during the SA process, and therefore be relevant and useful for your child. Part three should also give specific programmes of support and detail frequency. (beware of the word "regular" e.g "X should have regular access to the speech therapist." After all, once a year is regualar! It needs to specify frequency and intensity.

If you are reading a statement that leaves you feeling confused about exactly what your child will be getting then the chances are its not a well written statement. Statements should be documents that can actually be used to help map out and plan a special education for a child that all educational proffesionals can actually use, not a piece of meaning legal waffle that is filed in a drawer in the senco's office!!!!!!!

If I were you I would ask to meet with the person that wrote it.

Hope that helps.

'If I were you I would ask to meet with the person that wrote it'

In my LA they wouldn't even tell me who wrote it!

I am very sorry to hear that, StartingAfresh, that is absolutely outragous.

I really do not understand some LAs.

The statement should be signed by the person who wrote it, and you should have a named officer. They should have contacted you to introduce themselves at the point of the statement being written, and they should have given you the opportunity, as a matter of course, to at least speak to the person who wrote it once they issued a proposed draft, so that you can make any necessary comments.

In our LA that is standard practice; it makes me so cross that so much should depend on where you live.

I'd love to say my LA is one of a kind or unique, but it isn't.

It does have a bit of a reputation however for being quite nasty!

Thanks everyone,
It's definite that it needs work!! This is his 7th? statement over the years, they started off good but as the years have gone on have definatly deterioated.
It says he has down syndrome and due to this does have cognitive impairment affected severly. It mentions his hearing and sight. As for speech it mentions he is at 2 word level. It has an example of a behaviour plan for one of his behaviours, says he is happy and sociable in school? Has access to all multi agency staff.
It doesn't mention his lack of school attendance, or why. Or his heart condition and lung problems, seizures, sensory needs etc
I think maybe I should give this a go in writing another??
BTW he is in special school, y5, TIA x