CAMHS Advise Statement VS School Think He Is Wonderful!!

[joencaitlinsmum]

We have just had a dx of Aspergers for my DS who will be 11 next month,
since he was small we have always worked together as a family to get round DS's little foibles but since last September and starting to consider the transition to secondary school major anxiety over took his life and was causing great distress.

Since then we have had CBT and now the dx from CAMHS, who are now telling me to start the statementing process for him mainly down to his lack of communication and social skills and so its in place for his new school.

His present school have long been aware of DS anxiety and little ways but have not felt the need to do anything as he is academically bright and seems settled.

I obviously want to do the best for DS and if that means getting a statement so be it but I seem to be hitting a brick wall. Talking to both his teacher and SENCO they say they are at a loss what to do as he quote "is the perfect child", they all love him as he is kind, polite and hard working and eager to please. Infact his teacher told me that she would rather have 30 of DS in her class so is wondering why she is being asked to write him a IEP?

I cant seem to get it across to them that I want the statement in place for September as he are almost 100% certain he will be unable to cope with the noise, getting from a to b and other changes coming his way! I know from past experience that when he is anxious his academic levels fall but unfortunetly not below what school see as a problem (he is currently top of his class!). I just want him to achieve his full potential without feeling like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I keep explaining to school that he is ok there as he feels safe and secure but they also keep pointing out there are children alot worse than him without statements.

I work in a school so know the system and how it works etc and the time it takes but dont know which way to turn now. I have spoken to our local parent partnership service who has said I can push myself for the statement but I'm better off not getting the schools back up.

Any advice on another angle to use with the school? He has not got a IEP or seen the ed phys nor is it on the schools radar for him to get either. Our next appointment at CAMHs is in May.

Am I being unrealistic to get a statement for social and communication needs or do I just have to rely on the secondary school recognising he needs a bit more support than his peers?
Last night he was in tears because he couldnt bring himself to speak to someone he was familiar with but had not seen for a while, its so sad as he wants to overcome these problems.

Thank you x

I wonder if the way to go is to approach the SENCo at the new school with a comprehensive list of what you think needs to be in place to support him when he gets there. The SENCo can then let you know if they are able to offer that support without a statement.

If the SENCo thinks they need a statement to meet his needs he or she can contact the current school and ask them to request one.If you can get CAMHS to put in writing what support they think he will need that will give strength to your case.

What extra support do you think he'll need in Secondary School? Do you think he'll need 1:1 or something else?

He might be adequately supported on SA+, I'd think about what kind of support you think he will need, then ring the secondary school SENCO and discuss it with her and see if she can offer that support on SA+ or not.

And if they can't then you know that you need to apply for a statement with or without your primary school's support.....

My experience is that the paed always said DS needed a statement, but he didn't. Paed was just trying to be supportive and nice. School knew DS very well, considered getting a statement, but found they could adequately support him with involvement from the ASD team.

Thank you for your replies, I have already spoken to the SENCO at the school we have been offered ( it wasnt our first choice so we are appealing which is adding to the problem) and she has said they could do various things for him visual time tables etc but if he does need a statement then to do it now as its nigh on impossible to get one at secondary school?? The school has a behavioural unit opposite to ASD one.

Thing is I really dont know how he will be come September, I know he will be anxious and panic but dont think he will need 1:1 in the classroom itself. I would like him to have some sort of social support, will they actually teach communication skills?

My godson has aspergers and gets no support at all in secondary school despite his dx (he has no statement either) and I worry it will be the same for my DS.

This all sounds very normal. Everyone's pretty much saying exactly what you'd expect them to day. And your worry also is totally normal.

Thing is the school can do lots without a statement. He only needs a statement if they can't afford to do what he needs, ie if he needs 1:1 - and it doesn't sound like he needs 1:1

It's no harder to get a statement at secondary than at primary.

It doesn't sound like he needs one though, it sounds like the school needs to know he has ASD and suffers from anxiety and needs to work with you and with the ASD team to work out how to minimize this.

Transition will be important, and you should be working on helping him with transition, ie visiting it this year and things like that. But this is all pretty normal stuff.....

Secondary is a huge jump from primary, some of the NT kids I know of have found such a change difficult in the first term. Its a bigger and far more impersonal environment with lots of moving around between classes.

I would certainly see the SENCO at secondary now re your son to establish a relationship and start the ball re a statement rolling.

No, you are not being unrealistic to try and obtain a statement for his social and communication needs. These are very real and prescient needs and social/communication difficulties can certainly affect academic ability. The three children I know of with AS in secondary school all have statements; apart from anything else its a formal and legally binding (unlike any other plans) way of having their additional needs properly met.

"I keep explaining to school that he is ok there as he feels safe and secure but they also keep pointing out there are children alot worse than him without statements".
If I had £1 for every time school uttered the above crap you've been told I'd be quite wealthy by now!. My friend was told the same nonsense as you. This is actually not your problem nor is the issue of funding.

I would not rely on SA plus particularly in secondary because of the already diagnosed AS. It can fall apart too easily and SA plus can be limited in terms of scope and support. Its also importantly not legally binding so the goalposts can be too easily moved.

Put the request in yourself now (statements can take 6 months to get started anyway) and don't worry unduly about supposedly "upsetting" school. You are trying to act in your son's best interests after all. As his Mum you know your child best and apart from that you are his best - and only - advocate here.

Don't just rely on PP as they can be in close cahoots with the LEA and are not fully impartial. Speak to fully independent charities like ACE, SOS:SEN and the National Autistic Society.

The more information you can have the better, knowledge is power!!!.

If CAMHS are advising you to start the statementing process I'd be taking heed.

I'd write off his Junior school as of now and establish a relationship asap with the secondary school and the SENCO there. That person needs to be made aware of your son. Also your son should be having regular visits to the new school.

It is also appalling that your son has no IEP in place, the juniors have certainly not helped him.

Your situation sounds a bit like ours a few years back. DS did ok in primary on SAplus but after a year at secondary had developed anxiety problems due to stress (and no support, I add, even though I tried right from the start to flag up his problems). We are currently try to get a statement (DS is 13 years) because the SEN dept at secondary do not make him a priority because he achieves academically. He does have access to an SEN room at break times, which is necessary as otherwise he'd just hang around on his own and be picked on or seen as even more as a 'loser' than he already is. The school, in my view, do not help at all with social issues. We are waiting for a social skills course run by CAMHS but what with all the cuts I doubt we'll get anything anytime soon. The value in statementing is that the school has an obligation to do whatever is laid out in the document, and you can make a stink if it is not carried out. Without one, you might be constantly battling for scant resources.
I would apply yourself, backed up with the CAMHS documents. Might be worth getting a private Ed Pysch report too. Start now, cos it's a long process.

Meagle - (serious question) What provision are you trying to get written into your statement?

Haven't got there yet (LEA have refused to assess so we are appealing), but I would want as much of the following as I can get (as outlined in Ed Psych report): support from teachers trained and experienced in meeting ASD needs (including social comm difficulties and OCD and anxiety); a highly differentiated curriculum; support to develop his social skills throughout the school day, plus SALT on site, specialist maths tuition. I'm waiting to set up meeting with someone from PP and the SENCO so we can push for more help while still trying to get the statement. Optimistic, moi?