I've been fighting for help for DS for over two years. Eventually, got a dx and then a statement, against what everyone else was saying. DS has AS and sensory processing disorder and hypermobility. He is 8.
TA started in March and 1:1s him in the morning. He has some help in the afternoon and has 20 hours on his statement. He has been going to school part-time until recently because there was no help for him in terms of provision or expertise.
School have really tried since the issue of the statement. They've sent people on courses, haven't tried to misapply his hours, have battled to get agencies into school for support.
BUT, we still don't have the full statement in place and I'm feeling like there is a tide turning against me as everyone struggles to justify themselves and why this has happened. I've made a complaint to the LGO so I think this has probably alot to do with it.
ASD outreach came in today. I was told the time and thought this was a meeting with everyone but I saw the woman for 10 mins in the staff room with no one else. She's off to observe DS and then advise staff and will not be reporting back to me. The EP has said likewise - she'll see me separately in future. I feel like they're shutting me out - I am very vocal in meetings but then they largely don't know my son (ASD outreach are useless and don't work with the children) or they do but don't know autism.
To make matters worse, DS's TA has taken to promoting her own views about alternative strategies and the fact that she doesn't like social skills groups etc - as if it's up to her to decide. They seem to go down very well, especially when she has been arguing that it is good that half the provision is in place because it would 'overwhelm' DS!
Of course, everyone bemoans the fact that the statement is 'far too specific' and that this is causing the problems!
DS tells me this morning that he doesn't like the new TA working on the table with him and wants her to go away and leave him and not take him out for breaks. He says he doesn't want to be differeent.
ASD outreach tell me that TA will be attending local ASD unit to see how they teach children like DS and so she can get support from/network with other TAs who work with children with ASD. This frankly fills me full of dread. Loads of generic strategies applied when they don't even know him.
Everyone seems to be running around to make sure the TA feels ok without seeing how DS is managing and they're losing patience with my interventions.
I've got an appeal in place and I'm sick of it all. I'm mostly sick of people telling me what my child thinks and feels.