Requesting a statutory Assessment

[Gigglebizmizz]

Hello everyone. Have just started the process of requesting a formal assessment for DD. She is 4.4 and due to start school in September. The educational pyschologist has said she is mild ASD and will not get a classroom assistant however her nursery teacher says she needs to have an adult with her at all times of the day to assist with every aspect eg not toilet trained will nip and hit other children if they touch her, cannot feed herself properly and to get her to understand and remain focused. My worry is if the educational pyschologist is saying she is mild and doesn't need help will that mean our application will get filed in the bin? She is trying to put us off applying and told us we must follow the various stages and not jump a stage!! We have so far compiled a detailed letter with all DD issues have a report from SALT and from her nursery, haven't seen educational pysch reprt as yet and I was hoping to go and meet head teacher and ask him to write a report saying he does not have resources to meet our requirements. When I send this off should I accompany it with a solicitors letter as well. Any advice / tips on how to successfully get an assessment/ statement welcome I am still reeling and in shock and worried sick.

EP's reports are given a lot of weight by the LA, unfortunately. Does your LA have an Autism support service or autism advisory teaching service? If so and you can get their backing, that will help. Is your paed supportive? Otherwise you are looking at private reports to support your request. Legal advice or advocacy services are useful.

It's most preferable to have support in place ASAP, but my DS didn't get his statement until start of y1. The school had lots of evidence by then that he needed support so made it an easier process. The school found that he had to have 1:1 support in the meantime and provided 10 hours. The class TA also had her hands full the rest of the time. Reception is a lot like all day playgroup, (I was a 1:1 TA myself in Reception) but Y1 is much more like proper school, so I'd say essential to get support by then.

Others on here have gone through the process more recently and you'll get some good advice.

EP's are sometimes "encouraged" to put you off verbally by the LEA's. I got the same tripe when I asked yet again at the start of year 2. Guess what DS got his statement at the first attempt with no quibbles from the lea : ) If I'd listened to the EP's doubts as to his eligiabiity he'd still be waiting. With all the cuts the goal is to put off provision of services as long as they can get away with and a statement legally binds them to committing funds.

If you look on this page here, bottom right, Mumsnet has a whole section on how to apply for a statutory assessment. Include as much paperwork and detail as you can. Think: they have got to read this and realise I am not a mum to be fobbed off, and will possibly resort to legal action if so fobbed. Make a giant, but charming, pain in the arse of yourself, email the Ed psych with what the nursery teacher will say (which is a hint that she should not say the child is so mild, if the teachers are saying otherwise). Ed Psychs are supposed to be independent professionals, but their wages seem to be paid nowadays on the target of reducing statements! Try and shame her into some professionalism, by showing her lots of reports saying DD is not going to get by in school unassisted, and that the LA would simply be storing up expensive problems for later if they get it wrong at this early stage. Also, referring to possible health and safety risks (to herself and others) are good buzz words to use as the LA/School have a "duty of care" to keep DD safe in school, which plainly cannot be done if she is sent in solo. Good luck!

Thanks everyone am gearing myself up for a big fight but all your advice is great and really helpful. will be posting off my request at the end of this week together with SALT report, nursery report and am meeting with DD's new head teacher tomorrow was hoping I could get him to say he does not have resources. Also have OH appt on Wed so hoping to get a dyspraxia diagnosis from her (love the health and safety/ duty of care angle hadn't thought about that)
What a shame everything has to be such a fight but at least it is keeping me busy and my mind off it all.