Stat assessment, parents statement.....

[catherinea1971]

I all my ds's (asd) pre-school have applied for stat assessment for him, the LA have agreed to assess and I am now trying to do my 'report', it is starting to look like war in peace!!!

It has to be finished and in for the 11th so could do with a little help please.
Does it matter if I put in loads of info, the questions are short but my responses are HUGE! Should I try being more concise, will they even read it all??? Help please..... TIA

mine turned into a bit of a novel as well, I always go for the 'can't say they weren't told' approach and bung everything in

Thanks for that, it just seemed like I was running away with myself and putting in too much!!! I will just go with the 'bung it all in' approach.!! :)

I put loads of info in as well

Mine was about 10 pages, and not the longest one by a long chalk! I included photos of my DS to try to make them realise he was a person, not just a statistic. But too long and they may just skim it and miss some vital bits. The really important part, IMO, is where you say what provision your DC needs and why, especially if you have a particular placement in mind. In that case, make sure to include services only that school can provide, eg, SALT must be embedded within the daily lessons as my DS finds transferring learnt skills difficult, so occasional SALT sessions would not be as effective, or whatever suits your DS. Perhaps put your most essential bits in bold?

I went for small paragraphs with headings to try to make it readable.

Thanks for the replies, I am doing headings and small paragraphs, it's bloody depressing stuff though!!! And I have the DLA form to do too.......

you know how to have fun catherine

DLA form is worse! One at a time, Catherine.....

or will definitely be useful but it will be worth it to get the correct help

I do know how to have fun....well I used to once!!!
I have done the dla one before but have to do it again to apply for the mobility part, should have done it when he turned 3 a year ago but couldn't face it!! :)

On third cup of coffee, unfortunately rarely do alcohol, just never seems worth it when you know you will be up for ages in the night!!!

Make sure you keep a copy of the DLA form, really useful for the next time you fill it in. Don't you have to reapply again at 5? (and 10 and 16) We didn't manage to get LR mobility until DS was older as they seem to think you can put any child under 5 in a buggy!

I had PP do mine for me but I gave them notes and we had a couple of meetings to read over and add bits in , but what they always advise is make all your points and then summerise as well and a lot better in certain parts if you bullet point things the ones thats really are the most vital aspects

I had a pretty lengthy parents statement for DS2's as well. We're still awaiting the results. Our notes for DLA that were typed up were horrendously long. DS2 is 4yo and the reapplication is set for 2013, so when he is 6yo (almost 7). We weren't planning on putting in for the mobility, even though he'd probably qualify for it. I'm just not sure I'm up to going through it all again. Although that's easy to say when I'm just sitting here in the evening - I tend to think differently when I'm just coming home from practically carrying him home from school or trying to pick him up when he lays down in the middle of the roadway due to some sensory issue. sigh...

Definitely keep copies of everything!!

Triggles, if you word it correctly and emphasise refusal to move, meltdowns and complete lack of road sense you should get LRM, maybe when you have to fill it in again in 2013 if you can't face it again before.

I spoke to someone from DLA and they said I should be getting something in the post from them soon (as his 5th birthday is in July), and I can just put "unchanged from previous application" on the other stuff, and just refill out the mobility. I filled it out when I did the initial application (emphasising those very points) and it came back saying basically that they couldn't award disability simply because a child wasn't cooperative and had some "issues" with walking. So I have to admit I was not keen on revisiting it. If we don't do it this time, we'll look at it again in 2013 if need be.

Very few DC get mobility before 5. You've got to really make it clear that he will not/cannot move due to his disability and the only way to move him is to pick him up which is really difficult when they are so big. It's not just uncooperative. You won't get HRM but should get LR. It's a case of it getting more different from NT as he gets older.

yep. I think the reviewer or processor of the application had an "interesting" view of 4yos. He also seemed to think it was perfectly normal for a child to get up numerous times every night, and be awake for hours, and wake up at 3am and be up for the day. I was so aggravated at that point, I decided not to fight it at this point, just left it at MRC. But if the behaviour is continuing after 2013, I will be pushing it much harder.

Well just to update, the panel sat last week and have decided that my ds will be given a statement!!! They have also agreed to the ss that I wanted. I should have the statement to look over in the next week so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be ok..:):):):):):)

Brilliant news catherinea! Don't forget to pick over it with the sossen guide when you get it.

DLA now?

Thanks EllenJane, will be going through it with a fine tooth comb!!!!
Need to get the DLA form done but might give myself a couple of days off!!
:):):)

Hi Catharine,
The parents section I wrote was about 4 pages. I put a sumamry at the beginning and another summary at the end and each new section had a header in bold.

Hi Lynn, mine ended up being 10 pages!!! I'd be surprised if they read it all, well if they did or not they are going to statement ds anyway!!! :):):)

fab news