Downsides to applying for a statement?

[IndigoBell]

Everyone here keeps telling me to apply for a statement, and I have a meeting with Parent Partnership tomorrow so that they can help me write the letter.

But I feel really terrible about this decision.

I assume DD won't get a statement. And all that will happen is I will stress myself for no reason.

But do you think I will also annoy school? I have a good relationship with school, and don't want to ruin it. If I am going to apply I will tell them - but not ask them.

Can there be bad side effects from applying for a statement which gets turned down? Did your relationship with school deteriorate?

Do you want your dd to have a statement? (that sounds odd. obviously, no-one wants their child to need a statement, but hopefully you know what I mean)

Is the school meeting her needs? (both are they able to, and are they actually doing so?)

do you think you would be turned down in a "first round, 90% get turned down" kind of way, or in a "school can (and should be) meet needs" kind of way?

When I started getting serious about statementing, it did lead to a cooling off of relationship between me and school - mostly because we did not agree on best course of action. they said they were meeting all needs, I begged to differ. however nicely we proceeded, we were still saying the other party was wrong, to an extent.

If it annoys the school, then they are being unreasonable and not looking out for her best interests, IMO. A statement will outline what support she needs and they are required to provide. And if she needs it, why would they be annoyed at providing something she needs?

I obviously want to maintain a good relationship with DS2's school, however, I also want him to have the support that he needs. Occasionally, we disagree with the school on how to proceed with things - but that just means we discuss it from both sides and then work together to do what's best for DS2. We're all adults, and when DS2 is properly supported, it's better for the school as well as for him. Things just run smoother.

I don't know about bad side effects from applying for a statement and getting turned down. We're hoping that won't happen, as we are awaiting a decision now. Someone else may be able to provide some insight on that.

Just out of curiosity, why do you assume your DD won't get a statement?

You've previously said that your school have tried everything and anything with your DD and have been very supportive about their efforts. If she is still struggling despite their input (esp if it has been extensive effort), then she at least warrants Statutory Assessment.

Indigo, you need to be clear what a statement will give you that you don't already have. What reasons have been given on here for why you should apply for a statement?

I don't want her to have a statement. I want her to have less support not more support.

But 2 schools have consistently failed to teach her despite giving her considerable support.

Even the SpLD team (which is the appropriate specialist team) made no recommendations at all, as they felt school were doing everything they should.

Interventions she is currently on are include:

? 1 hour a day of small group phonic intervention
? Reading to a teaching assistant every day
? Reading to a year 6 pupil every day
? 15 minutes a day of small group spelling intervention

School can't really do more than that without a statement.

And she still can't write so that it can be understood. She has made no progress in levels. She is in Y3 and is 8 and is a level 1b. Here is a sample of her writing:

Rob Luve to spas and pal lue the sus so they went to the peck. The waws war big and the sun wost awt and the wos sbbe her it bgen to ras Pole and Rob rwe the the wos wit anb the nest bus bac so it cob pik up hem.

She had a scribe for her end of year writing assesment which seriously annoyed me - because there is nothing physically wrong with her writing.

The reason everyone says I should apply is because she has not made any real progress in 2 years :(

I assume she won't get a statement because she 'only has dyslexia'. (And there criteria for getting a statement for dyslexia is cleverly written so that nobody qualifies.)

Indigo, I can understand your reluctance, and I don't know about criteria being different for dyslexia so I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but I do know what is consistently said on here is that statements are given (or should be ) based on need not diagnosis.

You have made the need crystal clear in 3 sentences which say it all "And she still can't write so that it can be understood. She has made no progress in levels. She is in Y3 and is 8 and is a level 1b."

Although it doesn't seem like it from what we read on here, lots of people do get statements without being turned down first or fighting forever ('we did' I whisper, our fight was for diagnosis). We hear the hardest stories on here but it doesn't mean it will definitely be like that for you.

I would think perhaps doing it when you know school are already doing what they can is positive because emotionally you don't have to feel embattled before you even start the process - they may even be really pleased this is being done for them (well it is for your DD of course, but I mean so they can give her what she needs).

(Goodness, I am having a positive day - not like me at all )

Well, thinking about it, if she hasn't made any progress in two years, perhaps it is time to do something different. Maybe the statutory assessment process will help bring out some of the issues and get things sorted so that she is getting appropriate help. Because it rather sounds like it's not necessarily "more" or "less" help that she needs, but actually "appropriate" help.. something geared specifically to her needs, because what they're doing now doesn't seem to be working, as you've said.

Hi Indigo
Personally I think one to one support is good for any child :)

In my area they are ridiculous and "Don't statement for dyslesia". Hence many children like my ds1 leave school unable to read or write coherently.
And I'm with you on the at them scribing for her writing exam, actually they're not allowed to do that, it's a writing exam obv. However.
I work with children (I'm a SEN teacher) on multisensory programmes for spelling, I go with all sorts of tricks and I keep trying stuff til I score a hit that helps the child remember. Basically I'm teaching them letter formation, basic spelling, digraphs, stuff like that - but in a crazy multisensory way. There is plenty more that they could be doing for your dd, tbh. My ds1 also has a net book with Dragon Naturally Speaking on it, he was trained to use it by the educational psychologist, we are using his new netbook and software at home now whilst he is in yr 5, and he will take it to school with him to use throughout y6. The potential of him doing well with it would depend somewhat on whether he gets much support, am in a similar situation in some ways because I really think he needs a statement to guarantee him some support.

Triggles - yes exactly, she doesn't need 'more' or 'less' help. She needs effective help. Instead of doing an hour daily of small group phonics work she needs an hour a day of 1:1 by a very good teacher (not an unqualified TA!)

School say they can't provide this.

The LEA won't fund it.....

I can fund it, but can't get school to agree to it....

Things are going to get messy. But I can't keep sending her to school when she doesn't make any progress......

Parent Partnership think I have a good case. The only reason I assume I won't get one is because of the stories on here.

The EP has recommended Dragon for her. I'm not keen on her using it because I am determined that she will learn to write! If primary school fails to teach her to write, then I may consider her using it in secondary school - but more likely I won't send her to secondary school at all.

However school never discussed it with me at all.

So you all think I should go for it (applying for a statement)?

Yes from me Indigo

One other thing to factor in - she'll start to get seriously unhappy if it goes on like this, she'll become more and more aware of the problem as she gets older and more and more distressed by her problems. Do something now, don't leave it (I speak from experience).

I think in order for your dd to receive less help, she will first need more help, if that makes sense.

I went to Tribunal yesterday, where the SENCO from my ds's school appeared as a witness AGAINST me and we are still 'friendly' and there is no hostility towards me.

You are not going against the school or slagging them off, in fact you are singing their praises, they are doing all they can for your dd and despite this she is still not making progress.

Indigo, I totally get where you are coming from. We have just been through the same loop and had all the same worries about wrecking the relationship with the school that we/I have had to work really hard to cultivate, but in the end, at ds's last IEP review it became obvious that the school are unable to offer any more help than they are already giving without any additional funding.

Like you, I don't want ds to have full time 1-1. I don't feel that he needs it for everything, but he does need it for maths and literacy at the very least and the part time TA they have for his class is already helping two other children, so they don't have anyone available to help my ds.

He's currently getting very little in the way of support, mainly because they've tried just about everything they have available (bar 1-1 support) and nothing has helped.

We have the inclusion team helping us with our application and so far they'e been really helpful and acted as mediator between us and the school, which was very useful when we found out the old SENCo hadn't kept ds's records and most of the important evidence of intervention was missing, because I would have found it hard to keep my temper with them at that point.

They have been really good at explaining how we need to provide evidence of things the school have done that have helped, as well as things that they've tried that didn't and things that the school are unable to provide, but ds needs.

I would say its worth doing, but, be sure at the outset what you what the outcome to be, exactly what support you do (and don't) want your dd to receive.

Hi Indigo

Do not readily assume that your DD will not receive a Statement.

You and school have done everything possible that they can and your DD is still not making adequate progress.

My son has had a Statement since Y1 so this has been in place for a number of years now and this is my experience of it.

School were supportive of Statement but we applied for it ourselves. They were still fine about it.

It has made a lot of difference in his case to his school career; it has enhanced it and has made his school like a lot easier than it would otherwise have been without one. I dread to think what would have happened without one. Infact I do know what would have happened without one, he would have failed at school and not manage.

His secondary school actually has a dyslexia unit attached to it; the children who can access it all have statements. For that reason too I would also be applying for one.

Moosemama

I don't know of any statemented child who receives full time 1 to 1.

We started with 7.5 hours per week in infants then it got upped to 10 to Juniors (the LEA were not prepared to put in any more hours than that). Now as he is in secondary its 15 spread over two weeks.

Thanks everyone. I'm starting to feel better now :)

I will keep emphasising how great school are and how much support they are giving her - and then there's no reason for them to be annoyed.

But either way, whether she gets it or not, they will have to evaluate what they're doing with her, and what they could do to be more effective.....

My friend's 5 year old DS has FT 1:1 in MS school including lunchtime and playtime due to his violent behaviour without support.

Attilla, I know, I was just trying to make the point that you have to know what you want and why you are applying for the statement. I think that sometimes there is an assumption that you have to go for all or nothing, or apply for more than you want in the hope of getting less, but I think its probably better to be up front, honest and clear about what you are asking for and then if its realistic, you stand a better chance of not having to appeal etc.

Ds's inclusion teacher feels 10 hrs would be appropriate for him at present, enough to cover maths, literacy and the amount of pastoral support he needs.

"But either way, whether she gets it or not, they will have to evaluate what they're doing with her, and what they could do to be more effective....."

Unfortunately they dont, a Statement is the only way that they are legally obligated to do this.

Hopefully any school would WANT to do this, but this not always the case.

The thing is, and I said it to the nursery teacher who seemed to sympathise, in 6 years time they quite possibly won't even remember your ds' name but you, and he will be living with the fall out of mistakes that happen now.

You can also tell them that you are impressed with their dedication and hard work but that you are not prepared to lie on your deathbed wishing you'd acted on your instincts.

There are two children in my DS class who have full time 1-1, I only know of one childs circumstances, no dx other that GDD although the mum suspects dyspraxia. He has no statement and has had 1-1 since nursery now in Y2.

DS2 has full time 1:1 - although we are still awaiting decision on statement. The school have been very supportive, putting full time 1:1 (30 hrs) and applying for extra funding through another agency as they felt he needed it. They have been very vocal in specifying that he needs the full 30 hours of 1:1 on the statement. But then, his needs are such that it is vital that he has this.

I'm curious why you are against Dragon. I'm not familiar with it, but I get the impression it's something that means she doesn't have to do writing because of it? Perhaps she could use Dragon as well as having some writing assistance - if she was using Dragon for her school work, but having some "non-pressured" writing work as well so that she is still developing that skill. That would give them the chance to work on basics in the additional work that would only be reinforced by the Dragon programme in her schoolwork, without all the additional pressures.

I am against Dragon and scribes because she needs to learn to write.

Software that writes for her is teaching her nothing. She is 8. Nothing is more important than her learning to read and write.

She has no physical difficulties with writing and is still quite happy yo write in class - it's just almost impossible to decipher what she's written.

I am very against compensating strategies for her at this age. School should be focussing all their energy on teaching her to write.

And that's you call as her parent. No worries.