"severe verbal dyspraxia" proposed statement

[Boboma]

We've just got our proposed statement through (2 months late!) and have been offered that the LEA will fund 17.5 hours per week to the school. So, already I know that I'll have to try and get that changed to make it more specific! I'll try and get through to some of the SEN charities to check out what they think about the wording etc. but it does seem very vague at the moment. I just wondered what provision others were getting out there with a similar diagnosis? My DD has severe speech delay but the main thing that worries me is that she is scared of other children because she is very self aware of her difficulties. We are forced MS because there are no language units in our LEA. She starts school in Sept. I'd love to hear your experiences - thanks.

Hi Boboma, have they quantified any SALT on the statement? What about higher level language groups, and social and communication strategies such as circle of friends? Are you saying that they haven't said specifically what the 17.5 hours money should be targetted at? When you say severe speech delay, what help will she need with communication in MS? Sorry for load of questions. Personally I would have thought she would need full time support, but I haven't any direct experience of severe speech delay. Does she use communication aids?
There seems to be a general policy of offering about 15 hours to everybody, but getting over that is difficult. I would have thought that you would have a case, see what others say. Good Luck.

My son has severe language delay (he is non verbal and has autism) he will be going to special school in sept but if he was at main stream I would be demanding 32 hours as my son is vunerable esp if he was to walk out of school. If she had 32 hours she could have speech therapy daily by the TA as intructed by the speech therapist either weekly or fortnightly. I have an emotional literacy programme included in my statement which covers help with playing/understanding/reacting to peers.

Hi is your dd starting year 1 sept or reception ?
My dd has severe speech delay and at the moment in reception.
She gets 25 hours 1-1 without a statement at the moment as we are now on the second proposssed one.

Thanks for your replies. It is reception that she is going into and she uses a mix of signs, gestures and sounds to communicate. They have listed weekly SALT with a therapist and 15 mins a day practice with a member of staff, but these are the only things that are clear on the statement. They also mention circle time etc but don't say how/when they would do it, and I think that this is the kind of thing that my DD really needs. They also don't give her support in the playground and at lunch which she also needs, or say that she needs some TA time. AFASIC were helpful on the phone and so were the child development centre. I'm going into see CDC today to work on dividing the 17.5 hrs up more clearly to get what we want. CDC said that the cut backs have been severe this year and she knows that we have done very well to get 17.5 hours and she thinks that if we use them wisely then we can make it work. Fingers crossed!