AS daignosis. Awaiting EP assess. school refuse set up SA & IEP.

[Oblomov]

Diagnosis letter arrived from CAMHS 2 weeks ago. Daignosed ASD, naming Aspergers.So I arranged a meeting with partnership-with-parents ( to support me), senco, head, teacher, and school link worker.
Diagnosis recommneded EP assessemnt. I requested an IQ test as part of that, and although objected school finally agreed.
Pwp asked them to contact outreach. they objected and then agreed. so an asessment will be done by outreach. aswell.
pwp asked school why no SA or IEP and they said no need. said thta ds displays no problems at school. and so refused to set up SA or IEP.
they basically dismiss everything. dismiss the diagnosis. saying "they see no evidence of anything". when asked about why ds was not doing so well acadmically, seeing as he's so bright (although he is doing very well), head said they thought his lack of prediction skills and lack of comprehension was down to "immaturity". so thus, dismissing empathy and theory of mind problems that paed and clinical pyschologist and also the CAMHS diagnosis letter, had highlighted.

So basically, I got nowhere.
PWP said, don't push, lets wait for the EP assessment.
He currently gets no assistance what-so-ever. Nothing. other than 'emotionally literacy on a monday'. He gets NOTHING ELSE.
And many Mn'ers have suggested moving schools.
And applying for a statement.
Both of which I am considering.
I did threaten school with applying for statement. pwp said that LEA woyuld laugh it off, because school haven't even done some of the basics yet.
But in the meantime, waiting for EP assessement and outreach assessment, is there anything I should be doing, in the meantime?

I have basically been discharged from Camhs. I have an appointment with a new paed in sept. I went to the old paed sept last year. he said there was nothing wrong with ds, come back in 12 mths. since then I got myself into CAMHS and now have a diagnosis. So when I meet new peaed, I am hoping that 'something' will begin.

Please advise what I should be doing next.

How long do you think I should take to do the letter. I need to think carefully about how to word things. Bear with me. I am frightened. I worried that I may describe ds in a way, or say something about him, that later I might wish I hadn't said.
This isn't like normal statement letters, where the parent wants statement and thinks they are entitled to one, and are just trying to persaude LEA that they are.
My letter is a joke. I mean we're not seriously expecting to GET a statement. Am only using it to kick schools ass, into doing something.

If i'm not careful, my letter will sound very bitter.
Diagnosed by Dr xxx date xxx, but school won't do :a,b,c. In fact school wont give him SA or IEP. school do NOTHING other than emotoional literacy, starting 2 months ago. school see no problems and insist his needs are being met. Now EP refused to assess him.

What sort of letter would that be. Awful. How can I change it to make it sound better ?

Ob

That is exactly the same letter that I will need to do and for the same reasons if there are no changes next school year as the EP has also not assessed DS - therefore I don't know what he should be achieving if he had adequate support.

From reading above:

The school should be able use their own resources at SA+ to help DS with these criteria from the SENCOP unless he needs a SSEN if I am not mistaken.

continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period
continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of pupils of a similar age

ontinues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills

has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

He is not making adequate progress in reading etc, he has problems with maths and social skills.

I'm off out to take DS to therapy now but will come back and help with wording unless someone else more used to the process has been to help you before then.

Thanks Ben10.
I have read those sencop rules before. But they just don't apply to ds.
I mean is he failing academically ? no. is he reaching his potential? ahhh, no. but do they care ? no.
Moosemama, gave me some good words to write in my letter to school.... "reaching potential". They just ignore. refuse to comment.
They say he plays with the boys. nothing wrong with his social skills they say. they told camhs that he goes to peoples houses for tea. I told school, that is wrong. he hasn't been invited. twice my friend picked him up, becasue I was stuck at hospital.
Ds doesn't fit the sencop rules. But then presumably, lots of Aspergers children don't. I can't claim he's failing becasue academically he's not. He is level 2 or 3 in his SATS.

In reception, target for reading was 5. He was 11.
In year 1, target 15, he was 20.
In year 2 target 24, he is 26.
All his mates, who were in reception were only level 2,below target, have now caught up. they are nearly all of them on 24. = target. Great. good for the other kids. and we all know kids peak and trough. I know this. I'm not stupid.
BUT, teacher says his comprehension, lack of being able to predict, and long worded maths questions, prevent him from reaching next level.
= classic AS traits. I tell them this. I write it in a letter. But no. They say he is doing "fine". No problems at all.

CAMHS suggested EP, with IQ test. Now that won't be done.

I am still waiting for an appointment with Outreach. who will assess him. hopefully. unless they too refuse.

EP refused, becasue school said they were meeting his needs. So presumbaly school will say that to Outreach too. SO I may lose Outreach assesssment aswell.
Are EP's so unprofessional that they would take a schools word for it, that a child needs were bring met. Is that the way they work. In schools pocket. Money money money ? suppose it is really. shouldn't be surprised, should I ?

I am struggling to think of how to write the statement letter. I can't see how to word it, how I can argue that school is not meeting his needs.

Will message you what i wrote. But... the LA have said no to stat assessment so far, so you might find advice from others more helpful than mine.

Oh and you might want to act dim and ask EP to write to camhs 'well camhs wanted the assessment & IQ, so please could you tell them if they need it clinically they'll need to organise it themselves'

Why should you be piggy in the middle of two services each not having resources to do an assessment.

oblomov I would start a new topic asking what to write for a statement for a child with aspergers as you may get new eyes. IPSEA has the template letter for generally asking for a statement. You word it that the school is not providing understanding socially and emotionally that your child needs and deserves as to be able to access the curriculum to his full potential.

Thank you Maria and Utah.
CAMHS did say that their suggestion of an IQ test was not clinical. so I am a bit scuppered there.
Utah, I have seen the link to the IPSEA many times on mn. I have seen the template for the letter.
I have also searched on MN and found a few people who have posted their letters. I have taken lots of hints form them.
BUT, none of this helps me with the fundamental problem, of the fact my letter is actually a tease letter , I am not really requesrting a statement . I think you are right. I will have to start another thread.
Thanks again.

Oblomov

But no one will visit, to see him.
Apparently, the CAMHS Dr, who diagnosed,and suggested the EP assessment, should not have done, becasue 'they don't know how the education system works'.

This is the real problem with the whole SEN process, We really do need to get rid of Local Authority employed Educational Psychologists, they have to have worked as teachers before they qualify, and their paymasters, employers, run the SEN provision budgets. So they are no sufficiently independent to be making any childs real needs their main priority, their main priority is keeping their jobs and working to their employers needs not our childrens needs.
All of this was highlighted in the 2009 Bercow Review.
And why we have had to find and use international research papers to help support our childrens needs when taking on various schools. You need to have better quality support information than they do, to prove your case and to expose their ignorance.

Thanks for the post Dolfrog. I did kind of know this about EP's.
But where do we go from here ?
They came back to me today. They will EP assess him. In November/December.
The fact they have even agreed to it, is becasue of me.

Oblomov

This only an "off the wall" suggestion, if you have a look at a PubMed search for Asperger Syndrome it currently produces a list of 1370 research papers, if you selected "Free Full Text" (182) blue font top right, this will bring up the list of 182 research papers which are available for FREE.
Most of these research papers include a great deal of referenced background information before they begin to describe the particular purpose of research to be carried out and reported on.
So you could find the research papers which best describe and apply to your DS, and follow up on any recommendations made in the papers. This will hopefully provide additional support to your case.

just an idea

Ob We moved schools.

Last resort but its working well so far

dolfrog Exactly what we've just been told re: ds1's paed request for an EP assessment!