Update on language panel decision

[mum38]

hi everyone. It's been a while since I was on mumsnet-am hoping someone remembers me! When I posted last my ds (6) was going to a language panel in the hope of a place at our nearest language unit. Unfortunately he didn't get the place (LEA won't tell us why) & last week we had his annual review of his statement. In the room were the SENCO, teacher and
SALT and they basically said he didn't have just a Speech and language problem but a general learning disability and they wanted a new report by a EP.

The last EP report said his problems were all routed in language and that's why we went to the language panel. The EP was saying this as recently as June. The SENCO wants a report from a new EP (we changed schools). Ds hates these assessments and we don't really want to put him through it again but they need an EP report to change the statement. We are also worried that the change will mean he will have little SALT input. Indeed the SALT said more SALT would be pointless as his speech is in line with his other abilities.
He is assessed as working within the p levels but at home we feel he is doing more -he can read about 80-100 high frequency words and write most of his letter for example. Still way behind his peers though. His latest SALT assessment showed his understanding was in the low normal range ( a big improvement for ds) apart from concepts such as time and choice but his speech and grammar were that of a 3 year old.

I am getting so confused and don't really know what to do for the best. What's the point of all these assessments if they keep showing different things. Have anyone else been through anything like this? Any words of wisdom would be really welcome.

That is confusing! I don't really know what to suggest. Suppose you have to go along with it. Any chance of seeing someone privately so you can really understand it all? Mind you, that's another assessment. A child with a general learning disability still needs input on speech and language and communication though.

Lea's are making it harder for children to be statemented. And those children who are able to get statements i feel that LEA'S are not telling parents what choice's there are out there.
A few years ago, when statementing was easier, children with severe speech & language disorders were told about special speech and lang school's. The less severe were sent to unit attached to mainstream school's.
Now - it's up to parents to find out what there is out there. Most of the children with severe are now in Units. And the less severe now are lucky if they do get a statement but they won't meet the "new criteria" for the unit's.
I have got a 8 year old with severe speech and lang disorders and social communication disorder.
She was very privilage to go to the nuffield unit which is under the ENT Nuffield hospital at King's Cross.
While she was there she had speech therapy 3 times a day for up to 20 mins a time. It had 2 full time speech therapist, Max children in the school was between 12-14. It was for children between ages of 4-7. And it was a Paget Gorman signing environment.
She now goes to another special speech and lang school (had to prove that my local mainstream units were not suited for her). Class sizes are under 10 children and there is in each class a speech therapist, a therapist assistant, a teacher and a LSA.
This school is also a signing environment, and she has speech therapy at least 3 times a week.

This is where my Lea has changed "criteria" and made it harder.

My 6 yr old attends mainstream, she was only able to get a statement if i choose a school out of borough.
It was in her statement to have therapy 6 times a term but she now get's it once a week. (have heard of other children getting SALT therapy once a month). So yes she is lucky BUT i feel if the LEA hadn't changed criteria she would be at the local unit. She needs the local unit but she doesn't qualify.
So my advise to parent's is to look at other school's, do some research, just don't say YES to the LEA straight away as they are in it to save money. To them sending your child to the local unit is cheaper then sending your child to a specialised school slightly further away.

thanks for your replies. I think we are going to have to put him through another EP report. We are so upset as up to now we were led to believe (my previous EP and paed) S&L was his main problem. If we had thought it was more general we would have gone for another unit place (for more general learning problems) but we have now missed the panel for that. I just think what is the point of putting him through all these assessments if they say different things??

My DS was statemented 8 years ago and I wasn't given any info (not even told about statementing, got that from another parent) and was not offered anything. So I'm not sure that things have changed really. Basically, if you want to know what's avaiable and what its like, you have to really find out for yourself.