Are School able to reject a private assessment and say they cannot act on it?

[Jerbil]

2 months ago I spent £250 on a private assessment for DS1 by a Physiotherapist. She came up with issues that DS1 was enduring. One of the things was Visual Tracking. Anyone who saw my other thread this weekend will know that this has proved correct and has been confirmed by an Optometrist.

My question here is that the SENCO has told me not to spend any more money (haven't got any anyway!) because she says they are unable to acknowledge it! I know and understand the Council's perspective on this when they are formally assessing for statements, and that will result in potentially large expense. But here we're talking about fidget toys being used, standing at the front or back of a line etc. Not ££££££.

In any case, my major point to the SENCO was that I read that report and as an untrained person (with regard to SEN!) was able to decide an eye test was in order. With the result being DS1 is short-sighted and has visual tracking problems. Makes me wonder what else is in the report that I cannot identify.

But also, makes me wonder why the eye test within School did not pick him up?

The eye test within school is very basic and will only pick up fairly serious problems. Anyone who is concerned about their child's eyesight would have to have a proper assessment by an optician (or behavioural optometrist depending on the problem).

It shouldn't really make any difference whether your child has a private or LEA report, unfortunately though it does.

On a basic level the school/LEA could argue that they don't take into account private reports because you have effectively leapfrogged the system and removed meritocracy by giving your child an advantage that is not available to the majority of children. If the school acknowledged your report the school places the other children in need of support at a disadvantage as they have to rely on/wait for state provision. From experience you can't guarantee the school would play ball even if it was a state report saying the same thing.

It may help to get a relationship going with your sons teacher and see if she will implement any of the recommendations off her own back. Otherwise tackle the SENCO again about having the suggested initiatives put in place via an IEP. Keep notes, get things in writing.

As Jandy stated school tests are basic as are many carried out by high street opticians, these tests are only looking at whether the person has 20/20 vision and the degree of long/short sightedness. Even if high street opticians pick up further discrepancies they can do little for the person other than refer them to a hospital for further investigation. If he has visual tracking problems you need to have him assessed by a Behavioural Optometrist.

That's very interesting Minx. I can see that point of view I suppose, frustrating though it is because at the end of the day my little one is not as advantaged as the rest of the majority of the class. I suppose it's all about perspectives. My own being the most important to me lol! We all do what's best for our kids. I cannot afford to do such a thing again, but am so glad I did.

He is getting referred by the GP to a Specialist Orthoptist as apparently they deal with the tracking thing. But the optometrist described how much he was struggling. She said just his mouth movements give it away and asked if I'd not noticed them - boy do I feel guilty!

We have a multi-agency meeting with his psychologist SALT teacher and SENCO soon. He has yet to have an IEP. They are now assessing him for one apparently.

I think if a school won't follow simple cheap stuff in a private report they wouldn't follow the same advice in an LEA report either.

Good schools care about private reports as much as LEA ones, and bad schools care about neither.

Anyway make sure school allow him a fidget toy and to stand at the back of the line. These are both standard things which my NHS OT recommended to school and they did.

So just keep annoying school until they agree to it.

Was a move n sit cushion also recommendd?

Thee school can refuse to implement anything that isn't in a statement as that is all that is legally binding.

Yes she did recommend a cushion. but again, we will not probably be able to get it!

You can get the cushions in tk maxx. I just bought one and basically told them I wanted them to use it! Did the same with a stabilo easy pencil until they gave him the proper pencil grip. They soon sorted out their own equipment.