Statutory Assessment - help!!

[Sally200]

DS (aged 4) has SPD and probable ASD. The LA have agreed to do statutory assessment. I am now completing my comment as to the Statutory Assessment. I am struggling with how much info to put and in what format. Also, do I need to conclude each paragraph/sub heading or do I just give lots of examples of his behaviour? Is it best to relate each concern to - and this is why he needs help?

Any advice would be massively appreciated. Feel like my head is going to explode!

No advice but watching with interest as we are in the same boat!

and a gentle bump x

Am watching too as will have this soon and a little bump x

The information that you will be providing is called 'Parental Advice'.

You can provide this in any format you like - some LAs have a form they will send you with certain headings - but ignore it and write what you want taking as many pasges as you think necessary - I did 36 sheets of A4 but our case was very complex.

A good structure would be to start with the birth - easy/difficult.
Any behaviours, problems you noticed at various stages in dveleopment
What the problems/difficulties are now.
Any diagnosis they may have been given
What help you may had had - from NHS or Educational professionals
What difference that made (if any)
What your child's strengths / wekanesses are
What are they like at home
What interventions (if any) have you noticed improve your child's behaviour / problems
What hobbies they have / things they enjoy
What you would like to happen

etc
I expect someone else will be able to add to this or suggest an alternative format

Kind bump!

My view is make it short and simple. The LA never use anything in it save anything that you say to compliment the LA/School. Very cynical I know but....

I took great pains over our contribution. 13 pages in end off carefully crafted verbage! Only person to read it was our barrister (ended up going down the tribunal route) who referred to it again and again while linking it to the observations in the expert witnesses reports and then on to the provision that was required as a consequence. Was glad I'd done it at that point but otherwise I did wonder why I'd lost so many hours of sleep working on it. Was full of descriptions if how he is / capabilities / difficulties and lots and lots of examples.