SALT report..the dend in my wall is getting wider

[coff33pot]

Seriously headbanging day......

SALT report arrived.......well half of it. Saw DS october in office and at school. Was unable to do second half till 19th. Agrees with me that he is ticking every box for autism and showed me her diagnostic tool she has to use. But she has to assess him again to complete her report.

And so I get the proposed statement, argue it and its now with the senior manager. Thinking great I will get the salt report to add weight to the statement and on top of this also add weight to my second oppinion request for dx.

All of a sudden salt goes sick, wont answer text or phone call from me or school since 19th oct onwards. Now I get in post a report regarding his receptive language skills which on all counts he is above adverage. WE KNEW this, SHE knew this. It is his expressive language, social skills that is the issue. The only thing useful in it is that humour wise he just doesnt get it. Several jokes were cracked by her and in return she got the stoney hard and confused stare back and off he walked to pick up a book. She asked DS to crack a joke he replied with knock knock, whos there, jumping jack, jumping jack who, jumping jack on a skateboard.

The report says due to "service constraints" she has been unable to complete the rest of the assessment regarding his social and communication issues..........the important half. So I got a report saying he cant tell jokes.

I smell a rat. And I need another space to bang my head.

Bugger, coff33. It sounds like half a report is worse than none. Surely the LA have requested a report from SALT?

Thanks imogen. I was considering chewing a cushion but that will show the dog bad habbits. :)

No the LA only requested reports from Pead and EP. Funnily enough the salt herself said she was very surprised that they hadnt requested a report from her. They had reports from camhs too from me and the school and that was it. Everything else was still in the pipeline as they had been recommended by the pead (OT) camhs (salt)

I am not going to send a copy of this half report as its not worth it and they (knowing them) could well take it as written and probably ignore that it is incomplete and decide that he doesnt need help in that department when I know he definately does.

I have emailed a independent salt just found on the net but I doubt very much I can afford it. So many things going on in RL I am having this slowly sinking feeling.

Bottom end of cornwall justa

My OT report has been "missing" since June and not even a tribunal made it arrive. My advice if you really need on is to comission a private salt report.

The school have said they have rang her but had no joy. They did let it slip that she was due in to see two others next week so I have asked them to speak to her about it. Its getting a bit more heated now with the school demanding the funding from the LA even though the statement isnt complete and finalised as I want amendments.

Give the school their due they have told the LA to just specify and quantify correctly on the statement as she is in agreement with me that they are acting against the law and she told me she would tell them so. How long I have her support when she realises she wont get her funding just quite yet remains to be seen. However time is ticking and I have been told they will make a decision by end of term hols on amendments.

Thanks justa the train journey might just be too much right now and I have to be home for other things going on with my dd so stuck tween devil and hardplace.

I am thinking salt report possibly about £500 ish??

The children's communication checklist and Elklan test of language comprehension can both be validly administered by a non-specialist i.e. a teacher or parent. If the results are very clear they will stand for themselves, though I guess if the SLT could look at them and confirm briefly in writing 'they're very bad scores' or similar it couldn't hurt .

You can buy them yourself, or the school might be able to access them. Or maybe even call the SLT and see if she can post you a copy, if her department use them.

(will vanish again now as meant to be going mumsnet cold turkey for a few weeks but fell off wagon briefly)

oh, and I think they're around £50 each

Thanks maria hope you managed to climb back on your wagon

In the half assessment she did she used CELF 4 (clinical evaluation of language fundamentals 4)

To which she said he cooperated fully but only able to assess his receptive language as he become highly strung and emotional as he was finding the test quite challenging. This is why she didnt persue it states.

I will look up that assessment test maria thanks :) This other independent salt is in Devon that I have emailed today so hopefully she will get back to me. She is also apparently ASD experienced so that form of understanding would be a bonus right now if the cost is ok.

we got the full CELF-2 done privately (over two sessions as ds was so non compliant) for £130, private SALTs ime don't have EP level scary fees.

Thanks toadnotfrog :) That sounds a less scary price :)

Just looked at an Elkan site and it had some good books there and courses to for communication and social skills for ASD awareness. Shame I read through it only to find it was for teachers and therapists DOH!

toadnotfrog - where are you based? £130 is such a good price. My friend is looking for someone right now but the SALT I used, experienced with tribunals etc. cost £600.

coff - you might find that when you tell the LA you want to send in your pte SALT, they might suddenly have a SALT available to assess your child. The SALT who only had time to see my ds 5/6 times a year was available for 3 days of 6 hours assessment and discussions etc - and she was accompanied by a very senior SALT with huge experience with ASD children.

Just think if they had put in all those hours to actually helping children instead.

Just remember that an assessment is just that.
It can be done by anyone with appropriate qualification and experience.

It's what the concrete action plan is following the results that really matters.
That's when generally the tumbleweed appears...

We had an independent SALT report. The SALT did independent work, worked for a local authority and had tribunal experience. She did a very indepth report which the LEA (with a bit of strong-arming!) including in my daughter's statement. This in turn meant that they could not provide a school with that level of SALT and we were able to get a non-maintained special school in a neighbouring authority.

This all took a while but once the independent SALT was involved the 'local' one really bucked up.

£600 blimey! We're in south east - she charges £35/30 mins, £60/hour + a bit for travel. Did the assessment 2 standard hour sessions & didn't charge any extra - we paid a bit more to have copies sent to paed etc. That wasn't for tribunal or anything though, I needed a proper assessment for our records & for DLA application.

Sorry not been on today was off on one of those sensory workshops......great as it was nice to meet other parents of SN children for once seeing as I know none in RL. Unfortunately all are far away from where I live but never mind it was nice. I am glad I shouted for early assessment as at the end of it the OT said to everyone "well i hope today has been valuable, go home and see if you can try any of the things you learnt today.....for 6 weeks. If no good ring after 6 weeks for an appointment with an OT for them to go over the senory profile you all kindly sent in Thankfully he has been seen and they are now going into school but my heart went out to all the other parents there who looked so dumbfounded at such along wait.

Independent salt emailed me and she charges £190 plus £1 per mile each way travel so I will be looking at just under £400. If more than 4 hours it will be another £60 above that. This would get me a full assessment and detailed report for the LA. She did say January but if I need before she may be able to juggle around. Have not got back to her yet as it was late when I got home.

Wondering if I should email the LA saying I am considering or have made an appointment for an independent to see if that makes them buck up as trying said

If DS could cope with a 3hr train journey there and back I could avoid the travel costs but ideally would like her to see him in school setting seeing as it is social skills and communication with others that is the problem.