ASD Statement application?

[nibsy]

Hi,

My son (ASD - nearly 4) will be starting school in September. He currently has support at preschool for 6 hours and has just started an extra unsupported session. The preschool say they dont think he needs a statement for school as he is "doing so well". He is starting to interact with the other children which is his IEP target (eg. he likes to invent number games to play with a lovely long suffering girl) which is great but this is very limited and I think he'll struggle with social aspects of school. The ed psych is coming to see him in Feb.

I honestly dont know what to do / where to start. Would it be worth getting a parental application for SA made before the ed psych sees him? Or best to wait to see what the ed psych thinks ( this is the view of the preschool and other professionals).

I'm so confused and extreme tiredness (teething baby) is clouding my judgement and sapping my fighting spirit. Any advice / hand-holding would be warmly welcomed to help me get my head straight.

Nibsy

I would over the next couple weeks ask the preschool to watch him. Ask them is it just the number games with this girl he plays?? or is he willing to plough in there and participate in other childrens games. Trying to work out if the games are only on his terms iyswim. How does he do in the turn taking side of things.

If the EP is coming to see him in Feb you should also get a chance to put your views and concerns accross so make sure you know the date and make sure they have allotted time for you to meet the EP.

If he has just started the unsupported session monitor him and his stress levels. Make sure you ask them about his activities on those days and what he has done and joined in. That way you can match if his days are equally trouble free and that he joins in the same as the supported days. Make diaries of anything the pre school says and then you can check and see if problems only appear on those days. That would give you back up should you wish to apply for a statement yourself.

Personally if I had any concerns at all I would just go ahead and apply myself. IPSEA website is great and will tell you how to go about it :)

Reception is different to pre school and there is still play along as they learn. It is yr1 that things become tougher and this is where my DS started to stand out a mile.

nibsy

I would make the application asap and use IPSEA's template letter on their website to do so. As such documents can take a minimum of six months to set up, time is of the essense here so you cannot afford to delay this.

Preschool and reception are two very different things; also preschool staff are not qualified enough to state that they don't think he needs a statement. Not their decision to make.

EP will make recommendations as to educational needs. However, these people are employed by the LEA and are as such under pressure from them not to readily statement.

IPSEA's website is www.ipsea.org.uk

Hi,

Thanks so much for your replies. Discussed with DH last night and we are going to request SA in writing tomorrow and get going with it. I know we'll have a fight on our hands but I'll just have to wear my hard hat.

I guess the main issue is not really understanding the demands of primary school (he's our eldest) and how his ASD will cause difficulties for him. At the moment things are pretty calm due to support at preschool and an ABA programme which is making a big difference. But I can see that a busy classroom with just a shared TA resource will be a completely different challenge for him.

Nibsy

School changes for kids as they go on. What they can handle in one setting they can't in another. By year 2 your dS will be expected nut to play during the day and given academic activities. These can be tricky without support.

Schools don't like doing Statements. They cost money/time. Believe me on that one! If they can get away without, they will. Might not be the best thing for your DS though.

I'd push ahead for it. It also sends out the message that you know your entitlement. Which means they will be vigilant in what they do.