Meeting tomorrow want to be prepared, help!

[starfish71]

Have a meeting at school tomorrow with DS1 head of year, EP, Autism outreach teacher.

DS1 (13) has dyspraxia, under assessment for ASD and has only been in school for 2 days since start of term, can't cope with the school, very stressed.

I have put in request for statutory assessment and have sent off my parental contribution this week.

I want to be prepared for this meeting but I don't know what I can say tomorrow except DS is very stressed and anxious and can't face school even on a part time basis and I am waiting to see whether the LEA will agree to assess.

Am feeling very anxious about tomorrow.

Any advice? Please.

anyone?

Take someone with you if you can, even if they don't say anything they may remember what was said to you.

Ring your Parent Partnership group who will help you with a list of questions. They helped me to realise what we needed school to do, and phrased the questions in a way that made the school give us specific answers.

ok thanks Leningrad & nothinginthefridge.

Have jotted a few things down -

What can DS use in school to record work? (uses a laptop but it has gone missing on school trip before Christmas & they don't have a spare one for him to use yet)

Will he access to a 'quiet room' to 'escape' class if needed and are there any support staff available to help him catch up and organise his work?

Can DS drop French, Welsh & Art as he is struggling with these and use the time to catch up on work he has missed? (DS is now quite far behind as hasn't had good attendance since Sept)

Are these the sort of things to bring up and get specific answers for? Of course at present DS really doesn't want to return and is so stressed out.

Can I ask about home tutoring? Know I can but is it worth mentioning at this point.

Sorry hysterical rambling coming on.

Any more thoughts on this would be really grateful

One question that PPartnership told me to ask was 'do you understand what DS special needs actually are?' 'how do you see your school being able to meet those needs' 'what specific provisions will you be putting in place'
This puts the onus back on them to come up with what they understand about your DS, and whether they have given any consideration to how they can help him.

ooh thats good, thank you. Have added those to my notebook. Did hope to get lady from SNAP (PP here in wales) to come to meeting but she isn't available for this one.

Thank you again, just needed a bit of focus and a bit of hand holding!

Don't want it to turn into a 'washy washy meeting' or one where all the blame for DS not attending is turned onto me.