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SA refused. Gutted.

62 replies

Oblomov · 04/04/2012 14:59

Got LEA letter today. As expected they are refusing to assess ds1(8). I know I expected this, but I am still gutted.
They said that ?All professionals involved with ds confirm that provision is adequate?.
Not sure how to argue against that, really.
What do you advise?
Have got my IPSEA download ready on how to appeal, to SEND. Woman from LEA helpfully forgot to include the pack on how to appeal.
But he trouble, is, I'm just not sure if I have any grounds.
The EP did agree with school, that his needs were being met. I told her in the meeting that I did not agree. And when I got her final report, I wrote again , to say that I did not agree.
But to be fair, I'm going round in circles. Ds is saying he wants to die. Yet school says he's fine. And I can't even get a single person to agree with me, that his needs are not beign met.
So realistically, is it worth writing to SEND, when I can't even find the words to build a case, myself.

Do you think this is just a shock reaction to the letter, and I need to calm down Wink
Wouldn't have been the first time I had got all 'het up' Grin

OP posts:
Oblomov · 27/04/2012 13:09

Thanks coffee.
The fact I even have a marriage left, that there is any family left for ds1 to be a part of, is only a tribute to ME. To my strength of personality.
When the school said to be last time, "Every child matters". I said "no, every penny matters". No one from school or the LEA who makes your decsion to assess/not assess, none of them go home and worry about the impact of thier decisions, do they?

Hugs to you aswell, coffee.

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Ben10NeverAgain · 27/04/2012 13:47

Oh Oblomov. I don't know what to say. Sounds horrendously difficult. I also have a chronic condition so I know some of what you feel in terms of the never-endingness but I am lucky that mine isn't imminently dangerous to my life. Just that bit on it's own sounds too much to deal with, let alone the difficulties at home.

Not criticising your parenting at all but I went on the Triple P course which I didn't think would help me but it really did....in terms of the shouting (which I did and still do sometimes), the consequences etc. I see you're doing the Earlybird plus course already. I'm starting mine in June so a bit sad to hear that it is a bit useless.....

Oblomov · 27/04/2012 13:56

sorry. didn't mean to be so meladramatic, and make diabetes sound so bad. it often is absolutely fine. If you met me at a party, with a glass of wine in my hand, you would never even know I had it.

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Ben10NeverAgain · 27/04/2012 14:23

I bet I wouldn't know you had it but I'm aware that it must still be a very scary thing to have. Having a hypo fit on the floor is not a usual thing to happen :(

Oblomov · 27/04/2012 14:27

Dh arriving home any minute. Then we are off to meeting. Wish us luck. Thanks everyone.

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Ben10NeverAgain · 27/04/2012 14:29

Good luck with it :) (((hugs)))

StarshitTerrorise · 27/04/2012 14:29

Oblomov I read this earlier today but I couldn't respond then because it brought me to tears. I don't think I realised before how incredibly close I have been and may still be one day to your situation and I already know that there are others on this board that have been where you are. I have been thinking before I post.

In summary, the issues seem to be:

  1. You are stressed to the max are exhausted
  2. Your ds is being failed at school
  3. You have explored and fought enough to know that the cost-benefit right now isn't worth the toll on your health and family.
  4. You are feeling helpless and want to give up.
  5. You can't give up on your child and will not be able to but you have nothing left to fight with.
  6. This is going to get worse if unaddressed but you are at a loss how to do this or how to resource it.

Okay, so depression and stress are much worse when their is a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. When people have a plan, they have hope.

Now the situation you are in is especially stressful because all your fights of the past are with hope that they'll have an affect to improve things. But you have had your hopes repeatedly dashed and things haven't changed or improved despite your putting yourself through high performance adrenaline assessments of your courage, conviction, persistance and determination.

(when I say the above, I don't mean things haven't changed at all. I'm sure they would be much worse if you hadn't have done what you have)

So, what to do now that will reduce both your current stress and anxiety, and improve things for your future stress and for your ds' outcomes. What plan can you have that isn't giving up and empowers you but doesn't kill you off? What can you do that means things get better without you being the one that has to be applying the pressure for little or no gain?

coff33pot · 27/04/2012 14:32

good luck! xxx

StarshitTerrorise · 27/04/2012 14:50

How about a passive fighting strategy, rather than an active fighting one?

You don't need to challenge, demand etc. and hope for change and improvements with all the let down and emotional stress that causes. Instead just assume that nothing will change and record this happening in detail for the day, when you are in a better position to actively fight again.

Think about a time, in a year, in 3 years, in 5 years, when a true opportunity comes up to radically change things, and think about what the future you might wish you had recorded of the times leading up to it.

Can you send the EP a letter stating that the current IEP doesn't look very SMART to you but the school had assured you that the EP had agreed that it was and ask her to confirm this. You are not actively demanding anything. She might not even respond and you must have no expectations that there will be any outcome. It is just a document you have created to record the issue raised, and you can put it on file. It MAY have the effect of making her more accountable and careful for the next IEP, or involving you more, but have no more expectations.

Similarly with the CAHMs thing. Each episode write to them, informing them of it. Don't expect or hope them to act. You are just passively documenting. It can be just FYI in the subject.

Attend no more meetings after today. INform them in writing that you find them too unfocussed, directionless and outcomeless and you preferred method of communication is the written form as you feel better able to express yourself that way and it is more efficient as you can all get straight to the point. This is important as the LA are 'supposed' to communicate with you according to your needs, culture, language, preferences etc. so you are within your rights to do this.

When you write something, just do it factually in a FYI type way and try hard not to put emotion behind it. Don't expect or hope for any immediate outcome from your documents.

In the future, if you ever have the health, resource, backing, support to do so you can put in one hell of an active fight using your stack of evidence of failure after failure and properly documented unaddressed needs, plus details of professional incompetence. You may at that point be in an excellent position for leverage.

Keeping these documents and filing them will give you a sense of control over your situation and stop you from spiraling into a pit of despair that will do neither you or your family any good.

coff33pot · 27/04/2012 14:58

Star you worded that in a much better way than I ever could :)

Oblomov · 27/04/2012 18:57

Thank you for your heart -felt posts Star. I appreciate all your thoughts and know that what you post is sensible.
The meeting went on for 1.5 hours. Dh was good and made the senco and the Head really squirm. But it was quite pointless. And in the end dh forced them to agree that the pathway had not been followed adequately, etc etc.
We have an updated IEP.
We have all our thoughts and concerns already documented in 3 long letters that I have written over the last year.
Today we were going over old history AGAIN, because they have never admitted anything. But dh is right, we don't need to mention it again, my views are recorded in writing,so now let it go.
I will take on board all you say and will take a back seat in the next 6 motnhs.
I start a new job in mid May. Smile
And I have ds2's application to submit in Dec 12, for Sep 13 admission.
I will still note everything. I mean everything.
And I will give it alot of thought.
Thank you for all your ideas and support.

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ArthurPewty · 27/04/2012 21:05

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