Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Relocating to North Yorkshire with a Statement - AS- ? Any advice and experiences please

4 replies

Dontlikepink · 16/04/2012 10:34

We may have to relocate from Greater London to Yorkshire. Our main issue is how to deal with DS.

He has a statement due to his Asperger and ADHD, he is doing very well in a mainstream grammar school and the provisions seem to be working very well now - the school made great efforts and the teachers are trained (after 3 years). Staff and the peers seem to have all the right attitudes. The LSA is pure gold. The statement includes 20 hours 1:1 support, OT support for sensory processing difficulties, Speech and Language therapy support weekly for pragmatic language, and social skills. It took 5 years and two tribunals to get that far, so I am in horror to have to start again, especially during his GCSEs.

Could you please share any experiences and advice about relocating with the statement? Is it possible to get an equivalent package? Any idea of the LA policies and practices which would apply to our case?
What is the state of provisions in Yorkshire? What are the attitudes to AS in mainstream secondary schools there? Anyone knows of children with statements in grammar schools?
Any experiences from parents of high achieving DC with AS in Yorkshire?

OP posts:
Dontlikepink · 16/04/2012 14:24

I maybe wrongly assumed that with an existing statement you wouldn't have to start from scratch , but given the polite response I am wondering whether it is possible at all. Have anyone done this - relocating to another LA with a child with a statement?

Could you please advise on the law and the process in such situation?
I wouldn't pull him out of the current school until a new statement and a new school place is agreed. What is the legal position on this? Can I formally apply and get a draft statement with DH relocating first, without pulling DS out of his current school? Could I appeal to the tribunal then if needed?

OP posts:
EllenJaneisnotmyname · 16/04/2012 14:40

Sorry, no personal experience, but friends have re-located, and my understanding is that the new LA will generally honour the statement but only until they can re-assess themselves, as the local provision and policies may be different.

feynman · 16/04/2012 19:58

Hi, is it definitly North Yorkshire? If so I 'believe' they are not too bad. However, all areas of Yorkshire are not the same. If you'd said East Yorkshire for example, I would be saying prepare for a battle!

discodad · 18/04/2012 11:39

I'm going to try and answer your original query on this thread and the additional questions you posted on the other North Yorkshire thread.

On the other thread you asked:

Could you possibly comment on the services in Skipton area?
Do you know what the "standard" package for an ASD related statement in mainstream school is in N York?s? Do they fund 1:1 LSA, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy in mainstream school setting (if this is what is recommended from statutory assessment)?

I don't know the particulars about Skipton area. There is no 'standard package' other than the minimum they can get away with. As you have been to tribunal twice, I suspect you have a good, quantified and specified statement. North Yorks will not like this. My guess is they will want to review the statement quickly and then water down, with the usual 'should', 'access too' nonsense, leaving you with very little by way of a meaningful statement.

They do fund LSAs. Usually 50-75%, written as 'access to' etc. in statements. 20 hours is the what is considered the minimum before a child qualifies for a statement in North Yorkshire (they are a highly delegating LA), so in the worst case, it may be they reassess and remove the statement entirely and put you child on School Action Plus. Be prepared for that.

In my experience speech and language therapy is indirect for practically all children not in special school - either termly or half termly. Skipton, I think, is covered by a different PCT (Airedale) to the rest of North Yorkshire , so it may well be different, but I wouldn't bet on it. SALT, throughout the rest of N Yorks are very willing to do the minimum and do what they are told by the Council. They are not interested in what is best for the child, and, in any case, have no clue how to get a child with autism to comply with targets. They view that as something for schools to do. SALT always appears in part 6 of statements unless it is challenged. I think weekly SALT is unheard of. Speak to AWARE in Keighley- they will know about SALT provision in Airedale PCT and possibly about Skipton schools more generally, and they are lovely.

OT is the same.

The SEN team think nothing of ignoring professional reports from stat assess if they do not fit with what they want to provide. Profs do not quantify or specify in their reports in any case. You may get e.g. 'x would benefit from being in an environment with specialist staff' which would be code for special school, but probably nothing more. Certainly nothing on number of hours.

LA policies are on their website. Their view is all children should be in their local mainstream school because this is the cheapest provision to meet the inclusion agenda, so the council will be supportive of mainstream in your case. Only children with 'high needs, low incidence' will be statemented according to the council. Individual schools vary enormously, but as a general rule schools that take more disadvantaged kids tend to be better with SEN than academic schools. There will be exceptions.

You ask is it possible to get an equivalent package. The answer is yes, it certainly is, but probably not without a fight. Sorry to be so bleak. My response is based on personal experience and knowledge of a good number of other children with autism.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page