I'm not sure what I should do: Please help me to help DD

[littlelegsmum]

Hi all

My 10 (almost 11yo) DD has been referred for assessments for asperger's. The school are extremely contradictive of anything I see and are not very helpful at all. They are also saying her levels are acceptable for a Y6 students, compared to that of her classmates.

She ended Y2 with 2c's and in her mock sats (february 2012) she got 3c,b & a.

She has had a Speech & Language assessment this week and it's come back with the following results:

Using the CELF 3 (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 3)

DD's Chronological age = 10 years 11 months.

Subtests
Receptive language
Concepts and Directions - SS = 4 (mean = 10)
Word Classes - SS = 3 (mean = 10)
Semantic Relationships - SS = 7 (mean = 10)

Expressive Language
Formulated Sentences - SS = 5 (mean = 10)
Recalling sentences - SS = 6 (mean = 10)
Sentence Assembly - SS = 7 (mean = 10)

Receptive Language Standard Score = 70 (mean = 100)
Expressive Language Standard Score = 78 (mean = 100)
Total Language Score = 73 (mean = 100) normal limits for
a child of DD's age is between 85-115.
DD is falling below the normal range for her age.

An age equivalent can be calculated for these scores but should be
interpreted with caution. The age equivalent would be 6 years 5 months.

SS = Standardised score, based on the scores that are typical for DD's age.

Am I being stupid or is it obvious DD clearly should be under SENco?

Sadly many schools lack knowledge about girls with AS/ASD. The school my Dd3 went to first decided that because she was well behaved and achieving national averages that she couldnt possibly have special needs.

When we moved to another school she was imediately put on the special needs register and now gets additional support.

I think you should go back to see the senco at school and talk to her/him about what they can do to support your Dd.

Also contact the senco of the secondary school she is moving to and arrange to meet up and discuss your Dd. I am assuming she is changing schools soon.

Am off to bed now (long day). Will come back on here tomorrow.

Good luck.

CELF 3 is the old test but still valid. CELF 4 is the current version. What the tests show is a below average language capability. However they have not addressed difficulty with semantic/ pragmatic language which is key for AS kids. To put it another way they have under assessed. Most NHS SALTS would say that class based TA lead interventions will be all that the child will get. SS of 70 = 2nd % percentile and getting into disorder territory. I would say that the child needs a SALP delivered by a SALT for at least 1 hour a week.

Thank you both for your replies.

Nigel you have completely lost me. My brain is not working, could u put it easier for me.

This was a private assessment and the lea do know this.

What I should of explained was that she had a long time to look at, think and respond to thinks. I don't understand how she has been under assessed?

Sorry I'm having a really bad day.

Oh I also forgot that he did give her the option to do some comprehension which she said no to straight away as she knows she can't do it.

Nigel is saying that your child should have a speech and language programme put in place from a speech and language therapist given the results from the CELF 3. Does your child take things literally like "butterflies in your tummy" as actually having butterflies in their tummy in regard to being nervous - for example - If so this should have been mentioned in your private SaLT report.
Have you applied for astatement or got a statement for your child?

wasuup3000Thu 19-Apr-12 10:36:29

Nigel is saying that your child should have a speech and language programme put in place from a speech and language therapist given the results from the CELF 3. Does your child take things literally like "butterflies in your tummy" as actually having butterflies in their tummy in regard to being nervous - for example - If so this should have been mentioned in your private SaLT report.
Have you applied for astatement or got a statement for your child?

Hi wasuup, Thanks for that I just couldn't grasp that, but now you mention it, it's very obvious. Yes, she does i've been saying things like that to her recently, the latest being 'come on DD, pull your socks up' and she'll say she doesn't have socks on. The SALT hasn't donethe full report yet, but he understood why she's been referred for assessment for Aspergers, based on some of the information he gained. We don't have a statement yet nor have we applied for one. I wouldn't know where to start to be honest.

Your child is expected to make 2 levels of progress

So for a 2c at age 7 (end key stage 1) should achieve 4c at age 11 (end key stage 2). Thats the expected level of progress the Dept of Education use.
see here
Another grid example is here - your child would be in peach band and should have stayed in this colour band each year if she had followed the progress that was expected.
She has dropped 1-2 bands behind what would have been predicted at age 7.

Of course many children with SEN are not making 2 bands of progress but it is evidence needs are not being met.

IneedalifeWed 18-Apr-12 22:04:37

Sadly many schools lack knowledge about girls with AS/ASD. The school my Dd3 went to first decided that because she was well behaved and achieving national averages that she couldnt possibly have special needs.

When we moved to another school she was imediately put on the special needs register and now gets additional support.

I think you should go back to see the senco at school and talk to her/him about what they can do to support your Dd.

Also contact the senco of the secondary school she is moving to and arrange to meet up and discuss your Dd. I am assuming she is changing schools soon.

Am off to bed now (long day). Will come back on here tomorrow.

Good luck.

Hi and I LOVE your user name . . me too! ;)

They are saying because she 'seems' to be fine and plays with other children that they don't have concerns - even though i've told them she is following the behaviours of other children, no one has even spoke to her about it!!

She also locks herself in her room and 'plays' school . . However, it's usually based on her day at school, she won't make a new play up as she says she can't make stories up :(

AgnesDiPestoThu 19-Apr-12 11:55:03

Your child is expected to make 2 levels of progress

So for a 2c at age 7 (end key stage 1) should achieve 4c at age 11 (end key stage 2). Thats the expected level of progress the Dept of Education use.
see here
Another grid example is here - your child would be in peach band and should have stayed in this colour band each year if she had followed the progress that was expected.
She has dropped 1-2 bands behind what would have been predicted at age 7.

Of course many children with SEN are not making 2 bands of progress but it is evidence needs are not being met.

Hi Agnes and thank you for that information. I will have a good look at those links as I definitely need to take some examples in to show them why i'm constantly mithering them.

I found this the other day, i was confused by all the levels!

There are eight levels covering ages 5-14. The lowest is level one, which describes children at approx 5 years old. The highest is level eight which describes children at approx 14 years old. Each level is divided in 3 subs levels ie 3c, 3b, 3a,

Children are expected to work through one level every 2 years ie a child working at level 2b in year 2 would be expected to reach 3b for year 4, so progressing 1.5 sub levels per year.

Although i would add that a child on the spectrum can still make academic progress, but still have lots of difficulties in other areas such as speech, understanding, social, communication, sensory, emotional etc, etc. Its not all about academic progress