School have had the report from Ed Psych.Can i have some support please.

[flyingunderpants]

DS's teacher has told me today,that they recieved the report on monday.They are now waiting for a date from Ed Psych,for a meeting to go through it with me.
It feels strange that SENCO and DS's teacher know whats in the report,and i have to wait.Like they know more about DS.
Anyone have any experience with Ed Psych?I'm i building myself up for a big let down? Or will we finally start getting DS the help he needs?
Thanks

Wtf?

Phone the EP and say you want ti be sent a copy immediately ffs!

You are his key support worker and as such should have seen the report first, not least to ensure accuracy before the final version was shared with others.

Grrrr

can you ask for a copy to be emailed to you ahead of time, so that the meeting is a productive one (rather than one where you are trying to play catxh up?)

I would feel odd that the school (who are not part of the ed psych team, iyswim) had the report ahead of the meeting and I did not. did the ed psych ask you if the report could be circulated?

how supportive/helpful are your school? I have not had great experiences with LA ed psychs - they come, assess, make all the right noises, even (ime) write good reports - right up to the recommendaitons bit, where all of a sudden all the difficulties described earlier in the report seem to vanish

but depending on what your ds needs, and how willing the school are to implement, it could well be the start of getting help. does you ds have a statement?

Absolutely you need to have the report in advance so you can read it and think of any questions for your meeting. Definitely call up and ask for it to be emailed to you.

Our EP report was completely useless I have to say full of "his parents say" and "DS is Mrs and Mrs Ben's only child" - ie he wasn't happy with what we were saying as if we might be making it up due to pandering to our PFB. I wonder whether we would get the same report now he has an ASD dx??

First of all thanks for both replies.
This is all knew to me,so i'm learning has i go along.(mostly from MN)
I haven't met the EP,or spoke to him yet.
School arranged for the assessment,with me pushing them for help for DS.
DS's teacher this year,is really helping.She agrees that there is something wrong,and DS needs extra help.DS is 6 and in year 2.

I didn't even know i could/should have a copy of the report.I will get onto that today.
Thanks again.

We got all the things from EP first. I'd get in touch with EP if I were you. I'm pretty sure it should be parents first and then professionals. Could be an admin error I suppose. One of DS' diagnosis reports was posted and didn't arrive, but the EP was mortified and emailed it as soon as we told her. (Post is notoriously dodgy round here).

I just don't understand the point of them having it and not you?

Tbh, I find it controlling and almost abusive. I'm not sure it woukd be intended like that but certainly I don't understand the culture of it. It gives them ultimate power over you and makes you vulnerable at the meeting and more easily rail-roaded into accepting their suggestions.

It kind of elevates their position in what is supposed to be a partnership. Very wring IMO.

even if, by some mistake, the school got a copy of the report and you didn't, I don't understand the controlling bit of 'and when we have a meeting we will explain it to you' - patronising bullshit, imo.

this is your ds, and information about him should never be shared with third parties without your consent. I have a blanket instruction all the time to dd1's school - pass on the info, I don't care who sees it (as long as I have a copy too, obv!) and still I get asked ot sign consent forms each and every time (doesn't happen so much now, since she is in a school where all SALT, EP etc is inhouse - at least they don't ask me to consent to sharing information within the school )

Silly question but how do i contact the EP.
I do feel like the school are keeping me in the dark.DS teacher is lovely.But i do feel that the school don't want me knowing to much.
Like all this with the EP.I didn't know that i should have a copy of the report.
I wasn't even given the chance to meet the EP first.
I think its time i stood up to the school abit.

did you sign a consent form allowing the EP to see and observe your ds?

did you get proper notification of when that observation would be?

you shoudl have had the contact details of the EP (not necessarily meet them beforehand) ahead of any contact time with your ds.

I would be firing off a complaint ot the LA, copying in the school and anyone else I could think of, re: shockingly bad practice. (and stating on no uncertain terms that you want to be notified ahead of any contact time, that you know you need ot consent to anyone seeing oyur ds, and that you insist on being the first to receive any communications about your ds)

I can't believe i didn't realise that i should have had a copy of the report.
Of course reading your replies it makes sense.
From today i'm taking control.

silverfrog i just typed a longish reply about the consent,but when i pressed post my laptop crashed.
In short i signed a concent form,which his teacher filled in with SENCO.I wasn't given time to read it,which i know realise i should have.But DD was coming out of the other side of school,and she would have been worried.
DS's teacher told me the day before that the EP,was coming into school.I didn't have it in writing.

Use word 'disappointed' when you say that you didn't receive the report. Professionals hate that word! Makes them feel baaaad, without you getting cross.

"I was disappointed that you did not feel you could send me a copy of this report."

If the school has a copy, then I'd get the SENCO to make sure that a copy of the report was waiting for you at pick up time.

Found contact number.I'm going to ring them now.

I've had reports where bits have obviously been a cut & paste job from someone elses - right down to the child's name or where pretty basic errors have been made about our family status (eg ds only lives with me & I don't have any other kids, DS is not of arab descent - daft stuff but errors like that can build a totally false picture to authorities/tribunals etc in a cumulative snowball over time).

I always see reports first to check for errors before a new report is shared with anyone, esp other professionals. Just to be on the safe side I add my own addendum to that effect to any consent forms. To be fair professionals don't want silly boo boos shared with everyone and his dog as it makes em look a bit daft & I don't argue key content of any assessments as that is their job after all.

LEA professionals, NHS staff etc have such a huge workload & tight deadlines that a polite parent doing a quick check in the manner I describe above doesn't cause offence. We all have our off days. I make a personal call to correct any errors and am discreete about it. Once the report is corrected I never bring it up again, (despite my personal feelings on occasion) as you want to try and have a good relationship with these people.

My son has had about 6 EP assessments so far (he is 10). The last two of these I requested. Each time, I had to complete a consent form and then was invited to a meeting with the EP who would be assessing and the SENCO so that I could express my concerns about my child. Both the school and I were always sent our copies of the reports at the same time and I have always received mine first.

Some of the things in my son's EP reports have come as a shock and others have just confirmed what I have already known but seeing these things in writing has initially upset me. I would much rather receive this information ahead of any meeting and be able to react in private.

As others have already suggested, I would call the EP and ask for a copy of the report. This would help you to prepare for your meeting - not just to make a list of questions to ask, points to raise, etc but also so that if there is anything upsetting in the report it will not reduce you to tears in the meeting and will allow you to keep your composure and focus on what is being said.

Good luck x

Don't worry Flying. You is a newbie . how can you be expected to have any other expectations other than the ones you are told to have by those paid to work with your DS?

When you contact these people be as polite as you can and give the benefit of the doubt. You understand the school have a copy of the report but you appear to have been missed, perhaps the post, coukd it be emailed.

Only get stroppy if you face a brick wall, then get your hammer out.

Focus on your goal. Get what you need as politely and easily as possible but DO get what you need.

Just rang the EP office.Explained that i wanted a copy of DS's report.The lady who answered, told me the school should have passed me a copy.She has taken the school name and DS's name.She is passing the info onto the EP who is dealing with DS.
I then rang the school and spoke to the SENCO.I told her i wanted a copy of the report.She said that she had had the report for awhile, but had been waiting for the learning support assessment report,which she recieved monday.(that wasn't what teacher told me)
She is going to do me a copy of both.She said to try not to get to upset when reading it.
She is waiting for EP to get back in touch about setting up a meeting.If the EP wasn't going to be available,she would arrange a meet without him.

Try not to get upset reading it?

Ah, she probably means well but that really is a stupid thing to say. Hope you get a copy today. Not a remark you want to sleep on.

Good glad you are getting the report. We had all ours sent draft form before they went to LA etc.

Dont get upset when reading it was said to me too. Its common to be upset because no one like to read the difficulties.

But look at it this way if there are difficulties noted down it shows that the EP has done her job in assessing him and it can add weight to a lot of intervention with the right people :)

I think the only thing that could have been a valid excuse reason was if the school had assumed that you had already been sent a copy by the EP. From the SENCO's comments it doesn't look like this was the case here.

I've had mixed experiences with EPs. One didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know, and tbh it was a waste of time. The other was excellent and gave some very useful insights into ds' strengths and weaknesses and what he needed.

Perhaps they really are trying to be kind. A lot of us on here initiated the EP ourselves so expected to be kept informed,

If the school initiated it they might be feeling a bit apologetic and responsible for any identified problems and want to explain/make it better.

Personally my idea of an upsetting report after raising my own concerns would be either a crap assessment identifying no problems or worse blaming me.

On both occasions that my DS was assessed I met with the EP without the teacher to discuss her assessment and to go through a draft copy of the report. I received the final report some time later with a copy going to the school also.
There was nothing new in the final draft. I have to say I wouldnt have liked to have received the report before the meeting. DS is a complex case and it was good to go through it with the EP and have her explain the results. I was able to follow up any queries I had subsequently.However I would not have been pleased if the school had received a draft or final copy before me.

I now have the EP report and the one from learning support.
SENCO said that there were alot of test results, that i wouldn't understand.
I'm going to make a cuppa,and sit and read them.
I'll be back later.
Thanks again