Annual Review is a phewwwww!

[RinkyDinkyDoo]

Well we were dreading it, ready to fight and feeling very uneasy. DH and I turned up with being told DS was severley autistic for the fist time last week by bit of a twat EP,ready to be told statement would be removed (EP had said you don't need a statement to be in here-the assessment unit he is in)ready to argue with SALT about them failing to do their bit according to DS's statement and hoping he could stay on at the unit for another year.
Well, only class teacher and assistant head of unit were present, first words from teacher were "we love DS and he lights up the room"-she went on to describe DS to a tee, really knew him and all his positives,was keen to share his positives and we shared his new targets to move him on. Lots more gushy gushy about DS's progress, small steps, but big for DS. We mentioned our disappointment of SALT (set targets for them to provide on the statement) and their failure to meet their responsibilites-teacher an assistant head agreed and told us to make a complaint(SALT had been given date for DS's review had chosen not to attend) and we were told statement would be amended and continued and DS will be able to attend the unit next year.
HURRAH, sometimes it does go right. Shook hands with them both at the end, but realy wanted to sob all over them and cuddle them to bits.

Brilliant news RinkyDinky

That's fantastic news, RinkyDinkyDoo. Such a relief to have the school on your side - they sound fab.

That's good, it's great when you feel they really know your child. Is SALT separate from the unit, then? Health and education not mixing bosses, I suppose. What's the route for your DS after this assessment unit? Or is that a bit too far ahead for now?

Well done you. But when we complained about SALT they said they had no legal duty to provide what was in the statement (true) it was LA duty to provide it. So if SALT is not doing it you can ask LA to fund a private SALT
So you should probably complain both to SALT and to LA about lack of SALT.

It was lovely to hear people speaking about DS who really knew him. SALT is seperate,LA provision. On statement it says for SALT to provide support and targets each term- the girl(she was about 5:)) came to the house and told me all she would do with DS, I said i'd be happy if he'd work with her,knowing he wouldn't. Her report said he wouldn't work with her and was just cut and paste suggestions.The assistant head said it was poor. Looking her up on facebook(naughty I know) I found out she had moved down south with her boyfriend, and last term we heard nothing.
Today they said DS had a new SALT as other had moved, we hadn't been told and nothing put in order to replace her, but they had eventually this term got a replacement(so a missing term)DS teacher is experienced and told us what she had been doing(without guidance)and said yes,make some noise in the SALT direction.Irony, new SALT was in the school today but had declined the invitaion to attend our meeting.
We hope DS will attend local ( 5 mins away) ASD specialist school when he is 7 and we'e been told he needs a statement to attend.

Oh well done! Lovely to hear a success story for a change :)

At least you can relax that your ds is staying in that lovely place for another year. :)

That sounds a lovely place. I'm pleased it went well :)

Thanks, yes it is a lovely place,so warm and welcoming,DS loves it.