statement-step 1?

[osospecial]

DD is 2.9, she is due to start school next January (we live in Wales) and I have put her name down for the local school.
She has hardly no words and poor understanding, she is being seen by a paed for possible asd.
After seeing a private salt last dec she said dd has significant and severe communication disorder and when I asked if she will catch up or is it a long term thing she said it will prob result in her needing extra help at school etc.
Since then the nhs salt and paed and health visitor have all mentioned statements. The salt said after dd has her 5week therapy if there are no big improvements we will start looking at the process of applying for a statement.
When I spoke to HV she asked about dd and said about applying for a statement, I told her salt had said they wld start the process and she replied that any of them can do it i.e paed, salt or hv. I don't understand much about statements, or what type of things they include and just want2 get a bit clued up b4 somebody starts the ball rolling. I want to get it right and help dd as best as possible (sorry so long!)

You would be better off applying to the LEA personally for the statement rather than relying on others to do this. You would need to write to the Chief Education Officer of your Local Education Authority and give them six weeks to reply (you could mark that date on your calendar).

Statements are legally binding but can take around 6 plus months to get set up so the sooner you start this process the better.

IPSEA's website is good anyway re this whole issue and its worth a read www.ipsea.org.uk.

Hi Atilla, thanks, I didn't realise I could apply myself and not have to wait for somebody else, we have waited for salt to start for 9months so its good to know that I don't have to wait for them on this if necessary. I have looked at that website and I was pleased that it has template letters and a helpline etc which will be a great help.