advice please - horrible, inaccurate report from SENCO

[newbrunette]

I've been in a state of shock for 2 hours since reading a report from ds's SENCO. Ds (4) is in reception and has been struggling to mix socially. He's waiting for a second appointment with a paediatrician - when he was seen last year, we were told that - while there were some autistic traits - there were lots of other things that didn't suggest ASD so no diagnosis was made and we are waiting for the follow up appointment.

So the hospital has asked the school for a report and this is what ended up in Ds's book bag this afternoon - just shoved in an envelope with no explanation about what it was and no discussion with us beforehand.

We've had a few meetings with class teacher and SENCO over the last year and, each time, we've been reassured that all is fine and made to feel that we're making a bit of a fuss about nothing re. his failure to mix and his problems at playtime.

So... I was quite surprised to read SENCO's report to the hospital, which paints a very grim picture. It exaggerates his difficulties, makes sweeping statements that aren't wholly true, and contains lots of factual inaccuracies (eg about what support the school has provided). It also says that he's on School Action Plus, which isn't true as far as I'm aware (isn't that when they involve outside agencies?)

If the things really are as bad as the report makes it sound, then they certainly should have involved outside agencies before now. And they clearly should have told us - rather than reassuring us and dismissing our concerns. The only thing I can think is that she's trying to make it sound worse than it is so that we get a diagnosis, which maybe she thinks we want. Frankly, I'd much rather she gave an accurate picture of him.

Anyway, does this all sound a bit odd to you? (sorry, I'm rushing and probably not explaing properly due to anger/upset). What would you do?

OMG - I've also had a school make a very inaccurate report to an NHS consultant so I appreciate the anger you must be feeling.

Do not let this misinformation stand uncorrected.

What I did was write to the NHS Consultant pointing out all the inaccurarcies with the SENCO report. I also copied the letter to the Head at school.

You do not want inaccurate and possibly damaging information to go unchallenged - so you must write that letter of correction - although I know it's difficult to do as I was terrified when I did it.

But you need to set the record straight.

Thanks, WetAugust. I'm so cross. I knew the SENCO was useless but this is ridiculous on so many levels. I will write a letter to the hospital but such a pain that I have to do so, and not sure they will actually believe us above the official info from the school.

The more I read it, the more inaccuracies there are. I think we're going to go into school tomorrow and demand to talk to the head and/or her. I'm also composing a response to the school now.

I'm just so amazed - not only that she would write such rubbish - but that she wouldn't discuss it with it and then just slings it in the bookbag in an envelope marked "X's parents". No confidential notice or anything. Grrr

Can you elaborate a little, even vaguely, about what the senco has written vs. what you feel the truth is? It might help us to see where she was going with it?

New

You're quite correct. The SECO should have informed you in writing when he went onto Schools Action and then onto Schools Action Plus. A copy of that letter should have been placed on his school file. The ENCo has a statutory duty to maintain SEN records - it looks like they have failed to do so. The SEN Governor would be the person to complain to about this, obviously after you've complained to the Head.

Same applies if he's ever downgraded - they should write to you and tell you.

Destroys your trust in schools - doesn't it?

Hi Lougle - yes, sorry. He struggles at playtimes but has made lots of progress over the year. So he now plays various role-play games with several children at playtime (he tells me all about this and has no reason to lie - he also used to tell me when he spent all playtime on his own on the bench for most of the first term). I have also observed him playing cooperatively in this way and his class teacher has said he is now playing with others at playtime.

But the SENCO report states that he doesn't talk to his peers unless spoken to, that his responses are always monosyllabic, and that he is always alone at playtime and won't play even if somebody asks him to.

So that's one example. She's also included a couple of very isolated untypical incidents in the report, without explaining that they were one-offs, making it sound as if this is how he is all the time. For example, he has been working with a teaching assistant in a small group playing games with other children. According to ds and the school's previous feedback, these have all been successful, he's enjoyed them and interacted well. But the report doesn't state this - instead it describes an isolated incident when he didn't like playing charades (he's a bit self-conscious).

I could go on (and on) but don't want to bore you.

Have a look at PDA, only because it is an ASD that has features not stereotypical of other ASDs.

Hi, thanks so much for your replies. I haven't been able to set up a meeting with them yet but had a very brief chat with the class teacher today. She said "Oh, this is all about getting him extra support and sometimes it's a good idea to make things sound more negative".

Surely this is nonsense?? They've had all year to do something. The school has provided very little extra support and have assured us that outside agencies don't need to be involved, and that he's doing fine. All of a sudden, following the paediatrician's request for info, they decide to paint a bleak picture with the aim of getting ds a diagnosis, which they seem to believe would automatically mean extra support in school.

It sounds crazy to me but I could be wrong (beginning to doubt everything now). Does anybody know if it's Is it me or them who's misguided here?

WetAugust, thanks so much for the info on SENCO's duties. Do you know where I could find details of the SENCO's legal duties?

SilkStalkings, what was it that made you think of PDA?

I would write to the SENCO and ask her to clarify, in writing, the purpose of her report. List all the areas which you feel are inaccurate or isolated incidents which don't provide a true picture. Ask for confirmation that he is on SA+ and why you haven't been informed of this. Ask her to confirm exactly what support the school have provided, and when - and again, why you were not informed of this.

Copy in the paed. This will mean your letter will be kept on file with both school and paed.

Don't blame you for being angry, but tbh I wouldn't worry too much about the paed getting an inaccurate picture. When it comes to assessment he'll form his own judgements - and the assessment will probably include a detailed questionnaire from you where you can be fully open and detailed about his difficulties as you see them. Remember that the senco is basing her report on one single snapshot - sadly many reports are like this, and can seem to labour a small isolated incident when you know they aren't seeing the bigger picture. Tis very frustrating.

I would be more concerned about what the school are playing at, rather than them influencing the paed's view. The point is whether they think he does need support or not. If they do, what are they providing? What do they propose to provide? Why have they pretended to provide support when they haven't? And if they don't think he needs support, why have they painted such an inaccurate picture?

The role of the SENCO is explained in the SEN Code of Practice.

Thank you both. WetAugust, I will look it up.

Bialy... you're absolutely right and your last paragraph sums it up exactly. I'm getting hung up on the details of the report - especially some of the language - but I should really be looking at the bigger picture. Big meeting with head, SENCO and teacher planned for Friday.

One thing that upset me is that the report says ds has "very low self esteem". I'd love to know how they've assessed this and how qualified they are to make this judgement.... He is quiet and reserved in new situations but I don't think this automatically reflects his self esteem. Does it?

Just because it has behaviours that make people, even some paeds, assume it can't be ASD.

I think PDA is a red herring as there's nothing in New's description that points to PDA specifically. And if you don't live in Notts it's unlikely to be recognised and supported in many other parts of the country.

As Tony Attwood said - go for the dx that provides the most support.

Ok - being a bit dim here - but will a diagnosis (eg of Aspergers, which I think is what they'll diagnose if anything) actually provide any support? Shouldn't the school meet his needs whether or not there is a diagnosis? What difference would diagnosis make in practice?

Do you think in a rather cack handed (and dishonest too ) way she is trying to help?

I am wondering if she has written a report like that so that you get a dx and some help. She might even be trying to help you get a statement although why I am not sure. There is nothing in it for the school.

I am also wondering if she is counting your referrals to a paed as the basis for SA+

I do think you need to speak to her though. There isn't much point getting a dx based on incorrect information because you could end up with the wrong help, despite schools supposedly dealing with the child not a label. On the other hand I agree with bialystockandbloom that a SENCOs evidence isn't given that much importance - any dx will be based on the assessment of HCP and your evidence, not a SENCO who is not an expert.

x post.

No the school don't necessarily have to provide any support for a child with Aspergers. If your DS is functioning well enough academically and he is not disruptive or having problems in class then they probably won't do anything. My DS has AS and the only help he got was for his dyspraxia and nothing really for the AS. He is quite mild though and had no grounds for a statement.

What difference would diagnosis make in practice?

Well, suppose he received a dx of ASD/Aspergers.

Child with Aspergers can take things very literally e.g. the comman 'Get into a line' at school could totally floor them as they would be looking for the literal 'line' .
They also fail to develop the communication and social skills that come naturally to children without the condition so must be proactively taught them e.g. via socail stories, by having the 'obvious' explained, by proactively teaching them to try to put themselves in another person's position and try to imagine how they feel etc. So part of school ciriculum would be Aspergers focused.
They also need to understand what having the condition means, how to develop strategies to overcome the difficulties it causes etc.
As a parent you would be more attuned to what they like / dislke and how to help them develop.

That's just a taste of the benefits that having a dx should actually bring for Aspergers - you can substitute any other dx and work out the support a child would require for that particular difficulty.

I struggled over whether or not a dx would be beneficial. Yes, people can be more understanding and make allowances for areas of difficulty. On the other hand, you are labelled and end up with certain expectations made about you which are not correct. It has certainly worked both ways for my DS.

On balance it has probably been a good thing but DS's primary school were very good a dealing with the child not the label. His secondary school less so. They made certain assumptions about him because of AS that were actually quite a big problem when he first started.

As I say he is quite mild and his dyspraxia is more of a problem. He doesn't need social stories and he doesn't take things that literally. He benefitted from the label because people were more patient over him questioning everything and wanting to know what the plan for the day was and that kind of thing.

Thanks for replies and support and sorry for all my questions. I do think they might have been trying to help by exaggerating etc, hence class teacher's comments about making it sound more negative. But I also wonder if they haven't actually been entirely honest with us all year about problems he's been having (ie they've tried to say all is Ok when it isn't).

I'm stilll a bit confused about what would actually happen if he had a diagnosis? Would it be atomatically reported to the school and would they actually have to do anything about it? WetAugust. when you say "part of school curriculum would be Aspergers focused", who would ensure that this happens?

The school obviously seems to think that they will get some support from somewhere if he has a diagnosis - am I right in thinking that this won't happen automatically?

Has she actually sent the letter. I would go into school first thing tomorrow and ask to see her, because if she hasn't sent the letter yet you may be able to go through it with her and make changes.

When DS was dxed it was at a meeting of all the professionals who had seen him including the SENCO (who didn't say anything really) so yes, the school knew automatically. I think there was a follow up letter. I think the school nurse got involved somewhere down the line (sorry it was a while ago now - DS is 12 next week, dxed at 5).

Not all health authorities are the same though but that is the way they work round here.

The school won't get support really, except that their SEN stats will reflect that they may have to provide support for your DS. This has an effect on how their performance as a school is viewed i.e. there are different expectations made of SEN children. They certainly don't get any extra money.

IME, a diagnosis doesn't automatically lead to getting additional support in school, but it often helps the process of getting additional help.
In my LA, you can only apply to the Communication and Autism Team for support for a child who has an ASD diagnosis.
It is also a 'shorthand' which give people (staff - including cover staff or visitors to the school) an idea of why a child is behaving in a certain way or upset by some particular thing, which is often missing if the child doesn't have a diagnosis of anything.
Yes, in an ideal world, every individual child's needs should be addressed and adaptations made, but we don't live in an ideal world, and it makes those things happen a lot more readily if you can say "My ds has an ASD" rather than "My ds finds it a bit difficult to x,y,z" at which point the new staff member you are talking to has no idea if you are a fussy parent or the parent of someone who has genuine difficulties.

Depending what you're looking for, a dx has positives outside of school. Is good for your sanity and confidence, can help glue parenting styles together, helps siblings understand each other better, helps extended family take his needs and your experience more seriously. I know you were talking about SEN specifically but that's just a small part of the rest of your lives.

IF the SENCO is not exagerating or if he does actaully have some difficulties then school should be starting to address those problems - especially as they have stated their concerns in that SENCO report.

So school should identify the difficulty, then assess what you DS needs to help him overcome the difficulty and then provide appropriate support.

Now, school should be doing these things regardless of any dx however knowing what the cause of the difficulties is (i.e. the dx) obviously assists school in determining strategies appropriate to the condition the child has been dx'd with.

And so those difficulties are not identified and then overlooked, school should draw up an IEP (Individual Education Plan) which lists the difficulties, states what support will be provided and sets achievable targets to monitor improvement at regular intervals. This is where things like regular sessions with someone experienced in social stories etc could help him undertsand the appropraite responses in given situations that would not naturally occur to a child with ASD.
Basically the child is then on Schools Action level of SEN support. If no improvement is shown then support is increased etc etc.

So in the first instance the IEP could be derived from the difficulties stated in the SENCO's report and support put in place with appropraite targets.

So it's not just a case of - this child has problems or this child has a dx - there needs to be more than that. Those difficulties need to be actively addressed.

You would probably have to tell school yourself that he had a dx. It's then up to the SENCO to put appropraite support in place.
The support would probably be funded from within the small SEN budget that LAs delegate to schools to manage themselves. Only if your child required more support than the school could reasonably provide would the school seek additional funding from the LA - which would probably only be granted if a Statement were to be issued.