Turned down for a statutory assessment, very fed up! Advice please

[vickzter]

My DD who is 6yrs has been turned down for a statutory assessment because the SN ppl think that the mainstream school are managing her needs. She is falling so far behind. I dont know if i should appeal. My son, 8yrs, is autistic and has learning difficulties and goes to a special school. DD does not have same level of difficulties but is very behind her peers, she talks really randomly and doesnt have any understanding of basic concepts, such as what being born means, gets gender muddled up all the time, etc.

I never had to fight for sons assessment it just happened and he has always attended a special school. I buried my head in the sand for a long time with DD.

Now i dont know what to do, i think i should appeal, if ed pysch saw her and then she was turned down for statement, i would feel a bit happier. Ive been told she has a development delay and i should treat her like a 4 year old (paed doctor CAMHS). Does that sound like a statement is justified. Im really worried but i just dont know if im being short changed or not!

Any advice would be great!

In the current climate, pretty everyone is turned down at first asking. I have no idea if your DD needs a statement but I do know that refusal doesn't mean she doesn't iyswim.

How far behind is she?

Has she just finished Y1?

Is she on P scales? Or a level 1?

What did she get in her phonics check?

What can and can't she do?

Thanks Starlight i think what you said makes alot of sense.

IndigoBell shes about 2 years behind. She has just finished year 1, she can count to 10 but past 10 she gets very muddled up, she can write her name and does know her sounds A - Z but not ch, or st or anything like that. She didnt do the phonics check, the school didnt think it would be fair. She can write her name and infact loves writing but mostly ust copies she cant read at all. She can dress herself and is fine on motor skills and toilet training. But her speech is disordered and somethings that she says are completely random and totally dont make any sense, unless like me you have some idea of what she has been doing even then sometimes i havent got a clue. She is very loving but she just doesnt seem to understnad really basic stuff that you would expect a 6 year old to understand. Im not sure how much she is effected by her big bro. He was her main play mate for years, still is really, and his learning difficulties are much more severe.

2 years behind at aged 6 is a lot.

How would you expect a statement to help her?

If she had the level of intensive, individualised input that your ds does, how much would she achieve? The problem with HFA is that people confuse it with 'delay'. And it isn't simple delay, which often evaporates or at least stabilises.

But asd issues don't, unless theyre specifically and systematically targeted.

I suppose I would expect them to identify exactly the specialist help she needs to help her catch up. I think she would benefit from going to a school that has a specialist speech and language unit as a start. At the moment all those schools are a good 20minute drive away, if she has the statement the onus is on lea to sort her placement. I want an ed psych to see her and tell me why she isn't learning at the rate she should and give me some answers on what help she needs. Ironically I got to see two ed psychs with deputy head and TA but getting them to see DD seems impossible!

I want an ed psych to see her and tell me why she isn't learning at the rate she should and give me some answers on what help she needs.

You have a lot of faith in EPs abilities.

I think she would benefit from going to a school that has a specialist speech and language unit as a start.

This is why you think she needs a statement then, and this is what you need to argue.

If she goes to one of those schools without a statement, she won't be in the special unit, and there's no guarantee she'll get any SALT help.

Hi Maria
I think I understand what u r saying I'm worried that although I have been told she has a developmental delay that there is something underlying that has not been identified. The school definitely think there is but can't quite put their finger on it. i guess I'm rather hoping a statement would give me the answers...

I do have lots of faith in EP's teachers doctors etc, I'm very trusting and quite naive!

Try the doctors for neurodevelopment answers. Schools just do worksheets

A statement won't give you the answers - nor is it designed to.

Finding out whether she has development delay or ASD or a speech disorder is not the point of a statement. That's a paedetricians job.

Is she still under a paed? When is she due to go back? Is she under a SALT?

You can't afford to trust EPs doctors and teachers. It's your girl - not theirs.

To me it sounds a bit strange that they have arrived at the conclusion that the school are meeting your child's needs without having an EP assess her??? Where we live we applied for the SA then the EP carried out an assessment how can they say no need for a statement without carrying out an assessment. I would appeal but in the meantime you need to start collating evidence to support you can you see a clinical ed psych privately? This can be expensive but can be worth it. We did this and because our guy is so well known and respected nobody disputed what he had to say. Our Dd is 5 with ADHD and dyspraxia and has a statement and full time one to one TA.

My son also got rejected for a statement. I thought it was the end of the road and gave up. However, saw his psyhiatrist who encouraged me to appeal. I did, i chose to meet with the head of special educational needs and guess what ? Surprisingly he had changed his tune. I think that he figured out that we wont give up without a fight. Few months on, he had a statement, and we have changec school as we were not happy with current one. My advice to you: be strong, dont let them see you weak. Believe in yourself and only then will they believe you. Be prepared to put up a fight, ill will be worth it, trust me.