Starting statement process

[emd4]

As a bit of a shock school told me today that they want to start applying for a statement for my ds. He has just started year 2 and i was told at the last meeting with them they wouldn't consider a statement until year 3. He has borderline asd, adhd, sensory issues and very mild mobility issues such as hypermobility. Apparently the specialist teacher is visiting next week to assess him again (she did last term to suggest strategies to help) but these dont seem to be working.
I have no idea what is involved in a getting a statement but from everything I've seen on here it can be a long and difficult process. Is this always the case? He is receiving 1:1 for 25 hours a week already which is funded by the school, is this likely to change if he recieved a statement? Does the assessment process take place at school or do I also need to give input and attend meetings? And does it really make any difference to his school life if he is given one? He is making very slow progress at the moment, and the head pointed out that the gap between him and his class is going to get bigger as he gets older but I'm not sure what more myself and the school can do?
I think I told myself last term that he can't have too much of a problem because they said he didn't need a statement, but I'm feeling a bit upset that all of a sudden he does. I said that I was happy for it to go ahead and I'm hoping it will help him at school. Just after advice on the whole process or anyone else's experiences of it.
Thanks x

I'll try and answer some of your questions.
It needn't be a difficult process - especially as it seems the school and the specialist teacher are suggesting it, it's not that you want one and they think it's not needed.
I does take a while - there is legislation in place that says it has to be completed in 26 weeks (ie, 6 months) and it's rare for it to happen in less. This doesn't start until they start the process however. IME, you can wait a while to get on the Ed Psych's waiting list, and then wait for them to meet you and your child, then wait for them to make suggestions and the school to try them out, all before the request for statuatory assessment goes in.
I'm amazed that the school has been able to provide 25 hours 1:1 without a statement, tbh. If you have a Statment that says that is needed, then you have a legal document saying the LA has to provide that, even when the HT or SENCo or anything else changes at the school and (as it stands now) they could just stop providing that.
In my LA The Ed Psychs usually see the child in school once - partly watching them in class, partly doing some 1:1 stuff with them, and partly talking to the staff who know him. They usually do this after meeting you and your dc at home and getting to know him and to know what you think.
Because the process can take quite a long time, it makes very good sense to start a request for statutory assessment now. With a Statment in place it will give you priority choice of secondary provision, which you won't get without it.

Sorry, I've used lots of abbrieviations - I'm off on school run now but am happy to answer what I can later.

emd4

Am very glad to read that this school is on the ball; many schools would not act as they have and just shove the problem onto the Juniors to sort out if they (junior school) could be bothered. He and by turn yourself are very fortunate to have such a caring school.

The support level he currently receives if he is on anything like School Action Plus is not legally binding and can be curtailed or withdrawn; a statement is legally binding and the school has to adhere to it to the letter. It is also his legal safeguard. They are thinking longer term here or at least Junior school. He won't likely get his current level of support there without a statement in place.

I would pin Infants school down as to when they are actually going to apply for this document seeing as it can take six months to set up. You do not need them delaying things unduly. You need to know when it is applied for; if they are vague I would suggest you apply for it yourself as you then know its been done. Also you as his mum can appeal in the event the LEA say no, the school cannot readily do that (you would have to appeal).

IPSEA's website is very helpful on this whole issue www.ipsea.org.uk

I would also arm yourself with the SEN Code of Practice (this is available online).

Hello attila......I have just thanked you for your advice on the other tread !!!! and basicly said that I am going to do what you have advised emd4 to do .....hopefully a good omen !!!.

emd4 I am about to start S/A as well so you are not alone ..

Quick background story

DS3 is 8.2 yrs ...year 4

Bit of a muddled start to his education in that after rec yr we moved (I separated) new school had places for ds1&2(yrs 4&2) but no place in yr 1 so put him in rec again as things were already becoming apparrent that there might be some delay of some sort ....I was happy with this ..

But at the end of that year a place came in yr2 ...his propper class so in the sept he went into yr2 from rec....including new "friends" (he doesn't have any)
Behind and delays ..they put down to transitional and I had alot of wait and sees...By Feb of yr2 Isaid Iwanted him assessed ....CAF form completed .....
Still nothing was put in place properly but had 1 term of numeracy support...

Yr3 school finally employ SENCO ...numeracy support not available for yr3 but is now on S/A+ ...he had a TA who did extra with him ..dut don't know how many hours....H/W was his TA homework as well as yr3 h/w (which I basicly told him what to write )so he didn,t feel excluded or told off as by now class teacher off sick(mental issues and never came back ) and he had a string of supply teachers .

By now I have pushed for other referals and 2 days ago saw comm pead who said he would be better and should be statemented (I had already asked school for this but school had said S/A+ was enough).

They did organise a 30 min 1x week lit support of which he has done 2 and the results are worrying .

I would say his reading/ writting /remembering age is 5/6.yrs...ds1 is very bright so I cant use him as a comparrison but ds2 is a nice middling average and was doing this sort of work age 6.

Comm pead wants ED PYSC involved as she "thinks" but is not allowed to diagnose ..dyspraxia and/or ADD.(The passive type).

He is already under SALT/OT/PHYSIO/GENETICS(1st appoint last week so no results of blood yet ) and awaiting dietician appt)

My only deff dx at the moment is hypermobility ...because you can see it and mild EDS.

I now feel at yr 4 he needs 1x daily num and lit support and physio wants some of his physio done in school.I feel he would benifit from a ?laptop to do some of his work on aswell..

SO I am going for it and DLA as well ..in for a penny in for a pound as they say !!!!! DLA form provisionally drafted since May but for some reason I held back ........Idon't do rejection or refusals very well but I now feel in a stronger position now to do anything I can for him .....because unless he has a miracle or a brain transplant he will never catch up for yr6 SATS or secondary school .

Wow .....sorry long !!!!!

Thank you for all the advice.
I know we have been lucky that the school are really good. I think this has become an issue so suddenly because I'm not sure his new teacher can handle him, he has had two fantastic very experienced teachers for the last two years and I think the problems are more obvious in class now that his new and very nice but not as experienced teacher has him. Also I think in terms of his behaviour it's getting worse rather than better.
He's also academically behind quite a lot now, using the pivot stages because he's not at the key stage 1 level yet. Do the different people involved take academic progress into consideration or is it more behavioural type issues?
He's under a paed, has been under a clinical psyc for asd tests but she referred him on when he turned 5, also have reports from speech therapist, ot and physio, all from problems picked up before primary school, will the assessment use these reports? He's currently on school action + and the school completed a caf over a year ago... Although not entirely sure what use it has been.
I will ask school for a meeting after the specialist teacher has been to make sure they are starting the process soon but from how they made it sound they want to get things moving especially as they have already got someone in next week to assess him.
It's good to know that I can appeal, because I do worry that if they watch him on a good day they might not see all of the problems.
Bizzey it's good to know I'm not alone! Sounds like its been really difficult for you glad things are finally happening for your lo.

emd4 ...yes I worry about them only seeing them once and by sods law it is a good day!!! But I have started putting together little things that have niggled me ...and isolated and out of context wouldn't be so bad... but put them together ..as I am just realising ...is starting to mean something.

2 things spring to mind ..
I tell him to go upstairs and brush his teeth and get his jumper which is on the bed (bed last word) ..I go up to find him sitting on the bed ..teeth not brushed ..then goes to go downstairs until I reminded him about his teeth .....We have basicly had the same school routine for years ..but he still has to be reminded

Yr 3 teacher ....who was num support helper in yr 2 (then went off) was in my face saying he is ill/malnourished/not enough sleep (really couldn't fit more than 11 hours in ) because he was lethargic/slow /always last to do something....I now realise this was his coping mechanisim for not "knowing "what to do and so waited till last in order to copy the others ?(maybe ...I am not qualified ...just a mum!)

Hope things work out for us edm4 and we can share stories ?

That's just like my ds, instructions are an absolute nightmare, can't follow more than one at a time, and often have to repeat the same thing over and over. Will send him to his room to get socks and even with me reminding him every 3 mins will still be up there doing something different with no idea what he was supposed to do. Can be having a conversation with him and he's got no idea what I'm saying cos he's just not listening. We use a visual timetable as do school which works to a degree, but it still takes the effort of taking him to the picture each time, some days i just can't face it.
Fingers crossed we both have really good experiences to share in a few months time x