Private EP report

[jigglybottom]

Hi we are currently looking into having our son privatly assessed to get a full understanding of his cognitive profile, He underwent an assessment by the EP brought into his school in june this year.

We have contacted an independant EP about this and she mentioned the implications of re-testing, which we can understand e.g using the same tests so it wouldn't be new to our son. But she also stated that the BPS (british psychologist society) requires that all EP's liase with each other about the individual they are working with...I was wondering if anyone else has done this (had an independant assessment after one done at school) and if they were told the same? as we didn't want anyone else aware of what we were doing because it was for our own information, and we really do not want the LA EP to think that we are questioning her!!

TIA

Was it a full test done at school? And you are re-testing three months later?

Why?

It sounds like a glorious waste of time and your money, to be honest. Which tests did they do in the summer and why do you disagree with the results?

If the EP only popped in and did an observation, and didn't do full WISC and WIAT and BASC and NePSY or whatever you were testing for, then it's worth doing and there shouldn't be any issue - but as you are talking about cognitive profiling having been done, I would agree that retesting so soon is not only dubious and likely to effect results, but pointless.

I'm afraid I agree with the psych.

Dd2 was assessed by the EP through the LEA (but no actual tests done, just observations) and we followed up with a full private EP assessment.

What were the test results the first time? What are you hoping to prove?

Why don't you understand his profile from the school EP BAS results?

Hi madwomanintheattic we don't want to prove anything, we want a clearer understanding of our Ds, and I don't remember saying that I disagree with anything. High average VCI & PRI, average PSI, low average WMI.

wasuup3000 we were given verbal information no written report so to be truthful it means bo-diddley-squat to us and we are not comfortable constantly pestering for additional information. It was a very quick run down of findings and an even quicker run down of what will be done inside school to help which also meant bo-diddley-squat to us. We do not know the actual tests undertaken or the subtests/scores etc.

All we want to do is try to help our Ds outside of school to help him inside school, if we can identify his weaknesses we can take the time to work on these in the hope that it will help him. We can not sit back and watch his self esteem deteriorate any more than it already has.

jiggly - you are entitled to a written report. The SENCO should send you a copy. If not request a copy from the LEA. The LA EP report will be sparse but will give scores of composites and sub-tests. Wait to retest - in my case private EP assessment Sept 2011 with WISC-III; LEA EP for SA using WISC-IV July 2012.

In the meantime focus on the school - forget not being comfortable with constantly pestering for additional information. A written letter will be more effective than verbal requests and provides the paper-trail you will need to collect. Unless DS is a particular problem for the school or his teachers you will need to goad and guide and fight hard to have his needs met and protect his self-esteem. To do this you need to know the rules of the game. A lot of us have experienced less than ideal relationships with our DC's schools and have discovered that schools lie, dismiss, falsify 'evidence', report parents to SS and construct an elaborate story that everything is fine - no problem at school - or blame apparent problems on bad and over-anxious parents. Never believe that they have the best interests of your child at heart unless this is patently obvious in their actions. But at the same time you must appear reasonable and 'normal' when this is not likely to be how you feel. You don't have to actually become two-faced but you may have to play that role. Over time you will become immune - I am not a 'pest' but an absolute pita with my polite, dogged persistence.

How old is DS? Does he have an IEP? Is he on Action/Action+? What sort of problems is he having at school?

Thanks zzzzz I must look like a mad woman to my family but I just want to know/research everything so I can help my boy and I would do the same for any member of my family.

The private Ep I spoke to was from a different area and she mentioned that they are phasing out written reports infact she stated that she very rarely does written reports any more (It has been suggested that I recite the law to get a copy but 1) I think this would be a lost cause if there isn't one to begin with 2) I don't want to go throwing laws around with the Ep as she is in a similar situation as me and understands what it is like to get additional help and I know she has activly been checking that her startegies are being used). The service is now more consultation e.g school/parents discuss their concerns-Ep observes or does tests- verbally relays their findings and then suggests the strategies as solutions.

The school have made it perfectly clear that they will not treat any child any different (not that I ever wanted them to anyway), infact they have gone as far as to re-arrange the yr my Ds is in so that all children requiring differing help are in one class so the ages vary in the classes he is in I believe it is called "inclusion" . Which I don't have an issue with because he seems a lot happier now. I'm not 100% confident that he has improved academically due to this as we haven't seen his written work (which caused him most of the anxiety last year).

He is still continuing to finish his work during break but from what he has mentioned I think this is because he is to work at his own pace rather than being pressured to finish on demand, so knowing Ds this will be at a snails pace :). And he isn't bouncing off the walls when he gets in from school as he was before due to being cooped up in the same 4 walls all day.

Ds is 7, he was on school action + but the school removed his IEP (or may not of?)....basically because I had written in some strategies at the last meeting and they needed to remove any of my rights as a parent , but as I have mentioned before I am quite sure he is still receiving extra help just not individually.

Yes I hear you keepon about the over anxious parents I believe this was the course of action they moved to after I stepped on their toes last year by bringing camhs on board, I have also sat back and watched as they cause conflict with myself/son to bring out the worst (didn't work I have the patience of a saint and I know how to handle my Ds ) changing policies to cover their backs but trying to make it look like they were activly trying to help Ds, I started my paper trail in nov last year eg any correspondence is via email, any written letters dated and scanned into my computer, any phone calls date/time/name and the conversation written word for word...unfortunatly I haven't quite got the hang of talking and writing at the same time yet so they think I have dissappeared on the other end of the phone .

Its good that you are keeping a paper trail. Other things though are a little confusing. I have never heard of written reports being phased out. It may be true that they are attempting to phase out sharing the report with parents but, logically, there will be a written copy somewhere. The EP has carried out assessments. The results and analysis will be in written format. It will not all have been memorised by the EP, who passed it on - verbally only - to the school who in turn memorised it and drew up an IEP which also has no tangible format but only exists in the minds of staff. What is this crap? You don't need to quote laws - have you made a written request to the school or the LEA for a copy of the report? It sounds as if you are being fobbed off. Read the ACE stuff on Action+ and IEPs. Parents are meant to sign and date the IEP - which is reviewed at least twice a year - and so it has to exist on paper.

You mention your DS's self-esteem and also that he is finishing his work during break. Have you considered how this situation may affect his self-esteem? My DS was also treated in this way - reaching its height in year 3 when he was kept in morning, lunch and afternoon to 'teach' him to start work, stay on task, work faster etc during the lesson so that he could play at break. He has severe APD (unable to understand speech in all but ideal conditions), ASD, 3 SpLD (4 other comorbidities) but these difficulties are not obvious and neither his parents or teachers knew this. Being punished (as he sees it) for things he could not help has had a huge impact on his self-esteem. It really doesn't matter if there were other children also 'finishing' their work. Wish there was a happier ending but my DS is now 11, nearly 12 and supposed to be in but is unable to attend mainstream (having had to transfer primary in year 4 owing to severe school phobia), being statemented and we are pursuing LEA funding for independent specialist school which will require him boarding.

Your situation will likely be different and I wouldn't want to suggest the outcome will be similar. However, I still feel guilty about allowing the school to do that and with hindsight would do things differently - that's why you end up not giving a toss if the school think you are a pest iykwim. You may need to choose your battles - this one is worth fighting. Also not getting a proper break is wrong for so many reasons. Don't forget that it allows the school to minimise problems in learning by hiding the fact that it took significantly longer to produce work.

Anyway I'll shut up now

Hello again keepon, Tbh I did think that they must have something in writing somewhere and that it was just a time issue or they cba!, which is why we wanted a private report done. Think we will just leave it

I never thought that they would use the "work at your own pace" to make things look like all is well...but now you have mentioned it, yes, I can see them using that after all they let him down for 2 years - focused to much on his behavior instead of helping him, and they need to show camhs that they have my Ds's best interest at heart.

At the moment we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, we know something is a miss but there is nothing we can do until we have official evidence that Ds has/or not asd which I don't actually know if I want (if that makes any sense? as far as we were concerned all was well!). I need to be careful because they have (indirectly) made it perfectly clear that they will be watching my every move which is understandable as I may of upset a couple of members of their team last year. But I will continue to be the mother I have always been, after all I never thought my Ds had any difficulties (his characteristics were just my Ds...everyone is different!) until the school decided to self diagnose him, and turn my families life upside down, and now deny all knowledge and tell us how like all his peers he is GRRRR.

My Ds kept telling us that he gets distracted when he is trying to do his work (which was instantly shot down as an excuse by his teacher at the time because the noise level was acceptable), so while he was doing his homework we tried various situations eg TV on loud and his younger sister running riot while playing....didn't phase him just got on no complaining, in the kitchen with a very noisy extracter fan(needs fixing ) and radio blaring....no problems, then we tried all silent no distractions at all just his sister munching on a packet of crisps at the other end of the room and this believe it or not caused the most humungous screaming fit from my Ds and it took him forever to do his homework after that! yet he shows sensitivities to people shouting or balloons popping....a mystery.

It may feel as if there is nothing that you can do until you have 'official diagnosis' but this board has a wealth of personal experience of interacting with schools/teachers/LEAs/SALT/OT etc and of persuing diagnosis of ASD that can be a useful resource to you. Read the archived posts so that you have a clear idea of what you and DS can expect (ie your rights) so that you can be an effective advocate for your DS. You are already his best advocate. Unfortunately to meet the needs of our DS we have to learn how to play this ridiculous bureaucratic game. The school is not helping with this and is feeding you duff information - like not treating childrenly differently - what does this mean? Children with SEN require different teaching methods to DC without SEN

Oh but thats just it keepon My ds has dramatically changed since camhs was mentioned ;), his behavior is the same as any other child his age (although I had to collect him several times last year because it was unacceptable....I believe they were illegal suspensions!? no letters no explanations of what had happened just come and collect his behavior is unacceptable), he went from being on the P scales to bang on average for his SATS even though he produced next to no work to be marked and this happened within 2 months , His last teacher went as far as to add positive praise in his workbooks from last year when we know for a fact they were just filled with negative comments/threats to keep him in at break, one of which actually stated "jigglybottom junior you will never go out if you work does not improve" then low and behold the behavior policy was updated to include keeping pupils in at breaktime (if they refuse to do their work) and sending them home with work if they are badly behaved (I had them thrust under my nose enough times to acknowledge the negative comments and lack of positive praise)....the blood boils it really does BUT deep breaths I am calm!