getting a statement...can you share your experiences with me please

[KhallDrogo]

dd has dyslexia, and is under a paedatrician for ADHD assessment (although probably not). She is year 3 and the teachers picked up her dyslexia in yr1. She has received really good support from the school and has made excellent progress with reading. Her self-esteem appears to be high.

So, Ive pretty much not worried about anything to much so far. I am now thinking maybe this is a false sense of security and I should start 'fighting' for a statement. I don't really understand what it means or what it entails and who i need to speak to about it. We have a really dedicated SENCO at school so i will ask her, but I would be grateful if you could share any experiences with me/give any advice?

Thank you

ok...ive just looked at the British Dyslexia Association website...it seems a statement is only relevant if the school arent supporting the child adequately/child is very far behind. DD has caught up, so i dont think she'd be eligible, until she gets behind again

A statement is what you need if the school is unable to meet needs with their in-house resources, in order to identify what EXTRA support a child needs in order to access an ADEQUATE education.

thanks starlight she gets outside support which the school organised, and lots of help...i think we are really lucky with our school

dreading secondary, but its a way off yet

A statement also is for children with identified levels of exceptional need, usually within the 1st or 2nd centile (eg out of 100 children your child would be the one struggling the most). School may have some assessments they can share - many use neale reading or yarc. If the assessment is consistently standardising below 71 then it would be helpful to have a discussion about moving towards funding.

Sounds like she has and great support.

Speak to the Senco, hopefully she can help explain where your dd is up to.

Bramblesinafield, that's not actually the whole story. Only 2% of DC have statements, that's true, but not necessarily the 2% who are academically least able. My DS has ASD, but an above average IQ. He has a statement because he couldn't access the curriculum without extra support above and beyond the school's resources. Those DC with standardised assessments below 70 are often in SS rather than supported in MS.

KhallDrogo, TBH, unless your DD is failing to make adequate (horrible word) progress or has needs requiring 1:1 support, be they academic, medical, social or behavioural, she's unlikely to get a statement. But do talk to the SENCo, especially if the school have been supportive so far.

Tbh, you sound like you have a gem of a school.
To have picked up the dyslexia at an early age - uncommon in itself, they are also giving support to enable progress.
I know in our LEA that it would be highly unlikely to get a statement, or even be seen by the EP.

Thanks for your replies

Yes, I wasn't really understanding what a statement was for...I am pleased with the support she gets. They seem to re-assess and adjust on a rolling basis as it were. So no need for the statement application

I'm presuming, that once at secondary she probably won't get so much attention...can I apply for statements then, if she falls behind?

Yes, at any time, but keep on top of her progress in the meantime. IPSEA website has standard letters you can use to request statutory assessment for a statement. Does she have an IEP, is she on school action or school action plus? If they get any form of outside help, she should be on school action plus.

Investigate your local secondaries. My DS actually gets more help in secondary than he did in primary. They have economies of scale and bigger schools tend to have more expertise than primaries. (Though yours sounds good.) Some secondaries have a more inclusive ethos than others. It may be that where you live means you don't actually have any realistic choices for secondary, but they can be quite different.

Yes, I agree with you there EllenJane; I have brought through funding for children with asd who have similar profiles. However, ime with dyslexia, the criteria is 1-2 centile.

In my mainstream setting we support children with dyslexia, salt, etc, below 1st centile, but that's about getting the right setting.

Sounds like you have a good secondary, which is good to hear.

"However, ime with dyslexia, the criteria is 1-2 centile. "

That would be a blanket policy, which is illegal.

The criteria is:

"7:34 In deciding whether to make a statutory assessment, the critical question is whether there is convincing evidence that, despite the school, with the help of external specialists, taking relevant and purposeful action to meet the child?s learning difficulties, those difficulties remain or have not been remedied sufficiently and may require the LEA to determine the child?s special educational provision." (SEN Code of Practice Pg. 80)

That's interesting lougie

I do appreciate that we have a really supportive and inclusive school. And I am really pleased/relieved/grateful/proud that dd is acheiving an acceptable level..BUT I feel frustrated and sad that is all that is expected of her, and 'acceptable' is considered job done

Dd loves school, and she works really hard. All her closest friends are the higher achwivers in the class, and she has expressed that she wants to be the same....

I know dylexic people can achwive well academically. I also know that nor everyone is academic.

I'm just not sure how to pitch. We tried tuition at dyslexia action, but dd hated it after the initial meeting and refused to go back. That reaction was our of character so I didn't push her

I also realise she is still little and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe I just need to read more about dyslexia

Unfortunately, the SEN Code of Practice only ensures that children receive an 'adequate' education.

However, if you could demonstrate that her ability is markedly higher than her performance, even if her performance is average, then you may be more successful in gaining support, because then your argument would be that her education isn't 'adequate' because she is not making sufficient progress comparable to her ability despite intervention and effort.

Crikey...how do you demonstrate ability in contrast to performance?

She has a lot of ideas and thinks about 'why' things are a lot....would it be a verbal assessment? Is that a standard/formal assessment? Or would it be my job to put a case together? NB I don't know if her ability is significantly higher than her performance. I just want her to be able to reach her potential, whatever that may be

Well I guess a good ed psych would be able to assess her verbal ability vs her non-verbal abilities, her comprehension versus her recording of it, her processing speed, gaps in skills, etc.