Likelihood of assessment?

[NourishingButtons]

I know this is a question no-one can answer categorically, but any light that can be shed would be appreciated....

Have put in for stat assess, there will be no info from any of the profs asked (because the waiting list is so long to be seen by community paed ironically), but we have 2 private reports from a charity called BIBIC and an ed psyc who concur about there being complex needs, covering sensory, social communication, gross motor, aspergers likely and needs multi disciplinary asses, very high intellect (99.8% percentiles).

can they refuse asses with this info?

Sounds likely, how do his needs effect his education? Has your ds been progressing?

He has been progressing ok at pre school but the ratios are 5-1, he is starting school in September and the ed psyc (private) recommended 1-2-1 on all transitions, whole group work which requires sitting still and whole group work that requires activity such as pe.

He is 4 in August

Of course they can refuse. They can refuse and have refused a number of children on here who after appeal have gone to VERY expensive independent placements.

So what I am saying is that your ds may not need a statement, but I wouldn't judge that from just what the LA say.

If they refuse, be sure to appeal. Incl all evidence you have, private ed psych reports etc. good luck!

Is the SENCO of his setting aware?

We are also doing a school appeal, which would mean if we win the class size going to 31 and the LA needing to employ an extra teacher. If we don't get that upheld then the statement is our next option which will again mean them forking out for extra teacher as we will name the village school (the ed psyc put 10 points in his report about why village school will meet needs as opposed to offered school in other village).

Do you think this will mean they are more likely to refuse assessment?

If they do refuse and we have to go to tribunal is it a panel like a school appeal? Do we definitely need legal help?(private reports have cost £1k)?

Statement is our next option for school place I mean. We are focused on the school issue first as that is how we can ensure his needs are best met in the short term, and then the statement is to make sure his needs are met throughout his education.

I am continually shocked at how much of a struggle all this is, as a newbie. Its fighting the system that should be supporting us!!! A pile of bollo*. Feel so angry at times

I know how you feel nourish, it's awful :( my dd is 7 now and in yr2. She can barely write at all and has made no progress since reception yet school still insist they are meeting her needs. She also has a speech disorder and severley delayed motor skills and she hasn't even been seen by an ed psych :( makes me so angry :(

salondon - Pre School leader is his key worker and inclusion worker there has a lot to do with him. They agree about needs, and referred him to link inclusion scheme for school transition support. I went to them back in early Jan wondering about aspergers, and they immediately came back with a big list of traits he was showing.

Armani, it really is truly morally wrong. If we waited for the system we would have no evidence for school appeal or stat asses apart from pre school. We have gone overdrawn to pay for the 2 private assessments to give us some evidence for both appeal and stat asses request. We shouldn't have to do that surely. The system is broken.

Armani, it really is truly morally wrong. If we waited for the system we would have no evidence for school appeal or stat asses apart from pre school. We have gone overdrawn to pay for the 2 private assessments to give us some evidence for both appeal and stat asses request. We shouldn't have to do that surely. The system is broken.

Armani - we had to fork out £650 for the private edpsyc report but it has been invaluable. It gives detailed information on his specific complex needs and how to meet them/provide education in school, what level of 1-2-1 support. Just spoke to community paed nurse and now we have the report it will speed up him being seen and help diagnosis. No one should have to pay, but it may help you as once you have a report they have to follow it. Which part of the country are you in?

Thanks nourish, I'm in Devon and tbh the whole system is a shambles. Dd was dx with a phonological speech disorder in reception by salt. Salt then discharged her as they said dd wouldn't engage with the therapy! No EP was bought in or any mention of SA at this point, dd was just left to it. This has caused her no end of problems, she can't blend sounds which has impacted her progress with regards to her reading and writing. On top of this she has delayed fine and gross motor skills in the 0.5 percentile for her age, again affecting her ability to write. This has lead to where we are now - unable to read or write at age 7 in yr 2, yet school still say no need for SA, despite OT saying she does need SA!!

Also dd has tight hypertonic muscles in her legs which cause her no end of problems and pain, yet physio have seen her once and discharged her with physio to do at home 5 times a day! I can't get dd to stretch properly as she refuses due to the pain and it just results in major meltdowns!

Despite all of this we can't get a pead appt until August, to investigate if their is a neurological issue which has lead to the speech disorder, delayed motor skills and hypertonic muscles :( in the mean time I'm left to cope with dd in pain, having major meltdowns daily, calling herself stupid and hating herself. It's bloody awful :( sorry to rant here but I am at my wits end with it all, I just want the help my dd deserves :(

To add to the complexity dd also has significant issues with her attention span, suggested adhd, and a bone deformation in her legs :(
Sorry to rant.

You don't have to wait for the school to agree to a SA. You can start the process yourself. Have a look on the IPSEA website.

In my experience, the only way to get a SEN child the correct help is to push, push, push. You are your child's ONLY hope.

Thanks Rosie. I am just about to get back on the phone to the OT to ask for her report to be emailed to me as I still haven't recieved it :( and until I recieve it I can't send off my letter req SA. I am dds only advocate here, that has been proven already. And I will not stand by and let my beautiful dd be failed.

Armani - we are in north somerset so quite close, our ed psyc would probably cover your area and was great. We have just applied ourselves for stat asses as it wouldn't have happened any other way, and the evidence we have from the private ed psyc report we are hoping will mean they assess. We looked on IPSEA too, and spoke to Supportive Parents (our local parent partnership). I am new into all this, my son is only in pre school, but already I know you have to push it yourselves as the system wont do it, in fact they will avoid helping if they can as it costs money. We have to fight the system, it sucks but it seems to be true :( If you want contact details for the ed psyc let me know. I know we shouldn't have to pay, but now we have that report it is going to speed up being seen by community paeds, is evidence for statutory assessment and gives school all the info for meeting needs which they have to follow if its in the report (I think).

They have a letter template to apply for SA on the IPSEA website. You can also get a hour long phone support call from them , there is a portal on their website to book it in. You could go ahead and apply and say on the letter that there is a report by the OT's?

I don't understand why school would say she doesn't need SA, it seems so shockingly wrong. Unless they don't want to have to fork out the first £6k that school have to for SEN support.

Thanks nourish, if you could pm me the details of the ed psych that would be great.
School are saying wait until ed psych has come in, assessed and then they will work on his recommendations, then if no prog with 6 months, apply for SA then. This would then take another year :(
I am applying now as I'm not prepared to wait another year for my daughter to be set up to fail. It's obvious to me that dds speech has impacted her ability to read and therefore write, she was dx 3 years ago and since then salt have discharged saying they can't meet her needs as dd won't engage in the therapy. So this tells me she needs SA to find out how to deliver the therapy in a way which dd will engage in, and how often the therapy needs to be given. On top of this dd needs a high level of OT and 1-2-1 support, based on recommendations from OT and pead. The school are still trying to say they can meet her needs at present on school action, it's a bloody disgrace :(

School don't want to spend the 6k, all they have offered dd is an hour a week 1-2-1. Dds teacher has even suggested the OT is not qualified to say she needs SA!!

You definitely need to push yourself for SA. It sounds so shockingly bad :( Have PMd you contact details.

Thanks for your pm nourish :)
I know it's awful, I am currently typing away my req for SA! Going to post it on Monday when I've gathered evidence, photocopied it etc.