Hand Holding required please- a wreck!

[kyz1981]

Had my 2nd meeting at the nursery with the Ed psyc today, on the phone she informed me to hold off on sending my Stat assessment letter/report in as I would hopefully be able to use hers to support our application- her purpose of the visit was to assess DS progress.

She arrived at 11.15am and I was due to see her at 12. I was kept waiting and was getting very anxious.

Eventually I am called in to the meeting, sat down and tols by the ed psych that it was going to be a difficult meeting.

It turns out the Nursery have nothing in place no timetables, no structure, nothing consistent and was the worst provision she had seen in all her yrs of being an ED Psych, she said there was no structure, no enrichment and the children were just left wandering, with DS just left to wander repeating the word 'mum'. She said it was the only time in her career she had to get down and engage with a child and not just observe. The nursery have had input and training from DS pead, OT, Salt and inclusion officer.

She then told me how upset she was for DS as her report will be vague as the nursery have poorly written IEP's no developmental forms and only observations in his file - the meeting was to look at progress or lack of. She informed me that Panel may find it hard to agree to assess as the nursery have not put even basic provision in for DS.

She did say to still submit the request and that she would not put anything in her report that would be of detriment in regards to statementing.

Nursery are now saying they will fill out the forms and get them to the ed psych and me by Monday- But I want to Cry I am so angry, upset and don't even know how to go about digesting this information, we are planning to move him from the nursery once the statement is in place but I am just so upset for the impact that this has on DS.

Can't just read and not post, but because we are in a different system, can't offer any concrete advice, either.

That lack of attention is infuriating!!!

Try to step back and regroup over the weekend, then go in wearing your steel clad pants on Monday ready to go into battle.

If the provision is genuinely that bad then she should be able to say so officially!

That'll save any office politics as you look for a placement elsewhere that does give a flying monkeys about your child.

Have a good scream, a long cry over the weekend and then get to work next week looking for another nursery. Perhaps you could ask the ed physch if there are any in your area she's come across that she does like as a first step?

Okay. So do your feel you can write to the EP stating everything she mentioned as a record of your conversation and opinion?

She really shouldn't be telling you anything like that unofficially, if she has any integrity.

Does the nursery know what she thinks?

Ok, you can work with this, don't despair. What you will need to do is tailor your application to the situation. Instead of saying 'inspite of wonderful input in the form of x, y, z, my child still needs provision above and beyond... You say 'Provision has been lacking, however even if input in the form of x, y and z was used, my child's needs still go beyond normal resources.

Thanks Lougle thats what I intend to do - Starlight the nursery manager, assistant manager, DS keyworker and the nursery Senco were all present when all of this was said.

The Ed psych would back me if I decided to go to Ofstead or if she was asked in writing.

I would move DS tommorrow but ... I need the shoddy evidence they are getting together as I need to show lack of progress over time and moving to a new placement - this would all need to be started again.

I have been to 3 IEP meetings and keep being told all the crap that was supposed to have been set up, assured on several occasions and even shown some of the visuals they were using, the ed psych said she asked the staff and they are not using them daily, they are in an place where DS can't use them and there is no structure whats so ever - for all of the children not just DS.

I had a similar experience. It didn't stop getting DD1 a Statutory Assessment on first try, nor a statement, nor a special school place. Don't lose hope.

The portage worker used to go in and ask for DD1's fiddle box and the staff would say 'sure...' then they'd dig it out of the back of the cupboard, having to move several items out of the way to do so. It was clear that they never used it.

Thanks Lougle - I really hope so - I think the Ed Psych was really gutted for DS so hopefully that will show in her brief report. Did you move your DD or get the statement in that setting?

I am just really sad for DS and gutted as I placed my trust and goodwill in a place that has failed my son.