Aspie ds and school reports

[gemdotcom]

Posted in the wrong room, but it seems busier in here.

DS1 is 14 at high school. He has hfa and ocd tendencies along with a weird and wonderful list of medical needs, for the past 10 years I've had crap school reports which gloss over the fact that he's a high achiever and focus on the 'behaviour issues'.

I've got a meeting at school tomorrow morning to discuss his low achievement score. School give positive points for attendance, test grading etc and negative points for warning cards, detentions and lateness. His negative outweigh the positive!

Now from experience I know I'm going to go in there and they're going to point out all the shit ways that asd affects his day to day schooling, but magically will need to disappear if he wants to improve!

I swear I will scream if I read a 'must concentrate more' comment. I want to go in there and point out that these are his traits and that aside he's a good pupil.

Anyone else feel like this? Any advice?

I hear you gem and my Ds is only 8! If I see the words 'must concentrate harder', 'needs to complete his work in a given time frame', 'needs to learn that his outbursts during lessons have an impact on others', does not seem to care about other individuality', 'needs to learn the social skills to interact with his peers' I think I will be doing the same as you.

Is this a state based high school?.

Such matters usually arise as well when the child's needs there are simply not being met.

Does he have a statement in place?. If not I would be telling them that I will be applying for such a document asap from the LEA. You may find IPSEA's website helpful as well www.ipsea.org.uk. I would be contacting them too.

I was going to start this thread! My ds is 6. I feel like crying at his report. To parahphrase "DS name could make rapid progress with better listening and greater focus". Um yes. That is why we are trying to get you to support him properly

I'm glad I'm not the only one then!
Yes he does attend a state school. He hasnt been statemented. It was mentioned at a caf when parent partnership were involved, but now autism outreach pop in on a day ending in z or when there's a blue moon, it's quickly been hushed.

I discovered ipsea today :), I've already typed out the sample letter, just got to find who to send it to now!

Thanks ladies

You will need to send the letter to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA (the council will provide that person's name) and give them six weeks to reply. Mark that date on your calendar.

CAF is a lot of hot air, it becomes a meeting about a meeting. AO are alright but their words carry little weight in some schools.

Levantine - I would give you the same counsel, apply for the statement yourself and ignore any naysayers. You are his best - and only - advocate here.

Attila, school have now said that they will apply for a statement but that they need to have evidence of what they have tried first. They think applying without having done that will mean that the statement won't be made, and that reapplying looks weak. Our CAMHS person agreed, so I had thought better to wait a bit.

However he doesn't even have an IEP at the moment. I am feeling very frustrated.

Tbh I doubt that he will get a statement, I just want the school to give him a bit more support.

Sorry for hijack OP.

Sorry, meant to say - Attila, do you think that was a bad steer from our CAMHS person? ie to go via school

No worries Lev!

It is a sad realisation that (to quote Attila) You are his best - and only - advocate here.

Levantine I would apply for the statement yourself. The whole thing takes ages anyway and school could go on using delaying tactics indefinitely.
For what it's worth our CAMHS gave exactly the opposite advice and suggested we apply for statement ourselves.

Yep go for one yourself, you will be surprised how quickly the school can 'show' they have been doing something when they need too.

School fed you a line, you can actually go straight to statement without having to be on either School Action or School Action beforehand. More delays on their part hurts your son (this lot have not even got a IEP for him). It can take upwards of six months to get a statement in place as it is and that is if the LEA is in agreement that a statement should be issued.

If you apply for the statement yourself you know its been done then. Also you can appeal in the event the LEA say no, school cannot do that.

If you want the school to give him more support I would also suggest you now look at other secondary schools. Even with a statement in place, this one may not want to actually help him.

Meant to write primary school.

My experience of the school is really strange in that his class teacher spotted something was up and has been amazing, very pro active in trying different strategies, very gentle with DS, just everything you could hope for really. His TA too has been wonderful and apparently the teacher he has next year is very good. But the Senco is just useless, there is nothing formally in place at all.