Can I refuse ASD Outreach involvement?

[sammythemummy]

Hi,

SENCO just informed me that she has put in a referral for the local ASD team as all kids with similar dx get input from them, as my VB consultant has gone in and trained the TA who works with my dd, can I tell school that we don't need extra angecies?

Btw, I've not asked for this referral, only enquired about the salt.

Agencies*

Hmm I agree.

Tbh my kid doesn't have disruptive behaviours, no sensory needs (well dislike to hand dryer noise- but there are no hand dryers in their toilets thankfully). She is engaging in the Capet time/ does why is expected from her. Has slight fidgeting behaviours which we have set out targets for the TA for.

Will the school have an issue with me asking for no input from them?

I don't want to cause any issues.

It might depend on how it works in your area. Where i live the referral for ASD outreach isn't necessarily for the children to have direct input, it's sometimes for the school to have someone come in and make sure that are doing everything they should be for the child. It might just be a tick box exercise for the school.
You can absolutely say that you do not want the outreach to have any 1:1 or input with your child because they do need your consent to work with your child. School shouldn't have any issue with this unless they feel that they are struggling with your DD but it doesn't sound like that is the case. They probably are just thinking she has x diagnosis therefore we have to do x referral because that's the way we always do it.

I think that's exactly it fair, another tick on the checklist rather than a thought out procedure.

I will have a chat with the SENCO soon but feel a little be apprehensive! I hate that schools make me feel like I'm at their mercy...

Do you have a particular concerns?
Is it that the ASD team may start interfering with the support that you have just managed to set up?

You can praise the school for efforts and successes and imply too many cooks etc. Say too that it is a resource that would be good to keep in reserve perhaps.

I fought for 18months to get all kinds of professionals involved with my ds and the following two years trying to get them the hell away .

Yes senvet I'm really scared that they'll be negative about our programme, although we're not doing anything that is concerning, but I know some professionals see ABA as controversial. It's the whispers and negative feedback I'm worried about.

And I also know that our approaches will clash at some point.

Just had the chat with SENCO, didn't go brilliantly. Said the team is just to support the staff in the class.

But I did ask of I had a say in the type of targets they set up and apparently I do as she's my child.

Oh I hope that's true.

They will see Asd outreach as being to support staff who are working with children with Asd. My experiences of them have been relatively ok. They are v careful to have little to do with parents. They won't meet or discuss anything without the school being present. All communication with them goes via school. I think the best you can do is smile and nod. Be non committal about any suggestions and as long as staff remain on side with programme they will disappear eventually.

I think professionals need your permission to assess but I ma hazier about whether they need your permission to observe.

It may be worth politely saying to the school that you want to know which days they are doing their observations.

You can then take a note of whether DC happened to be atypical either before or after - it would be relevant if DC turned out to be going down with something, or if DC had a bad night the night before.

I don't think you can stop the school taking advice on behalf of their staff, but I am a lot hazier about the position on observations, sorry