Help! Statement or not? and if so how

[leamarie25]

Hi,

This is my first post to mums net so I'm hoping you can help me.

My 5 year old son has a diagnosis of ASD and currently attends reception in mainstream school for 50% and an Early Intervention base in an Additional Needs school for the other 50%. He has been in this placement since September and is doing really well. He is verbal and learning at a great rate, social skills are improving and generally progressing more than we'd hoped.

At a placement review yesterday we have been told that this dual placement is only for a max of 4 terms and is an 'assessment' placement to see if he can go full time mainstream or needs full time Additional Needs school. We weren't told this previously and thought the dual placement could go on as long as needed.

We have been advised that full time Additional Needs school is not on the cards as he doesn't need it. This is good news but the options we have been faced with are:

1. Full Time mainstream (he would need 1-2-1 support)
2. 4 days mainstream and 1 day booster in the early intervention base with 1-2-1 support
3. New school with a 'Unit' attached to provide the support he will need.

Option 3 to me is out of the question as he is doing so well, I wouldn't want him to have to start all over again, it's not fair. He is happy in his school and is even starting to make friends.

Option 1 and 2 are fine and would be where we eventually want him to head towards but my issue is that his mainstream school doesn't seem to have a lot of money and we struggled to get him support before the Early Intervention base was accessed (nursery class).

My question and where I need advice and guidance is if we were to apply for a statement or the new EHC would this mean his school would be bound to provide the support required or could they make him move school?

At the moment his LSA comes from the Early Intervention base and goes into the mainstream school to provide him with 1-2-1 support. Options 1&2 above any support would come direct from the mainstream school.

I hope this makes sense. I just need to know whether to apply for a statement or not and whether it will give my son the support he deserves and needs to continue to progress.

Thank you

Lea

Yes apply for an EHC plan as soon as possible. The ECHP will set out what support he needs and the school will have to provide it. Without an ECHP you are relying on the school to provide the support out of their general sen budget and they could withdraw it if they want to.
You have an automatic right to a mainstream school so the school can't force you out just because your child has sen unless it leads to an incompatibility with the other children (very hard to prove) or isn't suitable for your son (doesn't sound like it).
If you go on the IPSEA website there are template letters for applying for an ECHP. It's best to get the school on side and i would ask them to apply for you as some posters on here have noticed that school requests for ECHP are usually more successful.
www.ipsea.org.uk/

It takes around 20 weeks for a ECHP to be issued so the sooner you apply the better.

Good luck

I agree with fairgame Get your request for assessment in as soon as possible.

It is better if the school are on board and I cant think why they wouldnt be when they have had 1 2 1 provided up to now but that is going to change, I cant think why they havent approached you already about an EHC needs assessment!

I would ring the senco tomorrow and sound her out!

Good luck

Thank you very much! Feel much better, the SENCO is also the head teacher which I find odd. Think i'll have a chat with school tomorrow & see what they say.
Thank you for your help

Thanks again for your help guys. I spoke to the mainstream school today and they agree we should start statement process.

Also booked a meeting tomorrow with Additional needs school and hopefully get the process rolling.
Thanks for your help

Great news hope it all goes well!