Getting a statement for ASD preschooler ?

[amunt]

Our son is due to start school in September, but not sure how long he'll last. At preschool nursery he's rarely compliant and won't sit for story etc... They basically have to run around after him, so he is only in there for a max of two hours a day.

Is it worth trying to get him statemented now so he gets support when he starts school? We will be starting a home ABA programme in a few weeks, so I don't know whether it's worth waiting until we can prove the validity of this in the hope of getting some funding via the statement.

Any ideas?
Thanks

I am in a similar position and choosing not to start the process. I'm praying that pre school will do it for me.

Is your pre school supportive? If not I would start the process. However it's not uncommon for parents to be turned down. You can appeal and win. It's not the easy path

I'm watching this thread as I too am in a similar position. DS was already at his nursery 2 months before being diagnosed. I'll be asking them about their intentions of applying for an EHC plan. I have concerns already. I feel he's mostly left to do his own thing - rolling cars all day! He is behind massively and I am not convinced he is being given the chance to progress. His keyworker was randomly changed one day with no notice to me. When I picked him up 2 weeks ago, he was outside and had a mouth full of stones and dirt, despite the staff being aware that he'd already been putting bits of blue plastic in his mouth! :( I think he needs 1-1 support, tbh!

Statements have been replaced with EHC Plans.
They take 20 weeks to process from when the Assessment Service pick them up - that will be some weeks from now if the whole process isn't already in motion - so it won't be in place for starting school if that happens this September.

I wouldn't worry about him not sitting for story - many children can't do that in pre-school.

I would certainly want an EHC if my child had ASD, but haven't you been having these conversations with the pre-school over the past months? (I should have said that the other way round - haven't they been advising you?)

Thanks for advice and comments everyone. mjmooseface, he has pretty good care at nursery, but I think like you he's left to his own devices quite a bit, although yours sounds much worse. BackforGood, thanks for the info re EHC plans, I didn't even know that. We've basically had a diagnosis from paediatrician and that's it, know other advice.

amunt,

Statements are no longer issued, its the EHCP instead.

I would apply for an EHCP now rather than in September (IPSEA's website is very useful on this matter) www.ipsea.org.uk.

Do not wait around for anyone else like preschool to potentially not do this for you, make the application yourself and now. You know its been done then.

Yes I would apply yourself now.
Many LAs will turn down requests until you have jumped through lots of hoops and exhausted local provision so it's better to start now expecting to appeal.
You will have aba evidence by the time you need it.
We started process for statement at 2.7 and were refused assessment as 'too early', we appealed at 2.9 and started aba 2.10. They backed down immediately we started aba and did an assessment. At 3.2 we got a statement with no ABA in it. We appealed again and this time had to go to tribunal (my LA has a policy never to agree to ABA without tribunal). The tribunal was when ds was 3.10 and we then won aba funding which started just as he turned 4.
So the process took us 1.5 years and that was quick for here.
It makes a huge difference to go into school with aba already in place and funded. We won before we had to name a school so that stopped LA being able enlist a particular HT against ABA as we were able to ask tribunal to name aba and type school (mainstream) and then approach schools after. That way round schools were much more likely to agree as they weren't going against LA.

Brilliant! Thanks AgnesDiPesto. So informative.

Agree with all the above - apply yopurself as soon as possible.

I would say, if he needs it you should start the ball rolling. A statement is now called a Early Health Care Plan (something along those lines)

My son is 4 and not been diagnosed with autism yet but will need one to one at school therefore the pre-school he attends have been amazing sorting it out as they know he needs it despite being on the mild side of autism. They know and I know he won't cope in school without it as he struggles to sit still, understand boundaries and change tasks when needed.

The pre school knew he needed it. An educational psychologist observed my son who got the ball rolling and it can take 20 weeks. My sons may not be completed until October - a month after he's meant to start school which is a worry.