Left it a bit late but need advice!

[AspieAndNT]

Hi. Have left it a bit late really as the meeting is today!

Have got my son's yearly check up with community pead. He has ASD, SPD, DCD, hyperflexibilty and low muscle tone.

We only really go as my son is prescribed melatonin but I suspect that after today they will take him off of it as they are removing it from all the children in this area.

DS1 is about to start yr8. The school have been supportive but I am just wondering if there is anything the comm pead could do to get us further help or is it nothing to do with him? For example could he write in a letter that ds1 needs to use a laptop for written work, or he should be assessed by an Ed Psych? We do not have a statement/EHCP as the school do not support it as he is doing "ok" currently.

Just wondering what your Comm peads have done and how much "weight" they have at school.

Many thanks

Hi, I suspect you have seen your pediatrician and have the answers already. Hope it went well.
To help work out what the pediatrician can and can't support your son with:
The pediatrician is qualified medically and employed by the health authority and has great expertise in medicine. The school employs qualified teachers (I would hope - this is not always the case especially in private schools and academies) Qualified teachers have training and expertise in education. These are two quite different fields.
The medical experts should be able to advise on medical matters, such as required medicines, surgery, aids for weak limbs and joints and the like. Educational experts are the ones to advise on learning and the support required for that.
The health authority pay for medical things, and so if these are recommended by the pediatrician or other medic the National Health would pay, or subsidise the cost. The only medical discipline that could advise and prescribe the use of something like a laptop would be an OT, or occasionally a physio. This would be for your DS use anywhere, not just in school. They very rarely do this, but may offer things to adapt a laptop or keyboard (like a switch, a head mouse, a keyboard guard and so on) to enable your DS to access a computer or even a games consul. A SALT (also usually employed by the health authority) may be able to offer a tablet or laptop to run a communication aide programme / VOCA if your DS needs this. The pediatrician could refer you to these professionals if s/he thinks it is needed. It's worth trying a referral to an OT given your DS's difficulties.
There is a lot of overlap between the medics and education as far as you and your DS are concerned and the two different organisations should be working together for his benefit. However, if the medical experts start telling the school how to promote learning, or the school start telling the medics how to treat medical problems, you could find yourself in the middle of a political minefield.
An ed psych could advise a school that a particular child would benefit from using a laptop, but it would still be down to the school to buy it. They will need to agree, and have the budget to do so. There's not that much cash around in schools at the moment, so you'd need a good solid argument and to get the class teacher or SENCO on your side. It will be more likely to succeed if the SENCO can access the pupil premium - a pot of extra money from the government for children who are entitled to free school meals or looked after children.
You may want to think about having your son assessed and getting an EHCP in place as this will give him greater protection and money can follow it. These can be initiated by the school OR a medical professional OR a social worker. see advice on www.ipsea.org.uk

Good luck.