Educational Psychologist

[Bumblelion]

My DD2 (aged 2 years, 7 months) has global development delay but no diagnosis of cause - still gonig down that route.

Anyway, she has portage and has now been referred to see an educational psychologist.

Has anyone had experience of an educational psychologist, what do they do, what help will they be to my DD at such a young age. She goes to private nursery 2 days a week (when I am at work) but isn't due to start mainstream nursery until September 2005.

Is this part of the funding/statementing process?

The ed psych we saw for ds2 was lovely. She was the one who decided if ds was suitable for Portage (he was), and is also the one involved in his statementing. She came and asked a lot of questions about ds2, played a few games with him, all v low key, so she could prepare a report to help his portage worker and statementing.

My dd currently has portage - a lovely. wonderful lady. She has been having portage just over a year now and has come on wonderfully. It is my portage worker who is arranging the statement (and possible funding) so it is perhaps through that that the ed psych is coming to do a visit.

An ed psych is involved in statementing, it is routine I think.

dd had a visit from an ed psych for the statement - she just played with her at home for half an hour, that was it (and spent loads of time telling me how gorgeous dd is ) It wasn't terribly useful (dd was only just 2), more of a routine thing I believe.

our daughter saw one at home a few times and she did the same, just asked us her strength and weaknesses. What we were aiming for with dd. What school we wanted her to go to. Where we felt she needed the most help. Then after a few visits we asked for a statement because we wanted dd to go the sn nursery and she needed a staement for this. The ed pysch wrote a report and then they put it to panel with all the reports of the other professionals and decided what funding she would have and which place was for her (I hope this makes sense!) It is a complicated drawn out process and it is quite heart wrenching, I will be honest. But the best thing to remember is the 'worse' they make your daughter out to be, the better for your daughter as she will get more help and support

the ed pysch was lovely btw and they are usually very positive about your baby

Fio2, as on previous messages, your DD seems very like mine. I am going to keep an open mind about what school she goes to, although I am hoping she can go to the schools that my other 2 went to.

Thanks for your help in informing me about the ed. phsy. and what they will be looking for.