Ok, applying for a statment for ds (ASD)....can any tell me what will it get us?

[Aloha]

Have decided to apply for statement as school is letting ds down quite badly IMO (see threads passim) and his paed will back our application.

Please, can anyone tell me what we might get in the way of help?
Ds has Aspergers, is five, and school say it can't cope with him in classroom sometimes (he has apparently been spending afternoons in the deputy head's office - without anyone telling us ) and they want us to take him out for at least two lunchtimes a week.

Anyone?

Potenetially it can get you anything from bugger all, to 32.5 hours 1 to 1 depending on your ds needs.

What do the school feel that he needs?

My ds (dyspraxia) has been flagged up for 10 hours support. But this will be paid for by the RAF rather than via the lEA. If dh lives to Sept!

Oh MB
I don't know what to say. Puts things in perspective.

Sorry, that shounded over dramatic. In reality Dh is well atm, and will probably still be with us in Sept. At which time ds will get 4 years of extra SEN support. And in that respect we are exceptionally lucky.

Talk to the school and push for the *absoute maximum that you can for your ds. If later he doesn't need as much, so much to the good. But ask for as much as possible.

Because sadly what you get often falls very far short of what you actually need

Aloha,

IPSEA are good at the whole minefield of statementing and there are model letters you can use. Do not let the school go anywhere near a statement application under any circumstances - it is imperative it comes from your good self. You carry far more power than the school does in this regard.

IPSEA could also advise you re the goings home at lunchtime. Their web address is www.ipsea.org.uk.

Hopefully he will get around 15 hours a week support in class (he should get at least 10 hours funded by the LEA). This probably will not include any lunchtime cover. If you want this as well you're going to have to push hard for it.

If by chance the LEA refuse to assess (they often do this) you can and must appeal their crass decision.

It can take six months for such a document to be set up so the sooner you start the ball rolling in this regard the better.

I will take a look, thanks. I have just rewritten the letter - I was so stressed I actually forgot he has DCD/dyspraxia as well as Aspergers!!

They want you to take him home????

Really very difficult to get a statement these days (for obvious reasons) and even if you do often what is said and what is done are twodifferent things.

treat all educational and helath jargon with huge suspicion.

Yup, got a call out of the blue from the head saying they can't cope with him at lunchtime. Whatever happened to dinnerladies ffs!?

That is fucking ridiculous!!!
It is their job to look after him.What did you say?

Well, so far, have applied for a statement, got a meeting on friday with the head, senco and autism support & parents for inclusion, spoken to ds's paed to get his support for statement and ammunition for Friday's meeting, thought about changing schools, drunk a LOT of wine...

Been really pissed off and worried and scared. Cried a bit.

Oh, and took ds home on Monday as a 'gesture of goodwill' (trademark dh)

Its a real sod when you see it all written down, isn't it?

I had a similar experience when I saw ds's SENCO on Friday. She is fab, very kind and supportive. But seeing his needs on paper was so stark.

You have my sympathy Aloha!

Have another glass of wine

when i first applied I was told 'no. go away'. I was told that Lottie was developing "age appropriate skills"! FFS. I wrote back and said 'think not nutters. What's age appropriate about not walking and talking at age 3? Now fuck off and then come back with a serious offer' and they gave us 10 hours a week. Tried for more but they wouldn't budge. Then when review came round it was time for 'big school' so we all had a meeting and reaplied and got 25 hours a week. I tried for 30 to cover lunchtimes but they said no.

Basically you have to fight em. Get those gloves on.

You are basically appointed a set amount of hours.
The school then advertises for a teacher, who won't nesesserily have Sn training. otties teacher at nursery didn't, the one she has now has loads of training & experience). The school basically are given the funds to pay for a teacher for the x amount of hours. That teacher than helps your DS access his curriculum.

Those forms suck. The whole system is set up to make it as difficult as possible.

Doctors aren't much use with practicalities.Sorry. Letter might hold a bit of clout but not for long,only in reflex kneejerk way.

I would take a representative into every meeting with you (doesn't matter who,just make sure they say nowt,look smart and take,or appear to take notes.)

I would dismiss all vague commitments and assurances like 'individual attention will be accorded' or 'specialist provision will be made, or 'experienced and/or trained staff'.

Most of it means fuck all. Apply the man fro Mars principle we use from ABA.Unless he can get it,then it is not acceptable.Thus vague term like 'specialist provision will be provided weekly' needs to be picked apaprt to know

a.)what is provision
b.) how exactly is it specialist
c.)provided when,where,how asnd for how long

Are you with me?

Soerry,it's such a bummer. Unfortunately most m/s schools know bugger all about this stuff and it would be far more useful if they admitted it and sought skilled help rather than bluster and bullshit as they normally do.

Oh lor Thomcat, that sounds hard. I'm so tired! Oh well, nose to grindstone, gloves on, and into the ring I go
Thanks for the advice...it's just such a depressing pictures. Esp as I was at a meeting in which a load of arses at Southwark council explained how they didn't want ANY statements in Southwark because they were providing such a great service

Teacher you say TC??
It's usually a completley untrained and poorly paid asistant that the head has seen at the schoolgate over a few years and thinks is quite nice.

I am not joking.

I honestly could cry! Aspergers and Autism have horrific long term consequences - suicide, depression, isolation, unemployment - the lot. I feel sometimes it's only me standing between ds and a failed life. So I don't really have a choice, do I?

Unsurprising re Southwark

You have to documnet every letter,phonecall and conversation as and when it happens.Set aside one calendar to note date stuff sent and when responsed received (easy way to start kicking up a fuss-there are legal time limits most of which not adhered to.)

Document every incident of the not so great service.

Demand to know exactly what 'specialist training' staff has.

i don't blame frontline staff,I blame educational planners who expect them to do the max. with the minimum of support and training.

No Aloha.
Not so.
Not at all.
I know many people with ASD who lead happy and fulfilling and useful livesd.Absolutely no reason why your ds can't be one of them.

Hi Aloha - my son is deaf and wears a cochlear implant. He's 7.5 and gets 20 hours LSA, 1h a week speech therapy and 1h a week teacher of the deaf visits (both for him and to train up the staff, discuss in advance the lesson plans and advice on changing anything e.g. to make it more visual rather than just auditory). He's had the same level since Nursery, he's now year 2. It works very well and in fact nowadays the SpT and TOD only go every two weeks (so not exactly as in the Statement) but because it's all going fine we aren't going to query that. He has his annual review next week.

IMO it's important to get something set up at the maximum level you can because afterwards it just tends to be the same every year, it doesn't vary hugely, maybe a sentence or two describing his needs or where he's at, but not the actual provision. Good luck.

The statement will almost certainly be meaningless without rewriting. Usually the LEA's first draft is vague waffle that doesn't actually pin the LEA down to anything - you need to rewrite it until it specifies certain things- in your case probably the main thing to go for is number of hours of help from an LSA/MTA and when it will be provided, perhaps also training.

First you have to get through the decision of whether or not to assess though- I wouldn't worry too much about specifics yet- you probably won't see a draft statement for 6 months.

One tip- get to know your statementing officer personally. Let them know that you are familiar with the law etc, but if possible get on with them. My statementing officer has ended up a bit of a chum (after a shaky start) & we are always pleased to see each other at meetings "oh you never ring me anymore..." she said last time we met. "that must be a relief" I replied. Things became a lot easier after we had met, put a face to each other's name, and she had met ds1. I ended up trusting her!

I agree with Gess that you don't need to worry too much about specifics yet. You need to concentrate on getting them to agree to statutory assessment at all. At least once you have got past that you have a good chance of getting a statement. But I would suggest thinking what you want the statement to say and provide and aim for that throughout the process, rather than just waiting to see what they come up with. Try and lay that out when you write to say why you think he should be assessed. What help do you feel your Ds needs at school? Do you think it will be better for him if he has a 1:1 and which parts of the day would you particularly want them to focus on? What would they need to do to actually help him (as opposed to helping the school keep him "in order")? If you get a statement you should get offered the option of stating your preferred school and you could have the chance to get him a place in a unit or a mainstream school that has a better approach to SN. If you are considering that then you might want to slant what you say - for example with my Ds2 I wanted him to get a place at special school so I emphasised that I didn't feel 1:1 in mainstream was a good option for him, rather that he would do better in a small class without the need for direct 1:1 support.

However I should say that I think it is rare for statements to provide lunchtime cover so it might not help with that. Therefore it would be worth considering what other options you can discuss with the school to get something in place.

saker, electra, gess, moondog -everyone! Thanks for your help - I'm cutting and pasting to my file for ds!

Hi Aloha.

We got one for ds1 (HFA) last term, DS3 is in process atm

OK DS1 isn't classed as an issue in class (too shy I think) but his reformance academically is way behind, and at lunchtimes his behaviour is off the wall- biting dinner lasies etc.

He now gets 10 hours a week 1-1 (although school read it wrong and are giving him 15 hours PMSL) which seems to be used for academics, but as aresult his behaviour all round at school is better

School fought us first time around, they didnt want statemented kids full stop- with ds3 they've backed us (although we're not sending him now until Easter as nobody can tell us what school he should be at yet).

Do you get DLA? because basically its the same tactics- be straight, focus on the negative, be honest about the effects your son's stress has on hima nd the whole family. I resorted to threatening to hold them responsible of ds1 hurt someone at school.

Good luck. It's stresful and Not Fun but worth it. Once I sent the forms I had an immediate sense of now i have doen all I can