They couldn't believe we'd been refused an assesment

[Thomcat]

You may or may not know I've started the statementing process.

In September I embarked on this nightmare and followed step 1 procedure and applied for Lottie to be assessed. They came back early October to say 'no, they wouldn't assess her as she has age appropriate skills'! Outrageous! So have appealed and that form has now gone off with our reasons, backed up by portage report, saying 'no you absoliutely must and will assess her, pointed out to them that under sections blah de blah they must and anyway she is NOT developing age appropriate skills etc.

Everyone, other than the LEA has expressed total shock that they refused to even assess Lottie. IPSEA, Portage, therapists etc.

I just wanted to tell you that really and to say to anyone having to have their child statmented to be totally prepared to have a fight on your hands every step of the way but to stand your ground and don't let the bastards get away with it.

we were rufused first time too thomcat and we had to nag to get assessed. Its ridiculous really. But the LEA we are under now refuse to even statement pre-school children which IMO is awful

It's amazing what depths the LEAs will descend to in order to save a few quid. It's depressing that everything needs to be such a battle but well done for telling them where to shove their "Assessment Refused" letter (in an acceptable manner of course! ).

No statements for pre-schoolers? So are they supposed to miss out on pre-schhol/nursery etc just because they have SN???

they still go to pre-school but they get given so many extra vouchers to pay for assistants iykwim. Stiil bloody ludicrous IMO just glad we moved here when dd was getting ready to start school. plus we had a statement in place from Staffs which they had to honour and provide transport to the specialist nursery 2 sessions etc. otherwise we would have been buggered but tbh I felt like that anyway after having great pre-school facilities in stafford

It sounds like a complete nightmare IMHO.

Nice to have a bit of a rant about it though [smnile] but it is ridiculous isn't it. So unneccessery. They will HAVE to assess her, believe me, but they would rather I fill out some more forms first! Bloody stupid. That's the good thing about DLA forms they prepare you for every form you'll ever have to face in the future, all in one go!

It makes me laugh really, "developing age appropriate skills!!!!! WHAT???????
Bet you any money every other child at her school has been able to tell their mum or dad what part they are playing in the school play! She's certainly the only one that says "name" back at you when asked 'What's your name?' and she is certainly the only one that is carried in, still in nappies and uses signs to communicate!

Oh bless her, she's so sweet! The LEA however are silly arses!

dont worry thomcat my ds, same age as lottie, still answer "name" when he asked what his name is. or he tells people it is something else. he was Rory yesterday

But kwym, dd was so much slower but she "fitted in" hence the reluctance to assess, which is cruel

I'm not really worried about that tbh Fio, it does make me laugh though. I'm just really trying to teach her the name thing and she sits there smiling and nodding as I go over and over it, and then I say to her 'So what's you name" and do the sign and she just signs it back to me, and says "name" with an extra big nod of the head and a chuckle!! It's funny.

What isn't funny is that some silly arse thinks that, and everything else she CAN'T do are all age appropriate.

TC,it's madness. I'm so sorry that you are going through this. Itry so hard to focus on the strong points, what dd is doing, how well she is doing. But with things like this constantly hanging over us, the negatives are thrown up and slapped in your face all the time.
I had to when you said about teaching Lottie her name. I ask dd her name and get a huge grin as she signs "name!!"and make a huge attempt to say....."nnnnaaaaaammm!" She breaks my heart, in a wonderful way. Her effort, her enthusiasm! If only these people could step into our shoes for a while to understand how a little help would go such a long way!
Sorry, rant over! Yes,,,,feeling much better now!

I am speechless. The minute they issue a statement, they have to provide specialist support and they don't want to part with the money. Funny, we get lots of professionals on here but never anybody from an LEA?!!!!!!

Ha haaa, can you imagine if someone admits they work for an LEA! Boy would they get it in the neck from us lot!

Hi Thomcat,

I would agree with every word of your original message.

Certainly appeal the LEA's decision not to assess and if you can stomach it meet with them as well. Putting faces to names can help.

I was given such a refusal to start with. The reason I discovered for this was that the school in question did not provide all the paperwork. It went to panel three weeks later and guess what happened then. This meeting was not held in respect of my son as the LEA lost the papers!!. Words failed me. The third time when it went to panel three weeks later, he was assessed.

My son now has a statement.

RE the thorny issue of cash/funding I was told by the LEA in question this was not an issue. IPSEA do get a lot of complaints from parents re this particular LEA I come under but what is sad also is that this particular LEA is no better or worse than "average". My joint prize of 1000 dead rats for worst LEAs must go jointly to Wandsworth with an honorory mention to Barnet.

The LEA I fall under do not give statements to preschool children either (due to their policy).

Do not give up, keep fighting.

Sam

Aha statementing! Just had a meeting with the Ed Psych. Who is lovely, really on my wavelength - and she is damn well leaving in January!! So, formal statementing process is going to be delayed until we get a new EP.

Dd is still very young (2) and so it wouldn't bother me except that about the first thing the EP said was that she didn't feel the SN Nursery where she is now is really meeting her needs and feels she would be better in mainstream with support. But obviously we need a Statement to ensure that she does get that support.....

So annoying that she is leaving as I got the impression she would really have fought for us.... .

TC - utterly ridiculous that they said L didn't need a statement. And so unfair that you are having to fight for it .

got our 6 monthly review on friday morning [blench]

Good luck, Lou. We've got ours on Dec 9th. Stresssssssssssssssss....

good luck to you too. I think ours should be straightforward, as he has an obvious physical disability, and they can't try and argue differently. Must be a nightmare for those with children who do not have obvious disabilities though iyswim

It has taken us three years to get J's statement sorted out and after appointing a solicitor to write a letter to our LEA they finalised his statement on Oct 1st - just a shame we have had to remove him from his mainstream school two weeks later, because they could not meet his needs and now no school in our area are prepared to take J appart from the special school, who will take him in Sept 05!!!!

Why does it always have to be about money????

It is an absolute bloody disgrace isn't it Thomcat.

One of my friends has a son the same age as DS1 who also has an ASD. She has also been refused an assessment, even though he has masses of difficulty at school. They've got their appeal in December.