Educational Psychologist.

[deeeja]

I hope someone can tell me if my ds, 34months, needs to see an educational psych before he starts pre-school.
Today I contacted the pre-school home visiting service to ask for a different pre-school home visitor, and was basicaly told thatmaybe ds should be seen by educational psych. I think personally that they are upset with clinical psych who is in my corner, and now want me to see educ psych who will to the local authority line about saving LA money, pushing the cheaper option.
If my ds is under clinical psych who I am happy with, does he really need to see an educational psych before he starts school.
I think they want me send my ds to mainstream schol, whereas my ds's clinical psych is supportive of my idea to send my ds to special school.
(There is policy to close all special schools in my area. This one really is fantastic. The kids are happy and the teachers are involved, and all specialise in area of communication disorders/autism. I have my heart set on this school, it just feels right, and the only place my ds will be happy.
Shall I refuse to see the educational psychologist?
Do they really need to be involved?
TIA

I think that the Ed Psych has to visit as part of the assessment for a statement process. You are quite right, she'll try and toe the LEA line but just sometimes you get one who actually cares about giving an honest opinion and you can influence him/her to your point of view. I spent a long time convincing my LEA Ed Psych, showed her videos, got her to visit at home and school , generally bent her ear, and eventually she did go with what I wanted, which meant the LEA went with what I wanted. If you can convince her that this school meets his needs and that m/s won't provide a suitable education (due to anxieties etc). A good argument to make anti mainstream is that you believe your DS will be so anxious that his presence will disrupt the education of others and may cause a health and safety risk. They find that one hard to argue against! Or am I barking up wrong tree and you already haves statement??

well considering in terms of "rank" a clinical psych, is far above an ed psych, i dont understand why they are doing this, and no doubt its to save money.

the ed psych usually just pulls all the info together about your child and creates a report to the LEA about what provision should be made.

my owns son ed psych (attached to his ex nursery) had actually never met him, ever. Yet she had all kinds of opinions to make.

i told her to get lost, she hadnt a clue about him and was using blanket statementing techniques.

My Ed Psych is fantastic, but that's maybe because I was a primary school teacher and knew the correct 'terminology' to bend her ear!!
Having said that, she didn't know this when she first met me, and she was great then!

I can't really help Deeja, my ds is at ms nursery, we have no choice, but the school put pressure on the ed psych to get one to one support for my ds.

I have only met her once, in a meeting at the school, with the HT, early years support teacher,and nursery teacher... she was new to the job, the last ed psych had just retired was very interested in autism, wish I had the chance to meet her...

I think pps have given good advice, will the clinical psychologist make reports to the ed psych with recommendations?