2year 9 month old child still having trouble walking

[Tiny19944]

Hello, I would like some suggestions. He will be 3 in November and still having trouble walking. He can't pull himself off the floor and his coordination is really bad. His constantly falling over and still does the wobbly walk. An Educational physiologist seen him and said he has a weird gait when walking. He seen 2 peadtrians and waiting for a ASD/ ADHD assessment. He has global development delay and has slightly depressed limbs in all four areas. His been referred for physiotherapy. But I'm struggling to find how I can help him anymore. He still has a cot because can't be on his feet for to long and he can't really be in there any longer then what he is. Any suggestions would be helpful?

Depending on where you live and DS’s needs, Ingfield Manor School in West Sussex and Paces in Sheffield offer free sessions for preschoolers that might be helpful. There are other places who offer sessions as well, some free, some charge, but I can’t remember them off the top of my head.

Also depending on where you live there are sometimes equipment libraries such as Gympanzees for those in and around Bristol that might be helpful for you to try equipment/toys.

Has DS had an OT assessment? You can request a home OT assessment to look at things like a specialist bed. There are also charities who can help with this e.g. New Life provide emergency equipment loans if you need that.

I would chase the physio referral too.

If an EHCNA has not been requested you should do that. IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Thank you, he waiting to be seen by a OT. What is an EHCNA and a IPSEA?

An EHCNA is an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment. It is an assessment that you first request as part of the process to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). An EHCP is a legal document in England that sets out a child’s needs and the support they require.

IPSEA is a charity who supports parents whose DC have SEN.

If you live in Scotland, NI or Wales they have slightly different systems and different charities who can support you.

Does DS attend nursery?

He seen someone for an EHCNA .He has an EHCP but he doesn't attend Nursery because he needs someone to hold he hand to walk all day. The schools by me have already said no

If DS has an EHCP, OT and physio assessments should have been part of the EHCNA. You didn’t need to have a normal referral and sit on the normal waiting lists. And ongoing OT and physio should be in F. When was the EHCP finalised?

What, if anything, is in section I of the EHCP? Or does DS have EOTAS? If DS isn’t in a setting, is the LA still providing anything detailed, specified and quantified in F?

Not being able to walk independently should not prevent DS attending nursery if it is otherwise appropriate.

When you say the schools have already said no, what do you mean? Are they wholly independent?
Unless they are wholly independent, you don’t need the school to agree to being named. The LA must name your preferred setting unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

It is worth reading IPSEA and SOSSEN’s (another charity) websites to understand more about the EHCP process.

I don't know but on his EHCNA assessment they said he would be better in a special needs setting or home teaching. EHCNA was the ones to refer him for physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and OT.

You need to look at the finalised EHCP to know what is in section I and what date the EHCP was finalised to know if you are still within the appeal window.

When you got the draft EHCP and were given the chance to state your preferred placement, did you state a placement or do you want EOTAS?

If DS isn’t in a setting, is the LA still providing anything detailed, specified and quantified in F?

If physio, SALT and OT assessments were required as part of the EHCNA you didn’t need normal referrals. They should have been done during the needs assessment within the statutory timescales.

He needed to be seen by a community peadatrian, educational physiologist, speech and Language and Early years. It was the Community peadatrian who referred him for physiotherapy after seeing him and the educational physiologist told the EHCP he will need a special needs school or home schooling. I will look at his EHCP.

It doesn’t matter who it was that said DS needed SALT, OT, physio. If assessments by them were necessary, they should have been undertaken during the EHCNA and therefore within the statutory timescales. And if ongoing provision is required, it should be in F of the EHCP.

the educational physiologist told the EHCP he will need a special needs school or home schooling.

The ed psych should not have said this. The LA cannot compel you to electively home educate. If it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school (not just a mainstream school) the LA should look at Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) (or sometimes called EOTIS with the I being In). That is not home schooling. They should not be forcing you to home educate and the EHCP cannot compel you to.

When you got the draft EHCP and were given the chance to state your preferred placement, did you state a placement or do you want EOTAS?

They haven't put any school on his EHCP, just waiting to see how he progressing. They said his at around 10 months old In what he can do but coming up 3.
They haven't put F on his EHCP

If a setting isn’t named in section I is section I completely blank or is a type of placement named?

When you got the draft EHCP and were given the chance to state your preferred placement, did you state a placement or did you want EOTAS?

When was the EHCP finalised?

All EHCPs must legally have a section F. Are you sure it is an EHCP you have? If so, you need to email the Director of Children Services reminding them of the law and threatening judicial review if they do not comply.

It's definitely an EHCP I will contact them has it was finalized beginning of July. The left the school placement blank.

If the EHCP was finalised at the beginning of July, you are still within the appeal window, so you should appeal to SENDIST. Don’t bother with mediation. Just get the certificate and submit to SENDIST.

You need to appeal B&F at least in order to get OT, physio and SALT detailed, specified and quantified in F. Not to mention all the other provision if there isn’t actually an F at the moment. If you want EOTAS/EOTIS you will also need F to detail the package.

If you want a special school you should also appeal section I. If section I is completely blank and you want EOTAS you don’t need to appeal I. But if you want EOTAS and a type of placement is stated in I you will need to appeal section I.

Even though the school placement is blank is section I completely blank or is a type of placement stated?

I will sort the appeal tomorrow. Section I is completely blank.

We went through something similar, and finding a clinic that specialized in pediatric physiotherapy made a real difference, especially for exercises to help with mobility and balance. We used this source during our search, and it provided some helpful insights. Hope things have been progressing smoothly for you!