Should we try and get the G&T ignored?

[bonkerz]

so as you all probably know it looks like we will get a DX of ASD for DS very soon. I now have an issue about where he will go to school.
We all know DS is a bright boy. He hasnt been formally assessed but the PRU he is at at the moment think he is G&T, his MS is disputing this as they havent seen DS show his potential.
The perfect place for my DS would be a autistic unit attached to a MS school. He can access the unit IF he gets the DX BUT the head is worried about DSs intellegence as the unit deals with MLD not G&T. So the question is when we go to panel on MOnday to request a Autistic unit SHOULD we state that although we suspect DS is G&T no formal assessments have been done and therefore he should not be dismissed becasue he doesnt have MLD and in fact the G&T label should be ignored and dealt with once DS behaviour is under control and he can begin to function in MS.

yes absolutely. until he has an educational setting he is comfortable in, then he's not going to be able to achieve at G & T level because the behaviours etc will get in the way.

thanks TC, I have emailed my PIP person to see what she says and i will then ring the LEA case worker.
I think it sounds reasonable for them to ignore th G&T thing untill DS is actually accessing the curriculum again!

I agree with TC. He's not going to be able to do anything at a G&T level unless the basics have been dealt with first IYSWIM.

right thats it i offically give up. Apparently the fact that DS may be G&T is something that will HAVE to be taken into account on monday. This problem means that even if given permission to look at special schools DS will not be able to access them as although he will have a dx for ASD he will not have MLD and ALL the units in leicestershire for ASD require ASD AND MLD to access the units.

So we are facing a choice.
1/ put DS back into mainstream and let them get on with it which will undobtedly mean DS is permanently excluded within 6 months from his 3 ms school.
2/ PUSH really hard for a ASD unit BUT this could take months and in the mean time DS cannot stay in the PRU unit and cannot go back to his MS.
3/ remove DS and home ed him which would break me and end in tears!
4/ re mortgage the house and take the LEA to court to get them to send DS to the private priory school which is 6 miles away (LEA have said this particualr school does not meet their high standards!) would mean we will probably lose our house and DS would be home till we sorted it out.

what makes me so mad is that DS hasnt accessed the curriculum in MS for over 9 months now!
DO the government not realise that SOME children with ASD are CLEVER????????

what makes me so mad is that DS hasnt accessed the curriculum in MS for over 9 months now!
DO the government not realise that SOME children with ASD are CLEVER????????

Hi

Glad the diagnosis is getting more and more likely. The thing that LEA Ed psychs like is the phrase 'appropriate peer group' and this is what they might deem as being inappropriapriate (can't spell) in the unit. (we lost placing one of our most complex pupils in a fab special school because of this phrase - it was felt that the peer group was not suitable) When you looked round the unit and the work they were doing and the other children - how did you feel? do you think that there would be too big a 'gap' between the pupils and your son - not just for the next year but for the rest of primary. Remember if he is G&T, if he is frustrated then that will also cause behaviour difficulties.

Blimey Bonkerz talk about being between a rock and a hard place! All I can suggest is
have you talked to SOS!SEN at all. Marion Struthwick is quite something and knows a heck of a lot of schools. They also have a fund to help parents who cannot fund the tribunal service themselves. If I remember correctly the Priory place near to you is newly opened so the LEA are bound to say it doesn't meet their standards. Personally I would be tempted to use the G&T thing as another weapon but its easy for me to talk I'm not going through this hell and I think you are right in getting your son somewhere where he will be happy and settled and THEN tackling the academic side of things. Going to Tribunal costs the LEA money too so it may be that if there is only two choices - the MS with the unit or The Priory place - they are bound to opt for the former and twist the head's arm so that he will provide a differentiated curriculum.

Just as a guidance we spent around £2,000 on the tribunal mainly on the reports - but we had to have OT and SALT as well as Ed pysch and looked at lots of schools so that includes the travel costs, etc, involved in that. We did not use a solicitor but used an advocate who made some charges so you could potentially cut out that with help. The SENDIST service is designed (allegedly) for parents to DIY without too much cost to themselves. I would think that a really good Ed psych report plus paying that psych to turn up to the tribunal would do it for you. If you employ solicitors then things start going mega bucks but talk to Marion or Claire Franklin (brilliant woman - really knows her stuff) at ASSET 01983 873668 first.

Good luck

Also try NAS advocacy svs and Google Elfrida Rathbone who are excellent - and both free.

thanks guys. Well have no phone call from camhs at all so am hoping thats a good thing and he is doing the paperwork.
The problem i have really is that the LEA have said they are looking at schools in another county which could mean up to 3 hours a day travelling for DS which at 8 years old is too much and would play havoc with his routine which we already know is not a good thing!
We have a date in September for Appeal if we dont get what we need at panel on monday and i think i will push in septemeber for the LEA rto send DS to the priory school. I reckon i have more than enough evidence to support that and will have to try and be a bit sneaky and get case worker to put in writing the fact that their are no schools in our county which will meet DSs needs.
I understand what you are saying about peer group and TBH the unit children do have severe autism and sevre learning problems BUT i see DS in the MS part with access to the unit on his bad days and with a full time support who has training in ASD. My DS doesnt need the unit full time he just needs aspects of it and use of the chill out spaces etc. The problem is that you cannot enter the MS with access to the unit it HAS to be unit with access to MS.

They're just being stupid. Your suggestion of the MS with access to the unit is cheaper for them and better for your DS.

Your MP was helpful last time - time to contact him again?

Sorry, meant to say cheaper for them because it's not a special school or independent school and is therefore cheaper PLUS stays with appropriate peers.

yes i have contacted MP again and will ring case worker tomorrow if i get the call from CAMHS to confirm DX.
I may see if its too late to submit a letter to the panel asking for exaclty what i have written above to try and strenghten the case.
Yet again it looks so bloody simple on paper, why on earth would an LEA want to pay for taxi and fees to another county WHEN 10 minutes from me is a brill school with an ASD unit that would be perfect for DS IF he was in MS full time and UNIT when he needs it!!!!

I am going to email my MP now actually!

IDEAS to put in email????

come on guys i know how brill you are at sounding like we know what we are talking about!
Should i add in a bit about discrimination because he is G&T????

i just thought i would add my experiences here.
my nearly 13 ds has asd and is G&T.

we have tried all sorts but as you say there is little or no provision for this type of child.
we gave up and paid, i am afraid but i do know children who attend ind. schools that have quite severe asd that do quite well.
even at my younger childrens school there are several likely asd supects.

it works for ds cos of the sructure, smaller classes, desks facing teacher instead of in circle to maintain eye contact. and the discipline ( this was v imporatnt to my son as he needs everything to be fair)
they apply the same rules to each child according to the rule book.
this is not a sn school but there are considerable number of asd children there thriving.
downside.. it costs £6000 a term

honestly if we could afford to send DS to the priory we would. DH is a retail manager earning 20k a year and im a SAHM although even if i went to work would not earn enough as would have childcare for DD to pay for. We do have a little equity in our home BUT only just manage to pay mortgage and thats with a tiny mortgage so would be strectching ourselves if we remortgaged even for just 10k!

Would he board at Priory school?

I think you just re-iterate the costs thing. I wouldn't go down the discrimination re: G&T group because their point does have some truth - full time unit stuff wouldn't be right long term because he is so clever BUT he does need the back up of the unit behaviourally.

I guess their other point is that he would be taking a place from another child, but you aren't asking for full time unit work so it really isn't relevant.

I don't get it. Normally they're so so worried about costs. Why can't they see that this is financially better for them and also better for your son? Muppets.

I agree with givemesleep about not citing discrimination. I would go with saying that he needs p/t in the unit to enable him to access the curriculum at an age appropriate level, never mind g & t level.

I understand the 'taking up a full time place' argument. Ideally DS just needs a specially trained ASD TA and a space he can go to away from other children where he can express himself safely without being watched/judged/restrained. Its so hard!