Anyone gone through statutary assessment - advice needed please

[amynnixmum]

LEA have finally agreed to give ds a statutory assessment and they have asked me if I want to write a report. I do want to and have read through the leaflets that they have sent me but I wondered if any one else had done this and had any advice. He doesn't have a diagnosis at the moment. I know the school think he has adhd or similar but tbh I'm not convinced. He's seeing the community paeditrician monday week so maybe we'll get some answers then (but I doubt it).

Horrible horrible psp meeting yesterday. The head was so negative and its quite clear that she is building a case for permanent exclusion. The meeting was supposed to be about helping ds and where we go from here and she's asking the women from the LEA about whose responsibility it is to pay for any damage ds has caused. TBH I think the LEA women was embarrassed because she didn't reply at first so then the head repeated her question and went on to describe some of the damage. I realise that this issue is obviously one she has to take into consideration but surely it was wholly inappropriate to bring it up in a PSP meeting - she should save that stuff for her governers meetings. I'm so [anry] and . She's trying to get rid of him while he's still below statutory school age and before his statement comes through. I don't want him there and am trying to get him out but I'm so angry about her attitude. Can't stop crying I'm soo angry for ds and feel powerless to help him. Sorry I know I'm ranting but I really am not coping at the moment. Am going to phone IPSEA on monday - was in too much of a state yesterday - hopefully they will be able to advise me. Good news is that LEA have agreed to consider back yearing him which means that I can take him out of school and put him back in preschool now and he can start again in reception in sept. When I was discussing this option with the ep and the lEA, the bloody head started going on about how her school doesn't back year as they have their own policy and are not run by the LEA. As if I would actually be insane enough to want to put DS back in her school. Am going to go back to the paediatrician and ask him to test ds for ODD. On monday he said it was too soon to test as less than 6 months but its been 5 and I'm desperate to try and get ds some help. Anyone got any experience of ODD? I've read quite a bit about it but have always been a bit dubious about yet another label.

How awful, silly cow! At least she may have made the LEA woman be more on your side and see that he can't stay there. I had never really felt angry until having to deal with issues to do with DS, its been a new experience for me (more of a sulker!). Sorry, don't know about ODD.

Silly old bat - IMO people like that shouldn't be allowed to run schools. At least you can take comfort in the fact that your ds will be better off out of there but sorry it is so stressful for you at the moment.

Sorry don't know anything about ODD - what does it stand for?

Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Ds does fit quite a few of the criteria TBH but until he started school I never considered that it was any more than normal growing up stuff. DD is just as difficult at home. Still the situation at school is so serious that there has to be something going on for ds and he can't tell us what it is. No-one seems to have any idea why he is so different at home. Reading through his home/school book its like reading about some child I don't know. I have seen very occasional flashes of the extremes of behaviour that he displays at school but thats all - I don't know the little boy that the school writes about.
Once the children are moved I will be writing to OFSTED and the Diocese (it is a catholic school) about the way the head has handled the whole thing. OFSTED might not do anything but I think the Diocese would be concerned.

Feeling much happier today. Went to preschool and had a chat and they are happy to have ds back so he is starting there again after half term. He's not going to go back to school at all now and I feel really relieved. Also have made an appointment to see another school that has a really good reputation with special needs. Spoke to LEA about my concerns about fridays meeting and how the head is handling things and they already knew all about it so hopefully they'll have a word with her and make sure she doesn't do this to someone else.

Great news.

DS has got his statement and the LEA are funding 15 hours of help a week. The school have to give another 5 hours which means he will have full time support

I am sooo happy. Have had a horrible morning but now I can't stop smiling. This is going to make such a difference when ds goes back to school in september. The LEA have agreed to backyear him too so he can start again in reception in sept in a new school and put all the horrible experiences of his last school behind him

Thanks to all of you who gave advice and support. We still don't have a diagnosis but finally the future seems less daunting and I'm sure ds is going to be ok. His new school are fantastic and couldn't be more different to his old place.

Great news.

DS has got his statement and the LEA are funding 15 hours of help a week. The school have to give another 5 hours which means he will have full time support

I am sooo happy. Have had a horrible morning but now I can't stop smiling. This is going to make such a difference when ds goes back to school in september. The LEA have agreed to backyear him too so he can start again in reception in sept in a new school and put all the horrible experiences of his last school behind him

Thanks to all of you who gave advice and support. We still don't have a diagnosis but finally the future seems less daunting and I'm sure ds is going to be ok. His new school are fantastic and couldn't be more different to his old place.