MOONDOG helphelphelphelp

[needmorecoffee]

Been given a paltry 25 hours a year one to one with SLT for dd. Her SLT (the useless one) reckons her boss wont let her recommend more for dd in the statement report but surely it should be what the child requires?

Seeing the LEA bod on Thursday as have threatenend tribunal.
In your proffessional opinion....child with severe quad CP, no speech but vocalises and tries to speak, would be able to use a communoication device with proper switch and training.
How many hours a year should a child like that get one to one SALT in an ideal world. How much is reasonable to ask for?
Oh, and caseworker tried to claim SALT wasn't an 'educaional need'. So I quoted the court case on the IPSEA website. sheesh.

bumpity

Ask on what grounds boss wont let her recommend more
Write a formal letter demanding to see written policy supporting this. Cc it to manager and head of directorate and chief exec. Make noises about making a formal complaint and ask for copy of formal complaints procedure.
There wont be one but if there is it will be bollocks and with some thought and cross referencing to educational authority criteria for giving child a statemnt you sohuld be able to tear it to pieces.

Demand a copy of Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Authority and go through it with fine tooth comb, documentiong how it is being transgressed.

As you know, it is illegal to specify SALT as no educational need but she probably doesn;t even know that (most SALTs don't)

Hard to give a figure without knowin your child but I work with similar kids and would dearly love to have the time to give to developing lang. abilities of these children.

I would go for 50 hours. Maybe demand an a specialised assessment at specialist comm. aid centre (AFASIC could help recommend one)

Also try for designated salt or classroom assistant to work with salt (and alone) for designated amount of hours a week. 100 hours might do it.

Remember SPECIFY and QUANTIFY.

Good luck

Does your slt specialise in aac?

If not, I'd ask for a second opinion from someone who does. If there is no-one in the department, that may involve referral to communication aid centre.

Go above your slt and actually speak to her manager or the Head of slt if there is another layer of management on top.

Do you know what communication aid she would use? Phone somewhere like ACE centre and ask them how many hours input would be required to introduce and develop use of that communication aid.

Who is responsible for developing her use of switches?

Just a few extra ramblongs in case they are of any use!

no she doesn't. But the other one in the school does which is why I have requested to rid of the useless one and go under the case of the other. And am being igbnored.
Got a meeting with the LEA bod on Thursday to discuss this. They went and finalised the statement without waiting for me to object so I threatenend tribunal and now they want this meeting. i'm hoping that means they don't really want a tribunal.
I'm going to demand 50 hours one to one SLT time plus training time. I just wanted to know this was feasible both in need (dd is severe enough) and it does happen in less crappy areas.
I do wonder if we'd had decent SLT over the last 4 years dd's vocalisations may have turned into speech sounds.
Moondog, Sally Chan at PCAS reckons she knows every SALT in the world. you heard of her?

I know Sally Chan, so her theory works with me. I used to do AAC SIG with her. She's lovely and more importantly, knows her stuff.

Haven't seen her for many years, since I stopped working though.

Are your slt's employed by the school i.e. Education, or by Health? If they are employed and managed by Health, the school is unlikely to have any 'say' over who manages your dd's case. You would need to speak to their manager in Health.

employed by health. Ended up arging with her on the phone this morning. She refuses to recomend more than 25 hours per year. Says dd cannot try a communication aid until she has mastered individual skills and says they will not assess her until she has 'settled into' school. DD has been there 8 weeks and is fine ffs. This SLT also refuses to believe dd has any intellect.
Can you imagine if a NT child was not allowed to communicate until they had 'settled in'
I am so angry.
Who do the LEA listen too? Why, the so-called Proffessional. I apparently know bugger all about my dd.

I've never heard of her but that meand nothing. Another option is to find a private s/lt who will do a one off assessment and recommend more hours. This is a common and surprisingly effective tactic.

You will find one (a properly registered one) through Help with talking

She may be recommending only what they can feasibly give but what your child needs is a different matter. Your job is to fight for what your child needs, thne someone (Education) will have to find and fund it.

What does the ed psy say about your dd's cognitive abaility?

Could you ask to have a session with the slt so she can show you how she assesses your dd's level of comprehension?

Definitely ask who her manager is and contact her (the manager) to request that the other slt manages your daughter's case. Unless there are very obvious reason why she can't, I don't see why this would be a problem.

You could say that you do not have confidence in the current slt.

I do agree that skills have to be developped in lots of areas before being able to recommed a high tech aid. But they can still look at low-tech systems i.e. pictures or symbol systems.

Don't be put off and don't take it personally. It is unfortunately a game in which the person with the most tenacity and patience wins.

Make that you.

will go to this meeting with the LEA on thursday and chain myself to the LEA man until they agree with my demands

Stay calm and unemotional.
Take a friend (smartly dressed) to take notes. Introduce as yuor 'representative' and say nothing more,.

At beginning of meeting, circulate a piece of paper and ask everyone to write down their names,job titles, addresses and e mails.

All will mark you out as a Woman NOt To Be Messed With.

dh is coming with me to thursday meeting but the one in 3 weeks about her SLT is a biggie. So my mate who is a disability rights lawyer is coming. He has severe cerebral palsy and talks through an interpreter so he knows his stuff about CP and communication and how it should be approached.
I don't have any smartly dressed friends

Oh fab,lawyer chap will be wonderful

Wish I could be a fly on the wall at that meeting.

Excellent idea about taking charge of the meeting with just one peice of A4 paper. I like it

I could sell tickets

Moondog-that's such a useful idea re the piece of paper. Thanks for that (currently applying for a statement).

Doing the paper thing gives you time to collect your thoughts and stay in control and the act of providing their details (and waiting patiently in turn to do so) reminds them that they are there to serve you and your child's interests.

When it comes back round to you, take your time to peruse it slowly (perhaps even questioning indecipherable handwriting) and then look up and say

'Is there anybody absent who should be here'
If somoeone comes up with a name, pass the paper to them and get them to write details.

oh great. dh is being a dick and wont come with me leaving me, once again. to fight battles alone

That's terrible.
Presenting a united front is so important and makes people take you much more seriously.
Why won't he come?
I would be soo damned angry.

we are one step away from splitting up to be honest. Stress mainly.

Oh God.
The last thing you need.
He must put your differences aside if only temporarily to help your child.

I'd need 24 hour help from social services cos I can't care for dd alone. Only reason I'm staying with him to be hoenst.

So sorry to hear that.It's hard enough when people are pullin together so can't imagine how awful it is when they are not.

Good luck with meeting today, needmorecoffee.

As DHT says, good luck today. I hope H has changed his mind and you are not alone.
Thinking of you - didn't realise things were even more difficult for you at the moment . Not that its any of my business anyway but, as I said, thinking of you xx