Grrr - Statementing

[silverfrog]

So, we are still in the statementing process... that's 19 months and counting now

dd1's paperwork all due in today.

we have done ours , and I know the school has done theirs too.

yesterday, i had a phonecall from the Ed Psych.

He informally observed dd1 back in March, when he wasn't her Ed Psych (mix up over paperwork meant dd1 wasn't in the system for a while after we moved - EP was visiting school anyway, for another child, and asked to informally take a look at dd1 while he was there. He didn't make a report on this (refused to when asked) as it was "only a quick look" so nothing to say)

Anyway, he hasn't seen dd1 again since then, and is not going to he is basing his report on what the school says (which is not fully accurate imo as dd1 is so very different while there) and on what he saw back in March.

apparently there is no need for another appt.

when I pointed out to him that we always ask professionals to see dd1 at home as well as at school (at school she presents as very low functioning - silent, not engaged, totally in her own world; at home she is lively, LOUD, chatty, bossy - you name it, really) so that they get a full picture of her, he mummbled a bit and said it was a bit late now

YES, I KNOW THAT, THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS MAKING - sorry for shouting, but honestly, it does make me mad.

so, now dd1's statementing rests on reports that are at least 18 months out of date. marvellous.

No advice as system different in Scotland - but we had the same experience with Ed. Pysch. Her 'report' was full of stuff that had come straight from the nursery staff and we were not even told that she was visiting let alone 'assessing' him. It was one of the many reasons we took him out of the nursery. She was still reluctant to see him at home but did see him in hospital therapy setting where he performed much better and there was a partial admission that she had not seen the whole story at Nursery. I have come to to the conclusion that the system is just nonsense and all you can do is to try to play their game and to find professionals who will give a second opinion. Surely it cannot be right to have reports 18 months out of date !!!

Maybe complain to the head of service by letter, it will hold things up but in the end you should get a more recent accurate report.

thanks

I sent an email to my case officer complaining (nicely) and she has replied saying that she will delay until a full obs is done.

good on the one hand, but this now means a delay until Sept at least - we are busy all next week, and then off on hols for 3 1/2 weeks after that. returning the day before dd1 goes back to school.

it is just too annoying that we now face yet another delay (having already wasted a year and a half on this process) because the Ed Psych couldn't be bothered to observe dd1 in the time frame that THEY set out!

OK Here's the deal. They are going to turn down the statement - there is a slim chance that they might not but really she needs to be causing MAJOR probs at school for something to happen and the school needs to be kicking serious arse too (I'm in SEN). So send in your paper work and await the reply and THEN apply to SENDIST. Get Sandy Rowe's book 'How to deal with the Special Educational Needs system - how to be a velvet buldozer' (its got a title a bit like that). In the meantime you need to have absoulutely concrete in your mind (I know you already have but they need to be torture proof if you know what I mean) as to what her EDUCATIONAL needs are that are above and beyond that required of an average peer. Then you need to prove it. To prove it you are going to have to commission a private ed psych report from someone who will see her at school and again at home or in their office. This is particularly important if the school are not playing ball. If they are not going along with you you need to ask why. Really dig deep here. Why don't the school think she needs a statement. Have they got a crap SENCO who just doesn't want to do the paper work or do they genuinely think they can meet her needs.

Any tribunal will take a very dim view of reports being 18 months out of date and at the very least if the LEA don't want to look stupid they will get the ed psych to do another report. However, our ed psych (chocolate and teapot come to mind - except in eBD cases where he is quite good) last wrote a report of a very complex child which was less than half a page long!

Sorry to tell it how it is but I think forwarned is forarmed and I now have to go and unglue the 8 year old from DR Who which it shouldn't be watching!

Its appalling that the EP was going to do a report based on a 'quick look'. Hope you get a proper one even if it does hold you up.

thanks, flyingmum, but there really is no doubt that dd1 will get a statement - the only argument to be had (and it will be a major one) is what will go on it (this is why it has taken so long already)

dd1 is already at a special school, and whilst they are very good, dd1 is not progressing at all.

the bit where the school, the Ed Psych and us part company is when they say things like "you have to accept that maybe she will not ever progress at school" (dd1 progresses well at home, and even better when our ABA programme is running; she has a LOT of capabilities, but school has failed completely to draw them out)

I am afraid i do not accept that dd1 may never progress at school (if I can get her learning - while I am an expert on dd1, I am no expert in SEN or in teaching - and her ABA consultant can see her infrequently and get her learning, then why SHOULD I accept this?) I refuse to see school (which she is supposed to attend for a large part of her day) as a holding pen where she can sit around obviously bored, and learn nothing.

we will undoubtedly be heading for tribunal, as LEA always shy away form mentions of ABA, and imo, this ridiculous farce can only strentghen our case - if I hadn't said anything they were going to make recommendations based on reports form another borough, 18 months out of date, without bothering to find out anything about dd1 for themselves. Not a good picture, really.

Glad to hear she will get her statement. Deeply pissed off for you about crap report situation. You are perfectly right in that you know your DD best of anyone and if she's doing stuff at home, why isn't it happening at school. Mine is brighter at home than at school but conversly is doiong well at art in school but shows no artistic talent at all at home. Is there so much going on in her school that she sort of shuts down because she can't process it all whereas home is familiar so she doesn't need to process info like sounds, lights, etc because its already there (bad description sorry).

I do think you are right about this strengthening your case - its sometimes the only way to think about these situation. Just such a bugger that they make us jumpt through these flaming hoops.