Any tips on filling out Parental Advice Please?

[chegirl]

I have finally requested an assessment of SEN. I was under the impression that the school had already done so but the EP put me right!

I got the forms v.promptly and I have to have them in by 9th Dec.

I know the parents bit is important and that others have been a bit caught out by it.

Does anyone have any advice? What do I put in, what do I leave out?

Finding the whole school thing v.stressful. Feel school has badly let DS down.

Recently found out that the head Senco has been telling other parents that 'you cannot statement before children are 9' . So am beginning to loose all confidence in him [senco].

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

The parental advice needs to go into all your DS's problems, and not sugar coat the pill (in fact make it sound v bad). At this stage, the game you are playing is: make him sound v bad so they cannot wriggle out of giving him a statement. Detail all the problems he has had at school, think of your worst day at home, bung it all in. Think forward to what you actually want to get out of any statement and write the parental with that in mind (eg if you want special school, go on about how high his anxiety levels are around mainstream noise, how he is a health and safety danger as would run off). Stress that he is going to need something ABOVE AND BEYOND school action plus type help in mainstream, if he is a) to cope and b) to learn anything. Write it out in rough first, leave it overnight, then read it over again, talk it over with someone, and see what you've missed out, then write it on the form neatly once you've done your final edit. Hope that helps?

Thank you, it does.

I note that they ask about his early years. Do you think I should put in all about the neglect he suffered as an infant and how chaotic his first years were due to care proceedings etc? He has been with us since 8 weeks but we had no PR til he was adopted at two. His life was not in our hands till then and it was very, very disrupted.

Will they take this into account do you think?
What about the loss of our DD when DS was 3? He has been very much affected by this but will they care?

Sorry to grill you but I know this is very important.

Thanks.

Hi Chegirl, I worked on the principal that it is better to give information in detail,and the effects on the child - although it is up to you how much you disclose. Who ever reads it may be unaware of the profound effects of early neglect and disruption so you may need to spell it out in a sentance - perhaps the post adoption team can help you find the right phrase.

I made different heading for mine- self help skills, behaviour, language, socialising etc. I just detailed all of my ds's problems and highlighted all the reasons he needed support and would not be able to cope without.

Work out what you want ad tailor your report to that. Ie we wanted a special school for DS so we listed why we felt he wouldnt cope in a mainstream )noise fear of children, severly delayed understanding etc) and why he needed to be in a special school Structures and experienced staff etc)

Yes like Stary I used my own headings - with boldprinted summaries. I also summarised how the system was not meeting ds needs up to the time of writing . If this is for an assessment ( ie not yet at the statement stage still persuading them to do the assessment) say why he needs a statement - lay it on thick! If you have any low centiles to quote ( 1 or 2%) throw them in. I found it helpful to use headings - I could think more clearly and zero in.

Hi chegirl, I am at the stage where they have agreed to statement, and my deadline for Parental advice is 25th November.

I have just finished my first draft. Hampshire send headings to structure the advice, although I am free to ignore them. But they are quite thorough, so I am sticking with them.

They are available here if it would help you.

I am trying to cut down mine slightly, as it goes to 14 pages after first round cuts, but so much of it is esssential.

Thank you so much for your comments.

They are really helpful.

I will def study that link after kids bedtime lou. mags and stary your tips are fantastic. I had thought that I should write my own as I dont feel the system really supports adopted children or recognises the problems they cope with.

I had some good training today from post adoption. It was stuff I knew already but it was great to have a reminder. Its given me a bit more oomph to get this done.

Good luck to you all in getting what your children need and continuing to get them supported.

I knew it would be difficult. I had heard, but why does it have to be SO hard? Dont we all want the best for the kids?

The statementing team will approach ss ( once they decide to do an assessment) to see if there has been any official contact such as adoption proceedings (or issues such as needing statements for birthfamily), and post adoption sw should be well used to expressing the extra needs clearly. HTH

Thanks Magso.

We are out of borough. Also bit concerned cos we have had DS since 8 weeks (adopted at 2 years) so info would be out of date?

Is it worth ramping up contact with adoption team again? I have called them re DS's dx and asked for advice.

Met with the LAC paed today and she remembers DS - bless. She was very helpful and is going to see if she can get me copies of med records etc.

Well I have done it! It took all day and a lot of looking through old paperwork.

It was a bit like filling out a DLA form. Depressing with a feeling I was making my lovely boy out to be a royal PITA.

I put in a lot of stuff. Everything really. They can make of it what they will but they did ask me about DS's early years

I am glad its done. I will take it in on Tuesday. SEN team is on the floor beneath me at work so handy for saving on postage.

I have also filled out a transfer form because its really time to move DS to another school.

Flippin knackered now. I hate going through his old paperwork. Its very emotional looking at what he went through.

Wish us luck.