Received Statement and totally confussed

[mumof8kids]

Ds 4yrs starts school january and I think i says that he has been awarded 18hrs teaching assistant support? Not sure ifthis is good or bad. And wondered what happens the rest of the time especially as he is still in nappies. All offical reports recommend full time support.

Do i just leave it? do I appeal?

There are other recommendations regarding improving his language and personal skills ect so suppose part of his IEP

Never had to do this before

Certainly do not leave this.

What you need to do here is take independent advice from either IPSEA or SOS;SEN as they can tell you what should be in your DS's stetement properly.

Is SALT provision in part 2?. That should be in there if it is not.

IPSEA's website is www.ipsea.org.uk.

What do Parts 2 and 3 (particularly that part) say?. Parts 2 and 3 are the most important parts of this whole document.
Is all provision specified and quantified or is it vague?. You do not want woolly and vague provision at all in this document; it should be specified (as per educational law on this matter).

18 hours a week doesn't sound right if he's still in nappies - I would appeal. It may be a cock-up, it may be the LA chancing their arm.

i have spoken with his support at nursery and also the head of the school he will be attending neither have recieved their copy yet ut have both siad its not enough Head even said she will tell them that she cant accept him on less than 25 (even though she will)

Why do they make it so complicated

18 hours is pretty normal for the fist offer from the LEA. They generally hope you will accept it. I instantly called the case worker and told him that we wouldn't accept it. He then gave me a few reasons why they had given the recommendation for the 18 hours. Such as the school hadn't outlined properly why the extra hours were needed. I asked the school to do this. They did and the hours were awarded pretty much within the week. Just don't leave it, let the case worker know that you can't accept it.

AFASIC do a good pdf guide on how to go through the proposed statement and cross-check it with the different reports you've got. You have the right to appeal against parts 2, 3 and 4 if they won't change it. If the reports are recommending FT support, the LA should be providing that.

www.afasic.org.uk/pdf/ProposedStatement.pdf

Sorry that you are having problems with the LEA.

I am in a similar position. All the professional reports recommended full-time 1:1 support. Statement does not specify ANY hours of one-to-one at all.

Either they give me full-time or I am off to SENDIST. Sick to death of the sheer arrogance of these so called professionals and their attitude towards me is now verging on threatening, because I have dared to tell them that I know my rights.

The whole Statementing system just stinks.

IPSEA and SOS:SEN are both very good, but hard to get through to on the phone, but do keep trying.