If OT is in statement - who pays? Health of Education?

[2ChildrenPlusLA]

Will OT be more likely to do an assessment if I say it is for support through a statement?

ds' is through NHS (gp then paed referral) -LEA don't want to know as he's at an independent school .

NHS ime. But.

The "statemented" part means that the LEA has to provide if NHS fails. In practice though you may struggle to hold them to the stated times, they rarely fail completely, which is odd when you think about it. My assumption is there is some horse-trading behind the scenes. So the LA big cheese has a meeting with the NHS big cheese: "look, we've got 53 kids with OT in their statements. Tell you what, social services will part-fund half of the medical equipment needs for kids in the county if you will guarantee to continue delivering statemented OT." "Yeah, that sounds fair enough. Fancy a pint?"

The bad news is I imagine the horse trading goes on at so high a level that your OT will get no budget benefit from providing services within a statement.

Ah okay. Prolly being told more yet more lies, but the SALT told me that she couldn't say what SLAT provision ds needed in her statutory assessment because she was health, and it is an education matter. What would happen is that education would decide how much of her time he needed and then they would 'commission' her services.

I thought there might be a similar arrangement with OT.

But, - prolly the whole thing is a pack of nonsense anyway. My LA and PCT are both NASTY!

I'd got the impression from SS that it isn't how it happens - but that may just be local to me. And SW could have been talking out of her arse. :lol: Be interesting what the rest of the mob say.

2CPL - SALT is right. She can only state what DS needs in terms of SAL deficit, I think. Not what quantified provision will rectify it. So for us, she can say that DD needs things simplified and that DD loses skills in busy environment, so needs adult support to take in instructions, but she is not allowed to say "needs 1:1 support for x hours" or "needs weekly SALT". All she can do is try to express needs so that the only way they can be met is via 1:1 or whatever.

OT is health unless health can't provide. But bear in mind that OT provision could be termly consult and tuition of LSAs who deliver the program. Same with SALT.

DD WAS having OT for Sensory issues, and we could see a difference. The OT left, no one was appointed to replace her and hey presto! We received a letter that states no more OT until they appoint someone and clear the backlog. But not that she is discharged from the OT service.

I am pushing for OT to be in DD's Statement, she has Sensory issues, huge problems with fine and gross motor skills, which I consider mean that OT is an educational need. LEA disagree. Basically, if it is in the Statement the LEA have to "arrange the provsion", that is why my LEA don't want to put anything specific in DD's Statement at all.

No - in response to your original question, because the OT will almost certainly have been asked to provide Advice for Statements in the past and so will know that these requests for assessment to support a Statement will come directly from the LEA.

However... you can ask the OT for a written report that states his difficulties and recomends the therapies he should follow - that's something I got my Ds's psychologist to write (outside the Statement process).

Can't get a referral for OT. Just can't. GP never heard of OT for children and says the paed should refer. Paed says no point coz OT won't accept asd without gross motor problems (ds' issues are sensory). Phoned OT who confirmed and said they were allowed to set their own criteria and if they accepted ASD for other reasons they'd be overrun.

ANyway, - am still planning to get it in statement, just not sure how.

Sorry, meant to add, that therefore, there is no OT report for the statutory assessment or statement, because they refused to assess

very surprised at that. You're entitled to ask the LEA to seek the advice of anyone and everyone involved with your child.

I think I would have been inclined to complain to PCT if OT refused to act on LEA's request.

Alternatively - just ask for a written report as I mentioned above and use that.

Ooops! Sorry - I didn't see your previous post so didn't realise you had no OT involved - sorry.

Why do you want OT? I can see why they restrict their take-on to those with gross motor skill deficiencies are they are probably quite over-streched.

My DS aged 21 has never seen an OT although it could benefit him as strategies to deal with a busy lecture theatre / the workplace would be useful.

TBH - don't really see what an OT could add if he has no motor skill problems.

He has fine motor skill problems and sensory seeking behaviour. Now on ABA it is being reorded and I am shocked. I can't keep up with the recording it is so frequent and so interfering with his ability to learn etc.

Still, at least we have the evidence now. He is 'undersenstive' to things which means having to bang constantly, flap and lick things as well as bang his head against other people including his 1yr old sister.

I think he should have a sensory assessment at the very least, even if the strategies are just given to us/TA to do and reviewed once in a while.

Have you been to BIBIC, Star? DD had a sensory profile done by her OT (she does have gross motor, fine motor & sensory problems) which highlighted her difference in processing just about every sense. I wonder if BIBIC do the sensory profile.

I can see why you are concerned. One of DD's biggest issues that has been identified is that she is quite intelligent, but can't learn because she can't process her environment.