OK it's in, help me decide if it's any good......

[lou031205]

DD1's proposed statement came in today:

Pros
-Arrived 2 days early (not bad considering xmas)
-SALT listed in parts 2&3
-OT listed in parts 2&3

Part 2 lists in summary:
-gross & fine motor skills
-social comm. & social interaction skills
-speech and language skills
-attention and concentration skills
-emotional and behaviour skills
-sensory issues
-play and learning skills
-self help and safety

Cons
No hours specified for 1:1
Not sure where they think she is best placed.

Could people have a read, if I type some excerpts?

lou

It may be that the statement will have to be rewritten.

I would also try to contact a fully independent organisation like IPSEA and or SOS:SEN and run parts 2 and 3 past them verbatim (these two are the most important parts of the whole document). They will tell you what it should say and what the LEA have left out.

www.ipsea.org.uk

How thorough is the SALT and OT provision listed in parts 2 and 3?.

I would not accept any provision that is neither specified nor quantified.

Attila, IPSEA have said (just now) that I need to go to the LA and ask for a meeting to get things more specified, but the lady didn't want to go through it verbatim at this stage

Can I type it for you?

I will start typing, and you can ignore it if you don't want to read it

Part 2

"Speech, language and communication skills

The speech and language therapist reports that DD1 has been known to the SALT department since January 2009. DD has been assessed and monitored through home visits. Suggestions and targets are provided to parents through discussion and reports and carried out at home and nursery. DD's understanding of language was assessed using the Reynell Developmental Language Scale. She achieved an age equivalent score of 2years 11 months (5th percentile). DD is following instructions at a 3 word level and understands some basic colour and position concepts. Her understanding of language is severely delayed.

There are no specific concerns about the clarity of DD's speech. She communicates in short sentences to make requests and responses. She also uses some learnt phrases and expressions. Her spoken language shows a severe delay and is broadly in line with her comprehension.

The Portage Home Visitor notes that Millie engages in some Makaton signing and pointing."

Part 3 related:

"2. DD will need adult support to help her develop her social communication skiils and social interaction skills, including initiating and responding to peer interactions and turn taking.

1. DD will need structured programmes that will develop her speech and language skills throughout the the whole of the school curriculum during the the whole of the school day. Regular assessment, advice and monitoring will be provided by a speech and language therapist, either directly or indirectly, at a level determined by the therapist.

An environment which promotes a multi-modal approach to communication and learning incorporating the use by staff of speech, objects of reference, auditory cues, gestures and Makaton signs/symbols and PECS as appropriate.

1. Targeted support to improve attention and listening skills, and opportunities to work on discrete learning tasks in an environment where distractions are reduced.

1. ...Targetedd support to develop her play skills, including her imaginative, symbolic and social play skills. Provision of different types of play opportunities with adult modelling.

DD will need opportunities to work in a variety of settings including one-to-one, paired and small group, to teach steps more explicitly and generalise to larger groups."

Part 2 OT

"Motor skills

The Occupational Therapis reports that DD has minimal low muscle tone and walks with a flexed posture and wide based gait. She is unsteady on her feet and can easily become unbalanced and is therefore more vulnerable to trips and falls. She finds it difficult to jump with two feet together, and needs support to negotiate curbs, steps and other obstacles. DD has a very poor sense of danger and a keen interest of climbing.

DD is appearing to show a right hand preference for fine motor activities, although she may still swap her hands, particularly during a two handed or unfamiliar activity. Whilst able to place small pegs into a board with an inferior pincer grasp, due to low muscle tone, DD lacks the strength to place/manipulate objects securely. DD can adopt an approximate immature tripod pencil grasp to scribble. She is able to imitate vertical lines and is beginning to draw an approximate circle and cross.

DD appears to seek out (particularly movement/deep pressure input) to enable her to be at the 'just right' level of alertness.

DD has some difficulties processing auditory information. She responds negatively to unexpected or loud noises and may hold her hands over her ears to protect them from sound.

DD appears to have some difficulty modulating tactile information. She is showing some evidence of tactile sensitivity. She can react negatively to touch by others (particularly light touch) which she appears to find alerting and uncomfortable.

Her preschool note that DD does nose her balance and is very unsteady on her feet."

Part 3 related (OT)

"1. An individual programme to develop gross and fine motor skills.

Assessment, advice and monitoring will be provided by an occupational therapist, either directly or indirectly, at a level determined by the therapy service.

1. Support for her sensory needs taking account of the advice from an Occupational Therapist, and monitored at a level determined by the therapist.

1. Targeted support to help her develop her self help skills, develop her organisational skills and age appropriate independent working skills. Independence skills should be supported through the use of visual prompts and provision of clear routines. She will need adult support with toileting, dressing/undressing and eating.

Adult support will be needed to ensure DD's safety when moving around the classroom, school and in the playground, and in Games and PE; all staff should be aware of DD's lack of danger and tendency to put non food objects in her mouth."

"School details

Pre-school placement to July 2010.

From September 2010

An educational setting with an enhanced staff pupil ratio where staff are skilled and experienced in teaching children with complex learning difficulties.

DD requires close liason between school and home to ensure consistent approaches and to enable her to maximise her learning potential"

Does that sound like special school to you???

It does mean special school

Everyone has been telling me that DD1 is 'too bright' for special school, when I ask. Even our consultant two weeks ago.

So I have psyched myself up to send her mainstream.

Statementing Officer has confirmed that

"An educational setting with an enhanced staff pupil ratio where staff are skilled and experienced in teaching children with complex learning difficulties."

means that she thinks that DD1 needs a special school.

We haven't even visited it because we were told she didn't need it

That's why it is so vague, and no 1:1 specified. No SALT/OT intervals specified - because it is all in-house.

Blimey. I have no advice as we've only just started the statementing process but that must be quite a shock from being told special school wouldn't be suitable to getting the statement through. How do you feel about it?

Hi Lou, just had a quick read - it does sound like they have done a fairly comprehensive assessment of dd. I always find the statement itself horrible, however, does this sound like your dd to you (iykwim)?

My ds2 goes to a specialist unit for s&l difficulties (he has dx of hfa/adhd)it has been a real godsend tbh. He is in a small class with good teacher/t assistant ratio -there are only 7 other kids in his class. He receives 1- 1 s&l therapy as well as group s&l where they do a lot on social skills, etc. I hope that gives you some reassurance.

Thanks. Still shocked. Any other opinions/advice?

hmm just in case i would ask for salt and ot to be quantified as not all special schools ahve in house they come in as needed and make sure its child time not advisory time

but intresing your dd sis similar to ds but your dd language skills is higher ds was turned down for special as hes considered to bright

Lou You still need the provision specified. Are you able to visit the special school in the next week or so?

'Regular assessment, advice and monitoring will be provided by a speech and language therapist, either directly or indirectly, at a level determined by the therapist.'

This is too wooly. Surely the point of the statutory assessment was to determine the 'level' of input required. It can be flexible i.e. 'between 2-4 1:1 sessions a week as continuous monitoring informs necessity' etc etc.

Basically, for every sentence ask yourself this: If this was NOT provided - EVER, could you take them to court over it, or are their sufficient caveats and get-out clauses.

'a level determined by the therapist' could mean no support ever, if the therapist goes on long term sick and you complain, the dept can simply say that they deemed your dd too verbal for slt at this time or something. Something you can't argue with because it is 'up to them' Do you get what I mean?

agree with Starlight - it's awfully wooly - the killer word in their IMHO is "indirectly" with both SALT and OT - as I interpret it, there's no guarantee SALT/OT will actually work with your daughter, but may talk to her teacher once in a while. And leaving it up to the service to determine again is wooly - as they could decided she doesn't need seeing at all, or once a year or something ridiculous.

hi, back in old skin. Yes, star, I do get what you mean.

The statementing officer said that they don't make it very specific because it is all in house at a school like that.

I am still shocked, because everyone had said that she should go mainstream to me - why would the LA want to spend 2.5-3 times the money to send her to special. Statementing officer was adamant that special school was appropriate, although pointed out that I have an absolute right to a mainstream education for her.

I don't want a mainstream education, or a special education, I just want the right education.

sorry it was such a shock.

However, you do now have them over a barrel, as you do 99% have a right to a mainstream ed. for her and they can't very well specify special ed and then not give 1:1 at school, so in a way it's good (silver lining and all that)

Have a look at AFASIC's guide to checking a proposed statement, it's very thorough. You need to check all the recommendations/descriptions from the reports to make sure they haven't left anything out.

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

I've been recommended a special school for DS and that was a shock to me as well. It is difficult to get your head around. I would visit the special school and ask if they are used to dealing with bright children, similar to your dd1's level. Are there any other alternatives locally, like a unit attached to a mainstream or an independent special school?

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

Lou. DId you have a mainstream school in mind?

Could you arrange an appointment with the head teacher if so, and take with you a list of what you think your DD would need to be educated in that placement and ask if the HT thinks a) it is possible and b) that he/she can support it.

I visited a very good special school and they believed that their input was crucial in the earlier years if the child was to have any child go to mainstream, and that when they did, they had benefitted from the early intervention and when they moved across to mainstream they did so with a full package of support, - rather than starting with the minimum in mainstream whilst the parents fight for years with their child eventually falling out and into a special school iyswim.

wrt not specifying. You need to insist. If the provision is 'going to be there anyway' the LA have no reason to object to it going in surely. LA's say some funny things. Mine said that I had had monthly SLT clinics since Jan 08. When I pointed out that this was a lie and I had in fact only had 2 clinics in 10 months they explained that when you take into account waiting lists and holidays etc then it equals 'monthly' and that everyone reading the report will know that

Don't trust them and don't settle. One big statement battle will save you hundreds of mini annoying ones and months of frustration.

In my limited experience - the school offered depends not just on the ability of the child but on the availability of places in Special Schools. Some areas have more availability in Special than other areas so may push/offer to a wider range of children. In areas where more Special Schools have been closed, a wider range of children are offered Mainstream. I hope that makes sense. Special schools vary like all schools, some are good, some are bad some are indifferent. You need to visit and ask challenging questions to find out if a school is likely to suit. The main thing to look at is the other children - Are they in the same general range as your dd and are they progressing as you would like dd to progress. Obv. look at mainstream and support too.

Bear in mind also that the people who write statements are not the ones who mete out the so called specialist intervention.That is usually done (if at all) by a totally untrained and unprepared 1:1 assistant or a teacher who knows nothing about SN.Memanwhile an ill defined team of 'specialists' will drift in and out of the school aT IRREGULAR INTERVALS OFFERING 'SUPPORT AND ADVICE' (oops) in a manner that bears little relation to what other people qre doing.
Sounds shit?
That's because it is.

lou - it must have been a shocker for them to spring special school on you. hope you are ok.

I agree with sugarcandy and the other ladies about visiting some schools - the special school they suggest and any other m/s/special/private special schools you like the the look of and compare.

Just don't get fobbed off/seduced in special schools by the ball pools and soft play and sensory rooms.
Ok in limited amounts but in many instances, provide a useful way for staff and children to escape proper instruction and learning.

Easier to bugger about in soft play/rebound therapy/horse riding/aromatherapy than getting to grips with the essentials of education.