Exceptional Funding for Nursery School from LA

[Eveiebaby]

DD 3.8 officially started nursery school in January 2010(5 morinings per week). From September 2009 she did attend the nursery setting just once a week as more of a settling in period - her official start date was always January 2010.

To cut a really long story short her needs and subsequent ASD diagnosis all happened very quickly. Early Years came to do an observation of her at the Playgroup she attended in September 2009 and we seen Paed, SALT and received ASD diagnosis in December 2009.

Nursery school have applied for Exceptional Funding from LA(this would cover the interim period from when she started nursery school until/if an official statement ever gets put in place ie she would immediately receive 1:1 at nursery). However, it seems this funding has been refused from LA.

I just wondered in anyone had been in a similar situation and had any advice. I have been in contact with Parent Partnership.
Apparently her needs need to have been identified before she started nursery.

Needs were identified September 2009 - Nursery start official date was January 2010. Have I missed the point??!!!!

Different councils operate different policies. Mine (Hampshire) arranged SEN funding after a visit from an inclusion co-ordinator, and 1:1 was provided from that date forward, with SEN funding guaranteed until DD1 starts school. She is now statemented and will go to a special school in September.

You really need to ask to see the policy.

Evie

Do you know why the exceptional funding was refused?. Sounds like they are penny pinching yet again.

I would now start applying for a Statement of special needs for your DD. You can apply and you have a right of appeal if the LEA refuse to assess, nursery or schools cannot appeal. Re applying for a statement as well do not wait till she starts school, she ideally needs to go into school with such a document behind her. A statement unlike anything else offered is legally binding.

Have you found PP helpful, I only ask as some of them are pretty much useless and are not fully independent of the LEA. It may also be worthwhile seeking independent advice from fully independent organisations like IPSEA or SOS:SEN.

You are your child's best - and only - advocate. Never forget this.

Thanks everyone - It seems in our area the criteria is that the childs needs must be identified before they start education.

I asked Parent Partnership why LA had refused the funding and was told "because DD did not meet criteria" LA did not expand any further.

As far as I am concerned she did meet criteria. Nursery School have really been on the case but it seems without any success. From what I can gather from Parent Partnership I cannot appeal against LA's decision as there is no appeals process as such in respect of exceptional funding!

Thanks for advice Attila about the statement. Again, Nursery School are on the case with that and EP is due to visit DD shortly.

It's just disappointing as it would have helped DD so much to get extra help at this stage in her development. Still we are very fortunate in that her nursery are great and very supportive and do provide extra help to an extent but obviously not 1:1

Parent Partnership have responded to my e-mails and telephoned me so I suppose I can't complain too much about their service. Independent - I'm not too sure about that one. They are located in LA offices so from that point alone it is difficult to envisage that they are independent but maybe that is a bit of an unfair comment on my part.

Hi,

I have just been through the funding process with my daughter. She strated Pre school in April 09 and only did 2 afternoons a week and funding was applied for and granted but then in September she started going for 5 mornings so had to do change of circumstances that took several months before we got a reply and they increased her hours from 5 to 10 but we needed 15, so we had to appeal again and finally got 15 hrs. I understand what your saying about how much it would help her. Is she having to miss out on any activities because of her disabilities because if so then that is discrimination, I dont really know what to suggest as im new to all of this too, the one thing I have learnt very quickly is you dont seem to get anything unless you fight and kick and scream and I have trouble getting my head round how unfair that is. I hope someone can offer you some advice that will help you
Anita x

Thanks for that Anita - DD will have her case heard yet again (3rd time) in a couple of weeks. I don't think she misses out on anything at nursery eg she goes to PE and Computer Club with the class but from what I have been told her understanding is at a level far lower than her peers so I am not sure how much she is gaining or understanding from this inclusion without 1:1 attention.

It is good to hear that your daughter is getting the help she needs. x

Hi,
My daughters speech and understanding when she first started Nursery was at a 1yr old level and I suppose nearly a year on she is more like an 18 month old the way she talks but her understanding is her greatest downfall, we argued that although she has made some improvement that was due to having some one to one support and that if she has full funding it would improve things greatly for her. I know what your concerns are as I am already worrying about what will happen if we dont get a statement as in a class enviroment my daughter wont learn a thing as she doesnt understand what you say to her and she has to be taught differently because of the autism. Please let me know how things go
Anita x