I really hope there are some folks about ...

[chegirlshadabloodynuff]

I have been having a few weeks from hell. Lots of kicking off from one of my kids. Its not the issue here but its made it hard to take this in. Need to put it down.

I have DS who is nearly 7. He has been delayed all his life. He has recently been dx with auditory processing disorder but has always had LD.

He has been under various agencies all his life (we fostered him before adopting him). Despite all this monitoring nothing much concrete has been done. Vague stuff about learning delays and developmental delays etc.

I recently applied for a statement because he has been dramatically underachieving (i.e. not achieving) at school. School have been rubbish up til now but are suddenly producing reports stating that he is not coping with all aspects of the ciricullum, needs constant adult support etc. His EP report was pretty dire and his scores were rock bottom.

As part of his statementing I asked for an agency we have been involved with to be approached for their input. I was asked to come in for a meeting with consultant to facilitate this.

So anyway - I walked in there with my little boy who I had been told had mild learning difficulties and who we had spent years 'waiting and seeing' (although I have always been concerned and bought up these concerns with schools, drs, child developement team etc) - well I walked out with a little boy who had 'severe learning difficulties, global developmental delay and who should not be in mainstream school'

The consultant was very nice and supportive. He was flabberghasted that DS was being expected to function unsupported in a mainstream school and actually laughed when I told him that we had been told DS had 'mild learning difficulties' (not laughing at me).

He now says DS needs an urgent, indepth assessment to give him a proper dx and that I should be looking at special schools for him. He says I should be in contact with Mencap etc to get the support we need to enable DS to flourish. He also wants him to be assessed for ASD.

I really dont know whether to be pleased that someone is taking DS seriously at last or totally overwhelmed by what he has told us.

It would be easy to think 'why is he right when no one else has bothered much' but we have been going down the other route for years and it has been getting us nowhere and DS is getting further and further behind.

Sorry for long post. Not sure what I want from it but at least its all written down now!

no direct experience of PP, but from what I've heard they can be a somewhat ahem mixed blessing. If that's the standard of "knowledge" you are getting from them, I would just cut them out of the loop completely, and call up one of the independent charities such as ipsea or ace or sos-sen instead. Sorry you have all this to deal with on top of being heavily PG.

Che it just sounds like you have the type of PP worker who is basically a snipoer mouthpiece for the SEN budgetray dept.

So, refuse to acknowledge them and deal directly with head honcho in writing at all times. If people cannot help, eliminate them- life is too short and our children's needs to pressing.

Write to the LEA person (Or email, as long as written) asking them to confirm the PP lady's advice that your child does not ahve LD despite PAeds advice, and that the PAed advice is not tkaen ionto account. Copy very obviosuly to PAed. Sit abck and wait, Paeds fifn't get there by being shrinking violets.

Refuse to deal over the phone if needed as well, stick to written word. Email is just as quick.

Just spoke to IPSEA. Lady was lovely and I feel much better (for now). Reassured me that this is not unusual. Still a PITA but at least I know its not just us!

The more I look at the statement the more it seems utterly odd. The first part is very clear that he has loads of problems and uses language like 'significant delay' 'significant difficulties' 'needs constant adult support' etc BUT the next part makes weedy, vague recommendations that go no way to addressing all these 'significant' problems

I have also just noticed that they have included addressing his severe eczema in the education provision but have classed his auditory processing disorder as 'non educational' If not understanding language or being able to retain information is not educational what the flip is?

Thanks again for everyone's support and excellent advice.

Ok- sorry this is becoming a bit of a blog.

Had a couple of messages from PP on my phone today.

She seems to have completely changed her mind. She made a very good point about DS's APD dx and the recommendations about stratagies i.e. that he would struggle to learn in a noisy classroom environment (AKA mainstream classroom) she also said his severe eczema would qualify him to go to our school of choice.

It did suprise me that she said 'I have managed to get a copy of DS's draft statement' . I didnt actually give explicit permission for this. To be fair she probably assumed that I wanted her to have a look at it but she didnt ask me if she could have access.

As it happens I am not upset about it as she is saying the things I want to hear. Not sure I would be quite as laid back if she was making the same noises as when I last spoke to her.

So - everytime I speak to someone I get just that little bit more

what peculiar behaviour from the PP person - wonder if she has belated realised that ignoring consultant paeds isn't sensible... and also interesting about the eczema. Carry on dealing with ipsea, you know they have you/DS's best interests at heart.

Next installment.

Took OH and DS to SNS today. Met with headteacher.

She says she is happy to have him there. He needs a D banded statement. THis is the statement we expected to get but its impossible to tell from his draft if this is what he has got.

I know different systems are used in other boroughs/counties - D is the highest of the non funded statements IYSWIM.

So now I have to talk to SENCO at DS's MS school and he has to get the process moving. I wish I didnt because I really find him hard to deal with.

I am going to write a letter asking him to proceed.

Has anyone had any experience of this process?

DS likes the school btw which is fortunate