just got my parental responce form for statementing

[kittyfu]

i just recieved my information pack and parental responce form. i am going for a statement of educational needs for my ds.

i need to write a letter of 'my views'. i really don't know where to start, what to write, how much information is nessacery at this point.

any help or idea would be much appreciated

I'm sure you will hear from lots of other people but here's a start:

Your letter should give a full account of your child's needs as you see them. Give specific details and examples.

I'm linking to the guide Cambridgeshire produces for parents going through the statutory assessment process because I found their 'suggested checklist for writing about your child' really helpful in ordering my thoughts. I agree it seems overwhelming to suddenly have to put it all down on paper. Anyway here's the link

Also get someone else to read it before you send it in, just to make sure it's all clear and you haven't missed anything out. The main thing is to list all your child's needs be they at home or at school (because if he/she isn't getting the help s/he needs at school it will have a big impact at home).

Hope that helps!

Hi, I am just about to go down the same road myself and have been advised to look at the IPSEA website here.

Maybe you have done that already? I shall watch this thread for tips too!

I sent in a 5 page document.

It started with a 'Background' to the statement request - Pregnancy/birth concerns; early development & milestones (delayed); concerns raised and action taken (none ); Preschool identifying SN; Hospital attendance & confirmation of epilepsy, GDD and brain malformation; Support measures given at preschool at EYA+.

I then moved on to 'Present difficulties', broken down into Gross motor; fine motor; speech/language; social; attention/concentration; behaviour; sensory features; obsessions; sleep; medical features.

The next part dealt with 'considerations for assessment' in which I summarised the complex nature of DD1's special needs, that a report from her consultant said that children with her condition usually require a statement, included a phrase from the SEN COP, which said that "it is unlikely that any school can meet DD1's needs without employing extensive additional support, for which a statement will be needed." I also pointed out that little progress had been made in her preschool career to date, and that the gap had widened between her and her peers. I also asserted that there would be a H&S risk to both DD1 and other pupils if they left her without support.

The final page listed each of the reports that I was sending to support the request, giving name of professional, position, and date. I sent in every report I had available (18 in total) at this stage.

I hope that helps. My LEAs pack requested this information, but gave a tiny form to give it, so I typed my own. I would be more than willing to let you see it if it would benefit you. I am sure others will have done it differently, though

thankyou, niminypiminy and lou, you were both a great help.

have writern down your pointers as bullet points they have given me a great starting point and layout of how to do the letter, i also love the link you sent me niminypiminy the information was much more detailed than what i recieved and i have already printed out the checklist.

niecie i have'nt had a chance yet today to look at ipsea but thank you for the link. i am hoping to get a chance tonight. i think i'm going to be very geeky and take the sections that lou described and then brain storm all the things i want to put in them before i start the letter so i dont forget anything. i would love to hear how you get on with it all.

kittyfu, remember most of all that you know your child, they don't. What you write has to convey accurately but concisely the difficulties your child faces, and justify why they are difficulties that give rise to 'special educational needs'. When you are doing your spider diagram (I think brainstorm is classed as offensive to some people because it has links with Epilepsy IIRC), try to pretend you have only just met your DS - in other words, don't assume that the LEA have any knowledge, of your DS or of Special Needs. DON'T think 'oh well they must know that a child with ASD struggles with disruptions to routine, etc.' It doesn't matter what other children struggle with. This is about what your child struggles with, and what effect that has on his/her educational experience.

thank you lou. i'm sorry if i offended anyone calling spider diagrams, brain storming. showing my age i guess, and not thinking.