Useless school meeting (dd with asd)

[OverflowingMum]

Fed up. DD3(aged 5) was dx with Aspergers in Feb.
Have just come back from second meeting with school and have beentotally fobbed off AGAIN. HAve been going in since this time last year,concerned about her progress.SHe is currently well below avaerage in everything,depite her Pyschology testing showing her intelligence to be well ABOVE average. SHe can still barely read for heavens sake,and no-one seems to care.
She was referred for a Learning Support Assesment by school in Feb, have been told today it wont happen before the end of the year due to long waiting list.
Theyre putting her in yet ANOTHER phonics group,which is all they ever do and clearly isnt working.
I'm still waiting for the typed report(have hand wriiten DX info) from her diagnosis assessemnt ...was meant to take 6weekshave rung up again today...will be here this week apparently...sigh
Looks like I will be going down the statementing route then...
Think I will also apply for DLA,although initially wasnt going to...but she is such a struggle. We have 6kids, and she takes up more time and energy than all the others.We are skint,and tbh a bit extra income would help...so maytry for it...
and tonight she's going to a friends house for the first ever time...and I'm worried how it will go....
Sometimes it is all too much...sigh

HUgs

DS1 has been diagnosed with AS for 4 years now (and ds3 with austim for 1.5) but although it doesn't tecvhnically necessarily get easier (sometimes it does) it does get to be your noem and you get used to it.

Definitely go for a statement but you will need apperwork to get it; try SOS!SEN, ipsea and consider a look at the BIBIC website as theya re quite cheap and produce reams of papertwork thatc ertianly helped us get ds1 a statement

Oh and more higs; dx's are hard

Definitely apply for the statement. They have teeth.

And ditto the DLA. Don't even second guess yourself on that. The money's there for her, so take it. The NAS and cerebra websites both have some very good information and advice about applying.

Is she on School Action or School Action Plus?
Who is going to do the Learning Support Assessment (if it ever happens)?
What kind of reading system do they have? If it is not very structured it might be the scheme that is the problem.
Put your concerns in writing to the school and keep a copy. Don't be fobbed off but don't rush to apply for a Statement just yet. See if you can get them to give her support first. I take it she is in Yr 1 in which case they should be assessing her against either the Early Learning Goals (or whatever they are called this week) or the National Curriculum and they should have concrete evidence about her progress in relation to other children of her age.
Get yourself a copy of the SEN Code of Practice if you haven't already.

Hi,

Clearly your DDs needs are not being met by school and she is slowly being failed by them.

I would be applying for the Statement as soon as possible in these particular circumstances as it can also take six months to get this set up (and that is also if the LEA agree to assess and you agree the actual content of Statement. If neither of these things happen the whole process is further delayed).

Certainly apply for DLA as well, forms are another thing entirely though so do get outside help filling them in. Cerebra is helpful in this regard. Do not think about not applying for it!!!.

Would certainly read SEN Code of Practice as well (think this is online).

IPSEA have model letters you can use re requesting the statement initially. Their web address is www.ipsea.org.uk. You will need to write to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA and you will need to give them six weeks to apply. Do make the application personally, you have a right to appeal if the LEA say no and the school does not.

Thanks for the replies. Am feeling calmer today LOL
She had a lovely time at friends house....but of course had endless melt downs on her return home, as always with anything out of the ordinary...sigh..
I am definitely going to apply for the Statement...am going to browse the various sites this afternoon and get onto it. Will it matter if the school don't agree? Can they block it?
Will also start looking into DLA.
Thanks for all the tips

imahappycamper She is onschool action plus. I have been going into school for over a yearnow to express my concerns. She has some support(not much tbh) and it hasnt helped at all. She clearly needs more than the school can provide right now,hence going for a statement. I am cross, because basicly she has made absolutely no progress this school year, despite me going up regularly to discuss everything with them.

Hello

I'm in a pretty similar situation with my little boy aged 5 diagnosed 3 wks ago as on the autistic spectrum.

I am still in shock - and I suppose waiting for the professionals to come in the door all dressed up in white jackets and clipboards and tell us what to do now. But guess what - nobody's coming.

We have to find out everything, the school is not helping (no idea what's going on there) the young little occupational therapist is sweet and very good at writing generic reports but what about my little boy specifically.

Sorry I'm ranting - anyway let me know how your getting on with the statement process as I think we'll be heading down that road too. But eager to know if the school have to be pushing it or not.

Also regarding your little girl's reading - we started Kumon a maths and/or english programme for children. Its private - £50 but child gets a little home work every day very structured. It has really helped Finn and we'll just do it for a while to get him on the road to reading and understanding the phonics system.

Take care

Mx

Hi Fullstop
That intial diagnosis is a shock isnt it. Even though we were expecting it. And then...that awful feeling ,of "what next,then?" only like you say,no one is coming to tell us that LOL
Kumon sounds good, but tbh we are REALLY skint at the moment, with NO money for extras. and it does make me cross that dd is in school 6 hours a day, 5 days a week a, and still,2 years on,they haven't managed to teach her to readWe obviously do reading (lots) and stuff at home with her, but she is really tired after school, and NEEDS time to wind down,so I really dont feel it is fair that she should have to do extra at home, just because school arent doing their job.We know she isaboveaverage intelligence...and still she cant read aaarrrggghh
Oh...it is all such a minefield...I just want to cry sometimes. It's like banging my head off a brickwall....

overflowingmum,

You do not needs school's backing or permission to apply for a Statement and they should not contest your application (they are not allowed to do that anyway).

Your DDs meltdowns outside of school are indicative to me anyway that she is bottling up all her frustrations internally. It also would indicate to me that her needs are clearly not being met by school.

Look at IPSEA's website for information on how to write the initial request to the LEA. You have more power than you perhaps think. If the LEA say no you must appeal (IPSEA have an info pack called refusal to assess).

Good luck with the DLA application as well, do seek help from here and organisations like Cerebra as those forms are something else honestly. Do not attempt the form yourself without first seeking outside help and guidance.

You are your DDs best - and only - advocate. Never forget this.

Overflowing i am in a similar position to you, i applied for Statutory Assessment without the schools backing.

Since applying the school have sent home a request for ds to be assessed by EP (something i had been asking for ages) also a permission slip for ds to be in a social skill group in the Summer.

Even if ds doesnt get a statement, ive achieved something already. Got for it.

overflowingmum- that is good.It does mean that her special needs have been recognised.
The school cannot "block" a statement in that it is your right to request statutory assessment, but they will have to write a report and if they say dd is fine, well within the range of normal etc it can mean that request might be turned down. You then have the right of appeal but as far as I understand it the tribunal can only insist that the LA make an assessment, not that they make a Statement.
This is why I am suggesting that you put your concerns about her progress in writing and find out what her levels are etc. It will be better if you can do it without falling out with the school. Thing is the Statement is one of Educational need so they are key to the whole process.
Are there a lot of Special Needs children in DDs school? Putting her on a waiting list to be assessed for 1:1 doesn't sound very good.
People who decide to apply for Statements themselves do say it is very empowering.

imahappycamper hmm well, no. School have done bog all about recognising her special needs. She is on school action plus, becaus I have pestered them so much, and then because she has outside agencies now involved, that makes it school action plus. Hasnt helped at all though.and has not given her any extra support.
She Had an IEP with 3 things on it. 1. to learn to take turns in games, 2. to write letters the right way round and 3. to count objects to 20.
Nothing about addressing her inability to read, or the fact she functions well below her intelligence level.
I can teach her to take turns in games,would really much rather they taught her to read
Their way of solving her writing issues has been to give her a golden ticket when she produces a page of "S" the right way round....but still her general writing is illegible.
I have expressed my specific concerns to them on numerous occassions, and know exactly what her levels are....
Not really prepared to waste much more of dd's education arguing the toss with the school.

Overflowing, you have exactly the right attitude. Dont waste any more time on the school if they are failing your dd.

Getting in outside agencies in my experience (unless the school are prepared to follow the recommendations which never involve 1:1 help anyway, its a waste of time) and is code for its their responsibility, not ours to help.

School didnt back me one bit in my SA request and wrote a report that ds is doing fine and my SA request was turned down.

Im now at Tribunal stage and all you have to do is prove school wrong, when they are failing badly, its pretty easy. Remember its not just academic standards, its any areas that you dd has not progressed in.

If you can prove that the school are unable to identify your dd's needs, even with the help of outside agencies and are unable to identify or quantify what help should be given without the help of the LA.....you have yourself a SA and in turn a statement.

Apologies about slight hijack.

Pipin, can you provide more details of ABA?

I have googled and seen a description of what it is, just wondered how this becomes available to a child?

Have just googled ABA too. (ruled out Amateur Boxing Association, and American Bankers Association LOL)
It sounds interesting. Actually reminds me a lot of how I train my dog!!!
Not a hope in Hell though of DD's school being able to take any of it on board.I suppose it is yet something else you need to pay for and access privately?

Off to do somemore reading up and research on applying for a statement

Overflowing i saw an example of a conversation between teacher and ASD pupil when i googled.

Teacher: Hi, Alex, are you excited about Christmas?
A: [no response]
Teacher: What are you going to do on Christmas?
A: I don't know.
Teacher: Are you going to get presents?
A: Yes.
Teacher: What else are you going to do?
A: [no response]
Teacher: Do you have a tree?
A: Yes.
Teacher: Who's going to bring presents on Christmas?
A: I don't know.
Teacher: Is it Santa Claus?
A: Yes.
Teacher: Thanks, Alex!

This is the child's half of the conversation:

"I don't know, Yes, Yes, I don't know, Yes."

Any learning going on? (By the way, I've watched people have conversations like this and then tell me, "He's talking so much more!")

Here's how a trained person might make this an opportunity for practicing conversation skills:

Teacher: Hi, Alex, are you excited about Christmas?
A: [no response]
Teacher: Are you excited about Christmas? Say, Yeah, I want to open my...
A: Yeah, I want to open my presents!
Teacher: [Smile] Me too! What presents did you ask for?
A: I asked for presents.
Teacher: What presents did you ask for? Say, For Christmas, I asked for...
A: I asked for a bike. For Christmas.
Teacher: Cool! [Small tickle] Are you excited about Christmas?
A: Yeah, I want a bike.
Teacher: [Bigger tickle] A bike! That's great! I've got my tree all decorated with ornaments. I put lots of ornaments on MY tree. [Point to A's tree.]
A: I put heart ornaments on my tree.
Teacher: Alex, that's so great! [Great big tickle]
A: Ahhhhh! Cut it out!

1st convo is so like ds, but if i instructed him to say whatever, ABA would turn into something more like Amateur Boxing Association, he would argue, you cant tell ds anything!

I wonder how they would deal with that.

IPSEA website has some good advice and example letters of applying for a SA.

Thanks Star, i have heard a lot about ABA and all good. I dont know why, but i assumed it was for the more non verbal children, but having seen that conversation it is obviously not.

Its something i would be very interested in, off to start thread now.