i feel like crying

[claw3]

just had a disastrous feeding clinic appointment.

OT assessed ds at home and was very much on side.

She then assessed ds at school and is now very much not on side.

I have been given the old 'children often display different behaviour at home' line, which is code for we dont believe you.

School have reported that ds is doing fine and has no difficulties in school and that i harass the SENCO as i am an over anxious mother who exaggerates ds's difficulties (obviously not said in so many words, im exaggerating obviously!)

She observed him at lunchtime and saw him eat ALL of his lunch. A quarter of chocolate spread sandwich, big bloody deal.

School have reported that give ds all kinds of wonderful help. This is not the case, they give him zero help. When i pointed this out, feeding clinic replied 'they dont get involved with schools disputes and i need to take this up with the school'

I reply 'well dont tell me he has no difficulties in school then'

A bit later she says again 'ds is coping fine in school with the help the school have put in place'

I show her a copy of the teachers report which conflicts with ds doing fine in school. She replies again 'we dont get involved in school disputes'

What is the point of talking to these people, if they dont even believe what you are saying.

I feel like telling them all to take a run and jump.

Whats the point of ds being given a label, if no one believes a word you bloody well say

I give up!

Off to CAMHS appointment now, rant over!

WOW!! Stop and just enjoy this moment Claw. As DS's teacher reminds me 'we have to celebrate those little victories' as we go.

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. You are a great mum to your son. Take a breath. Enjoy the bank hols and think about the next step on Tuesday.

Seriously. Just enjoy for now.

WOWEE

So, you are at "Official Week 6" of the process now.

Next 10 weeks are for assessment, then 2 weeks for them to get their act together and issue proposed statement gives....

.....wait for it.....

Proposed statement issued 20th August 2010

If all was hunky dory (hahaha) you could end up Finalising ready for the new school year

Debs, i think im still in shock, that was totally unexpected I need to let it sink it i think!

Star, yes definitely need to get out of that school and i will have letter from CAMHS too. I will speak to PP too to see if she can pull any strings.

I will have a 1001 questions about the SA process, ive read the basics but i have learnt from experience things are never quite as they seem and asking questions on here is the best way to prepare.

Someone pinch me please

Nope, only if they submit the request for assessment in the week preceeding the Summer Hols, I think... will just double check

Woo hoo Lou, 20th August isnt long at all.

Do you think they will start assessment after this weeks holiday?

They have to inform me of what assessment they plan to do right?

Star, i hadnt even sent my submisson, just my reasons for appeal, i was saving the big guns for later.

I did email LA after ds came home smothered in poo and told them this was now bordering on neglect and disability discrimination and ds either meet the criteria or he didnt. To stop wasting time and assess.

Exceptions:

c) "The authority have requested advice from the head teacher of a school during a period beginning 1 week before any date on which that school is closed for a continuous period of not less than 4 weeks from that date and ending 1 week before the date on which it reopens"

e) "The authority have requested advice from a health authority or a social services authority...and they have not complied with that request within 6 weeks from the date on which it was made;

f) exceptional personal circumstances affect the child or his parent during the 10 week period referred to in para (6);

g) the child or his parent are absent from the area of the authority for a continuous period of 4 weeks...;

h) the child fails to attend for an examination or test in the 10 week period "

All quoted from Annexe A of the SEN Code of Practice 2002.

So, I think you are in the clear There are 8 weeks left before the end of term. They would have to be exceptionally mean to make a request of the head of school in week 8-10 of 10. Wouldn't they???

I had better get that letter of the feeding clinic on Monday with a copy of CAMHS report and just mentioning something along the lines of im disappointed that school have reported to OT that ds doesnt have any difficulties as they have bought x,y,z to my attention and reports from professionals have confirmed these difficulties. Hope the report will be based on their findings and facts?

Star's right. You should ask school to iform you if any external agencies plan to visit you DS at son during this assessment period. Forewarmed is fore-armed.

the next step is that the LEA will send you a formal letter notifying you that they have decided to undertake a statutory assessment under the Blah Blah education Act which may lead to your DS being issued a Statement.

In that letter they will ask you to provide the names amd contact details of anyone who you would like them to contaact to provide evidence for the assessment.

I wouold think before I gave the names - are they onside? There's no point the LA seeking the views of someone who will just contradict you.

You will be asked to submit your own Parental Advice too. That's where you can really go to town on their inadequacies and say what you want done to support your son.

Timing wise you really that need that dx before the SA assessment period concludes so it can be included in the Statement. (I know it shouldn't hang on dx but it does carry weight). If you afford private dx NOW is the time to do it.

The process may be delayed because of the school holidays - it depend whether school get their evidence in before the break.

You too can delay the process - so if the process is due to complete say a week or so before you get the dx you can ask them to delay making the decision on whether a Statement is required or not until you've got all the evidence you want them to consider - we had to do this on the advise of our solicitor as as dx was still in progress - but you can also get late evidence included right up to the time that the Final Statement is issued.

But that's all for tommorrow . You need to crack ipen that bottle of champagne today. You've scored your first (of many) victories today.

You've proved that there is sufficient evidence that DS may require a Statement.

Well done!

Wetaugust, the exceptions don't provide for the school submitting late, only if the school has the request 1 week or less before the summer holidays? Or am I reading it wrong?

You're right - if the school gets the request in teh penultimate week of summer term it should respond before the break.

If they don't respond it will be held up.

It's the LEA / Claw who will need to keep a close eye on school to make sure they do respond (but there is plenty of time until the end of term so I don't expect the situation will arise). I have no idea when the school holidays start - Aug?

The downside of this latest twist is that it may make it more difficult to move schools during the SA period.

The LEA won't want to do this as technically yet another (different) school could be the outcome of the SA - although in Claw's case that's unlikely as a Statement would get him into the school Claw wants (if not straight into the Base there).

Also the LEA will want advice from a school that knows him rather than from one he's just started at.

Thought the SA test was that a child would 'probably' need a statement!?

I always thought the formal wording was that the assessment 'may' lead to a Statement.

'Probably' would get parent's hopes up and would be even more pissed off with a NIL.

Wet, we have 2 months before school holiday, realistically i doubt ds would be able to move to new school until September anyhow. So hopefully ds will get his assessment and i will get new school either way.

I cant believe the total turn around of this thread, i have gone from feeling like crying, to cheering up, to crying, to smiling!

It is probably requires a statement. Probably - on the balance of probabilities, more likely than not...