Ed psych response - what do you think?

[debs40]

OK, Ed Psych story continues.

She emails me today after I ask about whether she will be assessing DS or observing.

Her answer:

I will go around from table to table asking questions about children's understanding of the teachers expectations. This will help me to gauge the level of understanding of the majority of the children in the class. This will obviously include DS's understanding of the task set. I will also be looking at his reaction to instructions given by the class teacher and how he reacts to other children on his table. I may also ask some children if they can show me additional work that they are proud of, including DS. The aim is for my observation to be minimally intrusive so the child does not know I have been looking specifically at him. Hopefully this observation will give me information that I can work with in order to inform you and the school as to the best way to help DS.

Does this sound like a load of baloney? What is the best way to respond?

I think that sounds fine. She doesn't need to assess him I'd have thought if CAMHS have recently done so.

Thanks. We were looking for cognitive assessments on things like working memory. This is why I asked for the Ed Psych to come in. CAMHS are diagnosing. They are not looking for this sort of thing.

Sounds ok as far as it goes. The key thing being that your ds won't feel singled out. Or do you want him to be assessed one to one as well ?

I think what I am worried about is that she will just come in and say 'all looks great, aren't school wonderful' and then there will be no need to further assessments.

It is those further assessments which could be important as far as statementing goes.

Is there anyone doing cognitive tests? Any salt involvement?

Sorry, I'm not sure what difficulties your ds is having - do you think cognitive tests would help highlight his difficulties? Is your ds aware of his difficulties? I mean, does OT matter that ed psychwants to be low key? As you know from dd1's reports, this approach would make no difference whatsoever... but obvs this could well be different for your ds.

Latest LA ed psych didn't ever assess dd1, just observe. But he was a chocolate teapot type anyway!

I think he has clear problems with working memory and this was confirmed when he saw BIBIC. SALT has not tested for this but then saw him once for about an hour.

I have a private ED psych lined up in Sept.

I just thought this was a case of going in, not testing individually, but saying 'all looks ok'.

But then maybe that is better because our own Ed psych can do those tests in any event.

Sorry, does IT matter... not OT (confuses issue needlessly...)

If you've got private EP lined up then yes, base covered. And better I think to have them done by someone with no hidden agenda, who will not dismiss results as readily.

That's the way we did it, although didn't need to use private reports in the end, only threaten them (were for tribunal use)

Presumbaly if this observation shows that then EP can follow up with a more specific assessment and suggestions for teacher (ie. a visual prompt). Why September for the private one , that seems a long way off .

Waiting list!

To be honest LIZS, the experience of people on this board now makes me so suspicious, I just think the Ed Psych is going in there to tick a box and say 'it's all fine'.

really , I got one a pretty short notice - a month or so - for ds 2 summers ago.

Depends on what LA agenda is, Lizs.

Our LA ed psych observed dd at school, found her to be passive to the point of catatonia, and was going to write his report based on that, despite us saying she was cognitive able, bright and chatted, etc.

His view was very much that dd was in the best place for her (she wasn't) as that is where the LA wanted her. Sometimes the system just doesn't work the way it should.

LIZS there is a possibility of a short notice appointment which I can chase but it is with someone who does have a busy waiting list. We chose her for her expertise in the SEN process.

My ds saw ed psych for assessment for SA a couple of months ago. He did an observation of him in the class setting with all the other children. He then took him into a room with his teacher and ran through cognitive tests with him. I got the report a couple of weeks ago. Said he was struggling to make sense of his world and included scores of the cognitive tests. Also included advice/strategies etc. (if I hear the word "strategy" one more time I think I will go mad!)

What do you think if I write back:

"I think I was under a misapprehension about the purpose of your visit and I'm still not clear how this is distinguished from Autism Outreach Team's observations.

I am keen to ensure that every intervention has a purpose and that DS's individual strengths and weaknesses are actually explored at some point."

I want to set it out that I have asked specifically for EP to look at these areas and that we've waited along time for them to be considered but that now, it looks like she'll be doing little more that the Outreach Team.

Another list of strategies not to be implemented

Yes that sounds fine. When the edpsych came to see ds my first question was "what is actually wrong with him?". Which sounds stupid as he has the asd dx. But I was really no clearer as to his actual difficulties and what his strengths and weaknesses are. She should be able to tell you that at the very least.

de ja fucking vue debs. I asked this question once, when all kept banging on about how much support I'd had, and how many were involved:#

'What outcomes have their been for ds, and how do you know?'

I asked for this as a written response to be brought to a Team Around the Child meeting. I didn't get it then, or subequently.

The 'verbal' response was 'oh we're making loads of differenc, collectively, holistically, eclectically, so it would be impossible to pin down anything to any one person'.

So I asked for that to be given to be in written form. I'm still waiting!

Indeed, Star, outcomes can be measured so we don't want to talk about that, we want to talk about the things we've done.

If you don't speak to, or individually assess a child, how can you identify his needs or meet them?

Oh, of course, that's it - don't identify the needs and then there are none to meet!

It sounds like a class observation. This is what DS had first before his individual assessment.

Is EP going to do one of these as well?

Dya wanna hear something funny.

Evidence for why ds' nursery can meet his needs is:

'headteacher can, at her discression, organise art and music therapy'

Well, there you go. Specified provision at it's best!

Unless you are worried that the EP will get in first with standardised assessments you want your private EP to do, you can ask for them so that you have a 'baseline' to give you confidence in a couple of year's time that the school is meeting his needs!

I think that is it Star. Is it best to leave for our Ed Psych to do and simply state in writing that we feel these assessments are necessary but not make too much of a fuss?

Then our Ed Psych can do them but we can't say we didn't ask for them.

Debs sounds like a load of baloney to me.

Ds often picks up on what others are doing and copies, rather than actually understanding what has been said.

Can you just tell the EP outright that you want her to do a 1:1 assessment for working memory? I dont think they take hints.

I had high hopes for ds's EP, i have just emailed her asking her outright questions with a ? at the end and she has replied 'thank you for the information'! Im thinking of emailing her, asking her is she from this planet

What do you think about this soemthing like this:

"We had thought your attendance was for assessment rather than observation purposes. We have been raising these concerns for a very long time. However, we understand that these issues are not always well-understood. Our view, based on the evidence acquired to date, is that DS's strengths and weaknesses require specific exploration and we think that DS's learning needs to be considered from his perspective.

In the long term, this may reduce unnecessary and/or unfocused intervention by ensuring that strategies are specific rather than generic and by enabling outcomes to be more effectively measured."

If she chooses not to assess, it's her loss

Claw I dunno what is up with me tonight but I pmsl at last post. Even DH is giggling!