What to do when dla claim refused due to school report?

Vicky123

Don't worry about school and what they might think.
When I started down this road with my boys I went in expecting people would just do a good job and had no thoughts on making waves.
Over 10 years later I have developed a very thick skin and am not in the slightest bit concerned what they might think, it has never got in the way of my kids provision which still not being to the level I would want, is far more than the rest of the kids in their special schools get.
My oldest leaves school in July and my biggest regret is that I wasn't even more robust in the early days when I was advocating for him.

teabag29

How far behind does a child have to be to be considered for a special needs school? My daughter is 5.5 years behind on her reading and 4.5 years behind on her maths. Would they even consider putting her in a special needs school? I really would like to explore this option as i think it would also do wonders for her behaviour and emotional state as she gets picked on alot by other children. How do I even go about it? Do I wait for the caff meeting and say i want you to consider statementing my dd because she is so far behind and has complex issues and go from there?

munchings-n-crunchings

teabag29 wrote: »

I do fear in the back of my mind though that exploring all these avenues for help will result in the school branding me as a mother who is adament to find something wrong with her daughter even though there is nothing wrong in their opinion

As a parent, you will need to separate the issues that could be disability related, from the behaviours that are teenage girl related, and sometimes this is not always cut and dry.

My eldest daughter, when she was between 11 and 13 used to lie about food, and take money from my purse. So many of her behaviours were about seeking attention from others, whether it be positive or negative, but it wasn't disability related.


As long as you are happy, and clear in this to others, that if any reports come back as she is within the 'normal' parameters, then that will have to be ok.
I believe parents do have a responsibility to ask these questions, if they believe their child has issues. You just have to deal with a negative result.

By the time my son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, he was 14, and had been labeled as rude, uncooperative, immature. There just never seemed to be enough of anything to request intervention, but he was tested at secondary school for 'learning difficulties' and nothing showed up. It was only when his sister was diagnosed, did I ask for him to be looked at. Initially the consultant thought it may be dyslexia, but after the Speech and Language assessment, it put him on the route to be assessed with autism.

If any tests are done, read up on them, so you understand what the test means. For example, school gave my son a reading test, which his score gave him a reading age similar to his chronological age. What the test didn't account for, was comprehension of what he read. So school said they can give him intruction in text form, where after research, I found the flaws in the test, as I knew he couldn't pull the information from the text in front of him.

After all the difficulties at school, he is now a qualified plasterer and has qualifications in bricklaying. I never imagined him doing anything practical, but it's all turned out ok for him.

Regards
Munchie

Savvy_Sue

teabag29 wrote: »

Then i will finish off by saying I have managed off my own back to get an education psychologist to work with her (hopefully starting next week) who agrees he can help my daughter and also that camhs expect her 1st appt to be next month.

I think you are saying too much there. Even if you definitely have that appointment, I wouldn't say that the EP 'agrees he can help', because that may give the impression that this is a short-term problem with a quick fix. I think I would just say that despite the school's refusal to have your DD seen by an EP, your GP has been so concerned at the failure to do this that you have managed to make a referral yourself.

teabag29 wrote: »

How far behind does a child have to be to be considered for a special needs school? My daughter is 5.5 years behind on her reading and 4.5 years behind on her maths. Would they even consider putting her in a special needs school? I really would like to explore this option as i think it would also do wonders for her behaviour and emotional state as she gets picked on alot by other children. How do I even go about it? Do I wait for the caff meeting and say i want you to consider statementing my dd because she is so far behind and has complex issues and go from there?

TBH, the fact that she is behind probably isn't enough to get a child into special school. Inclusion is all the rage now, and while I can see the benefits, it just doesn't work for all children.

It is the complex behavioural needs AND THE SCHOOL'S FAILURE TO MEET THEM which make me think you need to get her out of there.

merlin68

There was a report in the paper, that the government are trying to reduce children with special needs, as obviously they cost them more money. It took me 7 years to get my Dd in a special school and she had a statement. whilst the school are coping with her you have no chance. It's normally children who the schools can't cope with that end up in special need schools.

teabag29

Well ive got 1 bit of positive news. I rang the council who I put in an application for help with getting dd to school to see if they have made a decision and the man was very understanding. He said he was dealing with the case now and although my dd doesn't fit the criteria for help as school is under a mile away and she isn't statemented, they have looked at the problems I'm facing with dd and see thats its not a cut and dry case and they want to be able to help. He is awaiting a reply from the education welfare officer to see if they can give me assistence and if not what they are able to do so he has told me to sit tight and hopefully they'll be able to help in some way. I really hope they can as this is my biggest worry at the minute. As long as I know she can get to and from school safely without worrying she is going to be ran over this will take a huge amount of stress away. Fingers crossed