adhd/autism

[lindsay22]

my son who is 9 years old has adhd and mild autism, he is in mainstream school and has a statement of special needs. hes gets 20 hours a week one 2 one support.

however the has been excluded well over 50 times (1-5 day exclusions) for various things.

the school have also took away the quiet room where he usually goes to have time out. so he has to go and sit in the heads office which i think is totally unfair.

they also tried to stop him going on his christmas panto last year, unless i took time off work to go with him. i went mad and refused as its discrimination and his statement should cover trips out.

also the local paper ran a story on kids with autism and asked for my comments, the school were furious and wrote me a nasty letter saying i had upset all the staff.

its so hard him being in mainstream and theres no chance of him going to a special school as the education say hes not bad enough. i am absolutly dreading him going back to school.

[GlasweJen]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

 

Ask if your son can go to the library or something, an office is not the sort of environment that will soothe as he'll associate this with all the discipline meeting when he was being excluded.

 

I think you might have a shot by writing to the school district and pointing out that your son is being discriminated against, the DDA covers education and this seems out of order to me, it's a perfectly reasonable adjustment to provide a quiet area (in my view) you could always try sending him to a different local school if there is one?

[maybelline]

The National Autistic Society - Home

 

see here, as they have plenty of advice on all things and a special section on schools in particular, you might be able to get your own advocate and they have a parent to parent helpline, have a good look through their site, they cover, education, health, benefits advice for carers, books, etc etc.

[groovycaz]

Hi Lindsay,

does your sons teacher have any experience in dealing with children with autism/adhd?, when my son started his new school 2 years ago, the school had no experience of any other autistic children although there were other children with behavioural problems, my sons teacher in his own time, educated himself on autism in children, and this helped him understand the problems my child faced every day, he also paired him up with a child (who was very bright) who also helped keep him on track, its double the problems with autism and adhd and i truly feel for you, I was brought up in a family where my mother had adult adhd and was very unpredictable and highly strung, my younger brother also had adhd as a child and went into care at 9 years old as my mother with her own problems could not cope, because he is 10 years younger than me i seemed to spend most of my early 20s visiting him in 1 home or another until he came to live with me at 16, he seemed to grow out of it as he got older and is a lovely guy, despite his early years, so with help and understanding children with adhd can be helped, and yes if it were my child i would be very angry if he spent a lot of time in the hallway, its not your childs fault, i imagine he cant keep still, goes from 1 thing to another and is very demanding which in itself is very stressfull, I truly hope the school are more supportive towards your child, ive decided in my case that my son WILL get his SoN this year as enough is enough and im not going to be nice anymore at the expense of my son, wishing you and your son the very best of luck..Gc

[lindsay22]

i have also decided enough is enough, no more being nice. its my sons future at stack so when he goes back i am preparing myself for the battle.

i would love to change his school, but he gets very upset if i mention it because he gets very attached to people. but maybe thats the only answer...

[Bookworm]

Ok, if you think that his educational needs are not being met, then you need to ask for a review of his Statement.

 

You will have to start putting together a dossier of why his current one is not adequate, why mainstream is not working out for him, etc. Be prepared for the fight, with the near systematic closure of SN state schools, the only ones left near enough are private and cost a bomb, and your LA are not going to be happy about shelling more, so odds are that they'll fight you all the way. Take nothing they say at face value, make sure everything is in writing, and trust your own judgment above all. Your interest is your child's, theirs is their budget.

 

When was the last time he was evaluated? It might be a good idea to get him seen by CAHMS to assess if anything has changed in a significant way.

 

It may well play in your favour that they took away the calm room, use that to argue they can no longer supply the environment he needs for adequate support.

 

As for your child, hmmm, difficult one... I know the fear of any change can be so overwhelming for them it makes you want to maintain the status quo, but on the other hand, I think you know you can't allow things to go on like this for ever... And with puberty just round the corner too... And secondary school...

 

In my case, once I had turned things around in my head and accepted that most of his meltdowns originated from his envronment, I knew beyond a doubt that T. could never function properly in a mainstream environment, so it was easy to make that decision. Speaking for me and him, I know beyond a doubt that it was the best decision I ever made in his life.

[Jangles65]

Taking away his quiet room ! wow, meeting his needs means meeting his sensory needs also and its well known in ASD that the young people need to de stress and a quiet room meet that need. How much training do they have in ASD? are they using picture timetables and systems to help him through the day?

 

If you feel his needs are not being met ask for a reassesment of his needs. See IPSEA Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA) for advice and timescales. If you have a good statement and items in the statement are not being met. ie if you have speech and language or occupational therapy in part 3 you can complaint to the ombudsman.

 

The school attitude is about right for people who don't understand the condition.

Hope this helps

[lindsay22]

not all the teachers who deal with him are trained for dealing with kids with asd/adhd.

i have had some brill advice from this site and i intend to start the term guns blazing. even if it means changing his school. they have tried to bar him from breakfast club, which i kicked up a fuss about. also he put his hand through the school fence where there are houses and the owner of the house slapped his hand, the school did not seem bothered that he had been slapped and just said he should have not of been putting his hands through the fence. he does have the picture charts on the wall with his timetable on etc but only one teacher bothers to use it.

[Jangles65]

It does sound really bad for you. Careful with the change of school because the school he is in will be named in part 4 of the statement. The task will be to show that they are not meeting his needs. When did the assessment for the statement take place? If you ask for a reassessment of his needs the key is to get all who assess him to make sure they identify the needs, so language, social, sensory the whole lot, once in part 2 they must put something in part 3 to meet that need. Also I do think you have grounds for the discrimination. You can read about a case on the IPSEA site that is similar. Whatever school you go for make sure the statement is tight, even if you get the best school in the world the statement is your back up. I feel so sorry for parents having to go through all this crap, its not the childs disability that gives us grief its the system. Be assured though that with Autism the input makes a huge difference to the child and you are doing the right things. (can you tell I have been burnt lol)

[lindsay22]

ok so who do i ask for the statement to be reassed? when i asked my sons school they said it did not need changing?

[Jangles65]

 

Ask your LEA for

re-assessment

 

Back to top

 

This is from the ipsea site

 

When should I ask?

 

• If you believe that your child’s needs have changed since the last Statement was issued; or
  
• If you believe that a different kind of help, or more help, is needed, or
  
• If you believe that your child should attend a different kind of school.

Should I speak to the school and the LEA first?

 

Yes, definitely. Speak to your child’s class teacher and the head teacher about your worries. When you write to the LEA asking for a re-assessment, explain why you think the current Statement is not good enough.

What if the school offers to write on my behalf?

 

The Headteacher is able to write and ask for a 're-assessment', but if you do it yourself you can be sure that the request has definitely been made, and you will know when it has been made. However, if the Headteacher is willing, you could ask him or her to write a letter which supports your parental request for a re-assessment.

Who should I write to?

 

Write to the top person at the LEA, usually called the Chief Education Officer or the Director of Education. You can find out what the top person is called in your LEA by asking at the school or the local library.

When will I hear back?

 

Within six weeks.

Remember: keep a copy of any letter you send and make a note of the deadline for reply on your calendar and ring IPSEA if you don’t get a reply after six weeks or if you want further advice.

Model letter

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

(Child’s name) (date of birth)

Request for re-assessment

I am writing as the parent of the above child to request a “re-assessment” of his special educational needs under the 1996 Education Act. (Child’s name) has a Statement of Special Educational needs and attends .............. school.

I believe that

(child’s name)'s

special educational needs have changed as follows:

I believe that the provision in Part 3 of the Statement is no longer suitable because

 

 

I believe that the school is no longer able to meet his needs because

 

 

I understand that you are required by law to reply to this request within six weeks and that if you refuse I will be able to appeal to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal.

Yours sincerely,

I personally think that things get complicated if you only get advice from the local authority. If you can get assessment from outside the area the professionals assessing don't have an interest in the recourses available, so in my opinion you get a clearer view of the child’s needs. The drawback is cost. (this is just my personal thought). If you phone IPSEA or 'Network 81' they will probably have people in your area that can assist you. I am network 81 trained but can see benefits in both independent groups.

I know people who have gone down the legal route (you have to make sure its a solicitor with Education law experience) And with legal aid have had all their independent assessments done for free. Any way this is much further down the line and you may not need it. Just do one step at a time and don't get angry with the school, they will have a different point of view when you have finished with them lol

[lindsay22]

thanks a lot thats brilliant advice, i will get onto it as soon as he starts back school. i will read his statment again and work out what needs changing.

[maybelline]

Hi lindsay, I recommend you get as much support as possible, IPSEA are fantastic and came to lots of meetings with me. the schools, whether due to ignorance or what, tend to think they know best and will browbeat parents if they can get away with it, best wishes!

[lindsay22]

excellant advice from maybelline again thanx

 

i have read through my sons statement which was done in 2003 when he was in year 1. it was also done before his diagnosis from CAHMS.

 

part 3 the school will ensure

 

continued access to resources normally available to the school at school action and school action plus

implementation of advice from the behaviour support team

implementation of programmes to develop his literacy and numeracy skills

support and individual programmes to address his behavioural difficulties

clear boundries and consistant managment strategies

support and individual programmes to develop his social skills

cirriculam, including national cirriculam, is appropiately modified so that he is able to participate within the school day

parents are invited to regular meetings with school so they are able to contribute to the plans being made for xxxxxxx and are aware of the methods and strategies being used to support xxxxxx in school

 

the local authority will provide

 

access to the support of a special needs assistant for 20 hours per week

 

access to the advice of a teacher from the behaviour support service to address his behavioural difficulties

 

 

part 4

 

nothing has been written?????

 

so all sounds preatty basic not a lot really that would help him.

 

the main reasons he is being excluded so often are down to running out of class and swearing.

 

has anyone got any good pointers as to what to request in the ammended statement i am going to ask for??

i really do not want to mess it up, and his school already think i am a half wit

[groovycaz]

Hi Lindsay,

theres nothing on his statement offering any support from A.S.D, is anyone visiting him from the autistic society? if not there should be, it looks like both you and I are on a mission now, you remind me a lot of myself and i can relate to the problems with your boy running away and swearing, my brother was exactly the same as a child, although we had never heard of ADHD in those days, he was just this very naughty boy at school who would kick out and shout and run away, from what you say your son is in the wrong school (in my opinion), they dont know how to handle him and instead of understanding his condition, they are punishing him and taking away the environment, where he feels safe and comfortable, which is taking away his routine, in those situations, for a child with autism, this will be very upsetting for him, If I find the suitable wording of the letter your looking for i'l post on your thread, the people on here are brilliant giving excellent advice and im sure somone whos been here before us will beat me to it, but i know what i'd like to write. chin up we wont always feel despair..Gc

[Bookworm]

part 3 the school will ensure

 

continued access to resources normally available to the school at school action and school action plus

implementation of advice from the behaviour support team

implementation of programmes to develop his literacy and numeracy skills

support and individual programmes to address his behavioural difficulties

clear boundries and consistant managment strategies

support and individual programmes to develop his social skills

cirriculam, including national cirriculam, is appropiately modified so that he is able to participate within the school day

parents are invited to regular meetings with school so they are able to contribute to the plans being made for xxxxxxx and are aware of the methods and strategies being used to support xxxxxx in school

 

the local authority will provide

 

access to the support of a special needs assistant for 20 hours per week

 

access to the advice of a teacher from the behaviour support service to address his behavioural difficulties

 

Wayyyyyy too vague, and doesn't even start to approach his ASD, instead of which they seem to be tackling him from an EBD approach (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties), which I can guarantee NEVER works on ADS kids.

 

I think the best thing to do is start reading as much as you can on his ASD/ADHD, because it's funny how they will pay much more attention if instead of saying: "I think that my son needs this...", you say "Lorna Wing says that..." "Dr Simon Baron-Cohen recommends..." "Tony Atwood states..." You need to back your instinctual knowledge with confirmation from the experts.

 

Have you read anything on the subject? Do you need guidance on that?

[lindsay22]

i have read some books but dont know what the good ones are??

[maybelline]

Wayyyyyy too vague, and doesn't even start to approach his ASD, instead of which they seem to be tackling him from an EBD approach (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties), which I can guarantee NEVER works on ADS kids.

 

I think the best thing to do is start reading as much as you can on his ASD/ADHD, because it's funny how they will pay much more attention if instead of saying: "I think that my son needs this...", you say "Lorna Wing says that..." "Dr Simon Baron-Cohen recommends..." "Tony Atwood states..." You need to back your instinctual knowledge with confirmation from the experts.

 

Have you read anything on the subject? Do you need guidance on that?

 

lindsay, bookworm is absolutely right, you need to find out as much as you can but most of all trust your own instincts which it sounds like you are doing, so be confident. Have a look at

Autism Research Centre - Current Research

excellent facility where Simon Baron-Cohen is Director. You can send a copy of the statement to IPSEA and they will probably also say, it is far too vague, and is very similar to the one we had, focus on EBD, and using neuro-typical methods which will be totally inappropriate for asd kids.

 

sorry, its a lot to take in so just start by telephoning NAS and they will point you in the right direction, but be frank with them about what you feel you need right now. good luck.

[maybelline]

The National Autistic Society - Advocacy for Education Service

[groovycaz]

Hi Lindsay, ive joined the Autistic Spectrum Disorder/ADHD site, its brilliant, you join just like CAG full of help and advise for parents like us..Gc

[Blossomandebony]

Hi, Lindsay,

 

Sorry to see you're having problems.

 

How many children are in your child's class? I ask this because a mainstream school will expect to have around 30 children in each class, while a shool which specialises in teaching children with autism will average 5 - 8 children. This represents a massive difference.

 

The problems you have seem to be rooted with the LEA not the school. The LEA appear to be acting strangely by not allowing you to take your child out of mainstream education when it is obvious that your child's needs would be far better met in a class of 6 children than 30. The fact that the school has excluded your child so any times indicates that mainstream school is not the best solution in this case. The education of your child and that of the other children in their class is being compromised.

 

In the interests of your child and the other children in the class, whose needs will not be met if there is constant poor behaviour within it, I suggest you forcefully push for a place at an establishment which is more suitable.

 

As for the newspaper reports I think it is deplorable that they have pitted you against the school and I would refuse to put your name to any further reports. Reporters generally want a story that has an element of conflict and will twist your words to create it!

[lindsay22]

hi everyone, i have had a sleepness night trying to get my head sraight over this, i think the first steps are contacting nas etc and getting as much info together for the letter i intand to sent to the education regarding his reasment of his statement. i shall be going the library this week and reading up on as much as possible.

my son also has dyslexia, they have done the test in school and they say the results were high?? but they cannot do nothing else until he is seen by the educational phycoligist?? he does have some books at school which he reads really well, but he is not allowed to bring them home?? he has to bring normal reading books which he cannot read.

i think i also need to mention this for his new statement.

his class size is 32 children including him.

[maybelline]

hello lindsay, write a plan of action and then only do what you can reasonably achieve in any given day so that you do not become overwhelmed, I would ring NAS and have a list of things you would like to ask about in front of you (this is what I have done) for example they will have knowledge of advocacy services in certain areas, try to get an advocate, I had one to help organise and meet up with people, I got to the point where I was so cross I could not talk to the people I needed to, so this helped a great deal.

 

find out if there is a support group near enough to attend, in your neighbourhood, nas will know of this also,

ask about their schools help, advocacy fro education programme, and also to post to you their factsheets on adhd and dyslexia, autism etc, as it will be easier to read and get your head round.

you will be okay lindsay, remeber you are doing what you are entitled to do, so try not to worry PM if you get stuck:)

[Jangles65]

Hello every one, I agree you are getting great advice, I wish I had this site when I was going through it all.

 

I am not sure if your statement is legal with no school named in part 4! you might have a short cut to reassessment there. Ask if it is the copy of the final statement, you might not have signed and agreed to it.

 

Remember as far as the school is concerned you are not asking for things to change in the statement at this point you are asking for re-assessment of his needs.

 

When you finally get a good statement you will be looking to get rid of words like regular and access to, they really mean nothing.

 

Your assessment has to come from the ASD point of view so ask that people who assess him are ASD trained, that means an OT that is sensory trained and a speech therapist who specialised in ASD.

 

I agree that they will be coming from a EBD point of view, its quite sad really. Have you got any specialist schools around you for ASD? Because if they have not got the right people to assess you can ask them to do a private assessment with people who do know.

 

I hope you don't mind me butting in, I just can't keep quiet when I hear people going through this.

 

I have been to tribunal twice now and the road you are taking is not easy, but you don't need to make the mistakes I made and thats why I get involved I guess

[Jangles65]

ha I was writing at the same time as everyone else,

 

The dyslexia needs something specific in part 3 alone, I don't think you will have to do much to get your reassessment, I can't see how they would dare say no.

 

oh boy are they in for a treat in September.