Confused about statement process

[adrianna22]

The LA are requesting more info about my DS, but I already did this when I first requested a statement.

Also I ticked "... I do not agree " for DS to be assessed. As he has already been assessed by a number of professionals. Or should I tick " I do agree ".

[pannetone]

You should be ticking 'I do agree'. Even if your DS has already been assessed by a number of professionals you are agreeing to him being assessed for statutory assessment which is the process towards (hopefully) getting a statement.

Are you at the stage of requesting the LA to make a statutory assessment?

[lougle]

If you tick that you do not agree for him to assess then they can't assess him.

It's there a particular reason why you don't want him assessed?

What did the letter say about the process? Have they decided to go ahead and carry out a Statutory Assessment? (I'm guessing so).

[adrianna22]

Thanks

I'll tick 'I do agree'.

Yes, stupidly I am still at that stage. Just need to hand in some more info before 28 days.

[adrianna22]

They just said that they want more information. Even though I already gave them heaps of information about DS! I've sent them everything that I've got.

[adrianna22]

Lougle I assumed that because DS has already been assessed, he wouldn't need it.

[lougle]

Not to patronise you in any way, but you seem confused (or I am) about where you are in the process. The process is really very strictly time lined.

So you sent the initial letter when?

They acknowledged your request and said 'tell us something about your DS?

Now they've written to you and asked for more info. Does the letter say we have decided to undertake a Statutory Assessment ?

[adrianna22]

Hi Lougle

I do get confused quite a lot. I think I may have a some sort of learning disability as I have been struggling with 'what or who the question is asking for' for a long period of time.

I sent the letter a month ago, roughly, along with lots of paper work. It was just a couple of days ago that I got my first letter.

Though to be fair, the post round my area is quite bad, there have been lots of complaints about it. Plus the address sent out to me had a slight error in the flat number and postcode. So maybe that's why it took a while for them to get back with me.

All they have written is that they are still deciding if he should be assessed or not and that I need to provide more evidence of his needs.

[lougle]

OK. I get it.

So you sent the initial request and they only have 6 weeks from when it reaches them to decide if they will assess.

It sounds like something had delayed the initial response to your request. They want you to send them any information which might help them decide if your DS needs a Statutory Assessment.

So, although you don't have to send anything, it's your chance to convince them. I would do this:

-Make photocopies of any letters you received from a professional about your DS (not appointment letters, just the clinic letters that you got after an appointment)
-copies of any IEPs or any written statements of your DS'S needs.
-copies of his diagnosis letter
-copies of SALT/Ed Psych/OT letters.

Send it all with a covering letter which summarises his needs: dx of ASD. Language approximately of a 15 month old. Very slow progress. Unlikely to catch up with his peers in the short/medium term, etc.

One thing you need to realise is that bad=good in statutory assessment land. You need to be as bleak as you can bear to be.

So, if your DS had one word last week and gained another today, in RL you'd say 'wow, DS has doubled his number of words this week.' In SA land you say 'although DS has gained one new word, same age peers have developed thousands of words and can converse with children and adults freely.'

[adrianna22]

Thanks for replying Lougle

The thing is, I have already sent them all that info...I photocopied almost everything about DS; I did my own report about his needs. Ive sent them everything that I got. So I don't know why they want more???

[lougle]

It might be a standard letter. Could you ring them and ask if they received it all?

[bjkmummy]

it will be a standard letter - same thing happened with me - when I got this letter I filled in the form saying I agreed to her being assessed and asked them to consider all of the paperwork which had been previously submitted in the original request. this letter just gives you another chance to send more things in if you have them - if you have already sent everything in that's fine - just fill the form in and send it back