I have watched the programme with great interest (Although I missed the first part) as my son Luke is DUE to transfer to secondary school this September (next week infact) but instead I am forced to home educate him myself. We are having to take our LEA to SENDIST (Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal) for the SECOND time this year! First they refused to assess my sons needs and after the tribunal ordered them to (as there is more than enough proof his Autistic Specytum Disorder, his Dyspraxia and his extreme anxiety (which he has been on Risperidal for a year for) warranted statutory assessment. While this was going on we had been through the process of visiting secondary schools and there was infact only ONE that we felt at all able to meet his special needs (the senco had a son with same conditions as my son and under same specialist) We named 2 schools on our preference form (you can state up to 6) we were not offered EITHER and were offered the nearest school which had NEVER been an optionfor Luke as it is ALL BOYS and Luke having severe social skills issues (he cannot understand social situations etc) he NEEDS to mix with girls as well as boys. We had visited this school and were very concerned about the general attitude to special needs. Our school SENCO and the LEAs OWN Autism outreach team wrote to back us on this being an inappropriate school offer, but LEA insist they met their "statutory duty in offering the nearest school with space and would not help further other than giving names of the other schools we had already rules out.
Then after the statutory assessment they REFUSED a statement after MISSING OUT major points from the reports, so we are now faced with waiting to see whether they will reconsider the statement and help find an appropriate school for Luke before the tribunal this October. I begin home educating next week when my other 2 sons are back at school and nursery (afternoons only)
I have a 16 year old Niece who has severe dyspraxia but shes been going to a special needs school since she started school thankfully because she could never have coped with main stream school. I know how hard my Sister found having a child with special needs but she did get a break while she was at school, so I wish you well and hope things are soon resolved
The LEA have now agreed to issue a proposed statement (though are of course dragging their heels with that too) We do not doubt we will be having to go to tribunal again for what they are bound to have left out of it and we relise this is on their part a delaying tactic as they know it means we now cannot take the matter to the tribunal we were going to soon and will have to wait and appeal as a seperate issue. But we are preparing to make an official complaint regarding the way we and our sone have been treated and the many rules they have blatantly broken. I am currently still home educating him and the difference in him is amazing right now!
