I'm new and need help!

Hi

I've just joined this site. I have two children with ASDs, one aged 13 was diagnosed autistic with a severe speech and language disorder at age 4.

My other son aged 11 has traits of Aspergers, OCD and possibly problems which stemmed from Dyslexia. He also has a severe pragmatic and social communications disorder.

My 11 year old had a lot of problems at secondary school where he was constantly punished by teachers for things he couldn't achieve or he'd mentally freeze due to the atmosphere at school - or just because sometimes he needed time out. I insisted to the school that they were harming him by their punitive approach and did not understand him and the senior staff at school would not listen to me or believe me, due to their lack of understanding of ASDs. Even with an incredible amount of evidence they were harming him, even with the EP backing me and a GPs letter to the Head, this didn't help. In the end he started self harming and having suicidal thoughts. I learnt about HE in January and whisked him out of school asap on 28th January and he is now very happy being educated at home.

My other older son with Autism is still at the school, however he's getting on ok there at the moment and he would be lost without the strict structure of the lessons at school - which I would find hard to achieve at home - particularly as my other son needs a lot of 'time out' and is far better with autonomous teaching. However, I am still concerned that children with such ASDs are going to schools which do not have teachers who know anything much about ASDs. It is very worrying. I am keeping a really close eye on my son who is still there.

Anyhow, I have been advised by the LEA that they are not going to lapse my 11 year old's statement, and they want proof that I can fulfill the items in the statement, and if I don't meet with them they said it will be recorded (detrimentally) on his statement! Has anyone been in this situation, and if so can you give me any tips? It does state 'Access to the National Curriculum suitably differentiated to meet his SENs' on his statement, however I'm not following the National Curriculum - as things like French and German are double Dutch to him... whilst having such a problem with English to start... and he's far better off learning something like practical like cooking than 'Movement' (dance) which he hated.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

A.

Hi
I'm HEing a 9 year old with Aspergers, dyslexia and OCD.
How will the LEA know you are not delivering French or German? I don't have any evidence of what we have learnt as we write on a little blackboard and rub it out after. The only evidence I offered is my diary which lists what we do (but it doesn't need to be entirely truthful does it?). Get some posters with French words on and get a language learning course out of the library to show to the LEA when they visit. Then get on with what you know is appropriate for your little fella.
Clare

Statements only apply to children within the school system. It all sounds to me like bully boy tactics. An LA has no right to demand proof upfront that a HE parent can fulfill the items of any statement.