Another battle with school. Gloves on.

After asking at school on Tuesday, it became clear that CY doesn't have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) when he should have one. They've hastily put together 'Pastoral Support Programme' and it says Special Needs: NO and Medical Factors: NO
OMG I am mad as hell.
Shelley Bunting at CAMHS told me clearly (and I asked her to repeat it to make sure!) that as far as CAMHS are concerned, Joe has Social Communication Disorder and it's probably Asperger's. I have told his Ed Welfare Officer this and she acts like I have Munchausen's by Proxy, as if I want my child to have Asperger's! No-one wants their child to have it, but the fact is, he does and we welcome it now because it explains so much about him. This afternoon I will write a massive list of why kids with SCD /AS find it so hard to go to school, and I will give it to the people who deal with Joe. Even when they gave me a form for referral to the Ed Psych it said 'school attendance' was the problem. No, my son has Asperger's and because of this he finds school hard. Having Asperger's is a problem.

I bet every parent in the UK has this same problem and we all have to fight it individually because people in schools aren't listening!

Reading age and more updates

CY did a reading test today at school and despite school refusing for at least half the time over the past two years, he's got a reading age of 16 years and six months...all more indicators towards why he's been school refusing and more evidence to spur the school into demonstrating how they can cater for his gifted and talented needs. CY has been attending willingly for a short amount of time twice a week and decides himself what he will learn. I'm absolutely convinced that this slow process is the only way we'll get him back into anything like a regular timetable. He needs to SEE and experience how school benefits him, no amount of telling him will do it as he cannot visualise or imagine anything other than his immediate needs and experience. Today he was there for 2 and a quarter hours, happily did the test and agreed to another one on Thursday. Being lovely at home though still prone to tears and hypersensitivity over daft things so needs supervision. Still needs quite rigid, time consuming bedtime routine but it works and he sleeps so worth it. He sleeps soundly now we allow the dogs to sleep in his room and it's having a positive impact on his mood and co-operation during the day. Went into town with his friend on Saturday, only the second time he's been out and about without adults - came back on the bus together, all new life skills and confidence building, all good:-)
Still not heard re: DISCO and neuro cog test. Must phone CAMHS. Have meeting Thursday 12th March with EWO et al to review progress at school and plan ahead. CY's mentor at achool has asked me to sign forms to allow him to work with the ed.psych but will need consultation with IM at CAMHS before I agree- don't want too many cooks spoiling the broth. To me, helping him cope with the Asperger's (or whatever it turns out to be) via CAMHS will get him into school of his own accord. One of the end results will hopefully be better and more productive school attendance but it's not the first and only goal - the EWO obviously has a different viewpoint to us here. Mrs O, the teacher in charge of the unit at school, is becoming our newest saviour - fantastic welcoming and calm attitude and flexibility just as R needs right now.
Chops Elder has to make options choices soon but seems well sorted in what he wants to do. Parents' Evening next week.