Re: OT: Henry's Tribunal day #2

[Guest guest]

Marg what a star you are and lucky with yrou tribunal members. Can you mak eit to Growing Minds course next week - would be great for info etc in setting u[p your programme. I spoke to Eileen earliere and then still have a few places

Mandi x

[Guest guest]

Dear Margaret

This sounds like great news for you and I am really relieved things have turned around to the way you want them to be, thats ace!!

I do so hope no new dirty tricks get thrown up for you but it seems for the time being its all sounding good.

Wishing you lots of luck with all the hard work ahead.

Caroline

xxx

[Guest guest]

Hi Margaret, delighted it's going well for you, fingers crossed the LEA co-operate.

Have a couple of questions though, firstly can a tribunal order a child goes to residential and parents have to send them?

Secondly what was the problem with the independent ? Did they give a reason why it wasn't suitable.

Oh and another question how long have you been doing ABA?

Vicky

xx

[Guest guest]

YEAH

Margaret, I’m SOOO pleased for you!! hope we get the autism geezer! SARA

x

OT: Henry's Tribunal day #2

(Vicky, I replied

to your post but it got swallowed up - my computer

has been sick for a week.)

On Friday, we went into day 2, the LEA were saying their school was

suitable and we were arguing for an independent one.

By mid-afternoon the Tribunal was minded that neither school could

meet H's needs. They were considering naming a type of school which

would of necessity be residential. H is 6 years old.

The faces of the LEA reps were a picture to behold, as this would

cost well over £100K per

annum.

H's Dad and I don't want H. in boarding school.

We were ordered to go outside and talk. I then suggested to the LEA

he

goes part-time to their school and has an ABA

programme.

This was gratefully accepted as it's so much CHEAPER than what the

Tribunal

would otherwise order!

The Tribunal was pleased with my suggestion, especially the autism

member

who had asked very relevant and probing questions

throughout the hearing and said that carrying the programme into

school would provide training to the school staff.

So now I have tons and tons of work to do in sorting this all out.

The LEA ought to co-operate because if we fail to

reach a satisfactory conclusion, we go back to Tribunal for day #3

in November - and a residential school will then almost certainly be

ordered. Our barrister says if the LEA don't co-operate we can get

them

for abuse of process and get costs.

Now I'm just praying the LEA doesn't try any more tricks : it's hard

not to feel vulnerable to manipulation.

Margaret

PS before day#1 of the hearing in July the LEA had forced us to

abandon the option we proposed of H. attending the LEA school and

having an ABA programme. What a reversal!

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[Guest guest]

Mandi, I'm completely broke - still have to find the money for the Ed

Psych..

Would love to come, though.

Margaret

>

> Marg what a star you are and lucky with yrou tribunal members. Can

you mak

> eit to Growing Minds course next week - would be great for info etc

in setting

> u[p your programme. I spoke to Eileen earliere and then still have a

few

> places

>

> Mandi x

>

[Guest guest]

>

> YEAH Margaret, I'm SOOO pleased for you!! hope we get the autism

geezer!

> SARA x

Yes, I hope you do too!

Margaret

[Guest guest]

We have never done ABA - it will be to start up from scratch.

As for the residential against the parents' wishes : I don't know.

You could always withdraw the appeal before they made any order if

you thought that was coming. The independent school - our best

witness couldn't make it until the afternoon and it was decided not

to hear their evidence. It was also that neither school can provide

everything that's now in the Statement.

Margaret

>

> Hi Margaret, delighted it's going well for you, fingers crossed

the LEA

> co-operate.

> Have a couple of questions though, firstly can a tribunal order a

child goes

> to residential and parents have to send them?

> Secondly what was the problem with the independent ? Did they give

a reason

> why it wasn't suitable.

> Oh and another question how long have you been doing ABA?

> Vicky

> xx

>

[Guest guest]

I am in a situation where my LEA (Camden) are trying to force

residential against my wishes. He is statemented for waking hours

provision and they are desperate to avoid any home provision (the

only other way to provide waking hours provision). Having taken 9

months to extricate him from a highly unsuitable residential

provision he will only go back over my dead body! In other words he

will not! In case conference with Barrister I mentioned the Human

Rights card and she said there was a case recently where SENDIST

ordered residential against the wishes of the parents and the child,

so do not think that is the answer. Subsequently I have heard

advice that the case in question failed because there was no viable

alternative put forward to SENDIST. Also that if there is a

precedent, i.e. a previous successful home provision then the

experts consider that the parent would win. The SENDIST panel will

also be very sympathetic to any parent who has home schooled or run

a home based ABA programme and appreciate the sacrifice that has

been made by the parent for the child and this will be a factor.

I guess the answer is that if the Tribunal order residential, no you

do not have to send them but you will get no funding, so home

schooling would have to be the last resort. Or privately funding the

school place of your choice.

Celia

> >

> > Hi Margaret, delighted it's going well for you, fingers crossed

> the LEA

> > co-operate.

> > Have a couple of questions though, firstly can a tribunal order

a

> child goes

> > to residential and parents have to send them?

> > Secondly what was the problem with the independent ? Did they

give

> a reason

> > why it wasn't suitable.

> > Oh and another question how long have you been doing ABA?

> > Vicky

> > xx

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Congrats on the victory.

I've just beated my local government dept into funding my son's

programme (for another while anyway), so I really know how you feel!

We've had an ABA programme running for about 7 months for my 3yo

son. He's certainly learning loads through this. It's taught him how

to respond to verbal commands, sit at a desk, imitate gestures,

improved his co-ordination and motor skills, etc. It's been really

important for him. Having said that, he would ever have learned so

much without the biomed clearing his " brain fog " .

Just remember it's not the only thing that produces results. Our ABA

programme tends to be very regimented and strict. So, we need to

spend lots of time playing as well to help with the social aspects

of learning.

Liam

> >

> > Hi Margaret, delighted it's going well for you, fingers crossed

> the LEA

> > co-operate.

> > Have a couple of questions though, firstly can a tribunal order

a

> child goes

> > to residential and parents have to send them?

> > Secondly what was the problem with the independent ? Did they

give

> a reason

> > why it wasn't suitable.

> > Oh and another question how long have you been doing ABA?

> > Vicky

> > xx

> >

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 20/09/2006 19:13:04 GMT Standard Time, m.collins9@... writes:

PS before day#1 of the hearing in July the LEA had forced us to abandon the option we proposed of H. attending the LEA school and having an ABA programme. What a reversal!

What great news, Margaret. I do hope they go along with the ABA programme and school. What an interesting development. Good luck sorting it out, it's hard work!!

Take care,

Darla

[Guest guest]

Well done Margaret........you are SuperMum.

Zoe

>

> (Vicky, I replied to your post but it got swallowed up - my

computer

> has been sick for a week.)

>

> On Friday, we went into day 2, the LEA were saying their school

was

> suitable and we were arguing for an independent one.

> By mid-afternoon the Tribunal was minded that neither school could

> meet H's needs. They were considering naming a type of school

which

> would of necessity be residential. H is 6 years old.

>

> The faces of the LEA reps were a picture to behold, as this would

> cost well over £100K per

> annum.

>

> H's Dad and I don't want H. in boarding school.

>

> We were ordered to go outside and talk. I then suggested to the

LEA

> he

> goes part-time to their school and has an ABA

> programme.

>

> This was gratefully accepted as it's so much CHEAPER than what the

> Tribunal

> would otherwise order!

>

> The Tribunal was pleased with my suggestion, especially the autism

> member

> who had asked very relevant and probing questions

> throughout the hearing and said that carrying the programme into

> school would provide training to the school staff.

>

> So now I have tons and tons of work to do in sorting this all out.

> The LEA ought to co-operate because if we fail to

> reach a satisfactory conclusion, we go back to Tribunal for day #3

> in November - and a residential school will then almost certainly

be

> ordered. Our barrister says if the LEA don't co-operate we can get

> them

> for abuse of process and get costs.

>

> Now I'm just praying the LEA doesn't try any more tricks : it's

hard

> not to feel vulnerable to manipulation.

>

> Margaret

>

> PS before day#1 of the hearing in July the LEA had forced us to

> abandon the option we proposed of H. attending the LEA school and

> having an ABA programme. What a reversal!

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sara

Unfortunately it has just got worse!

I received a letter today from my local Councillor, whom I had asked

to look at moving things along in the face of the LEA refusing to

meet with me and my solicitor, with a copy of a letter to him from

the Assistant Director, Access and Inclusion, in response to his

enquiry about the situation. The letter is total nonsense and lies

from start to finish. The bit that really gets me is the final para

that states that " Children, Schools and Families Department staff

are in the process of providing (my son) with an independent

advocate " ! that has put the shits up me. How dare they!

The implication is that (and is definitley implied throughout the

letter) that I am the problem and that they are going to seek means

to usurp my parental rights and shove me out of the way.

Unbelievable the lengths these people will stoop to.

Will let you know how it goes.

Celia.

Sorry, bit freaked out!

I

>

>

>

>

>

> I am so shocked, Celia. This in one of the worst things I have

heard. Sorry

> I have nothing practical to say but I really wanted to share the

fact that I

> am appalled and really feel for you.

>

> Sara

>

>

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[Guest guest]

>Well done Margaret, Sense prevailed at the tribunal and you have won

a combined programme which gives H. the best of both - ABA programme

and LEA resources at school. Well done!!!!!!!!

Bridget.

>

> In a message dated 20/09/2006 19:13:04 GMT Standard Time,

> m.collins9@... writes:

>

> PS before day#1 of the hearing in July the LEA had forced us to

> abandon the option we proposed of H. attending the LEA school and

> having an ABA programme. What a reversal!

>

>

>