PA4 Received - Blown Away!

Hello Sheila (and Anji, too),

Everything you have said sounds so, so familiar, in particular with regard to the education system. Without going into too many details because I find it all too emotional, my son's problems began, I believe, as soon as I became pregnant and was sent to the hospital for an early scan. My GP took my worries seriously, but the consultant did not. (He was later struck off the medical register, as there were many other women whose problems he ignored, but that's another story.) Fast forward six months and my son was born 12 weeks early with various complications of prematurity and developed sepsis just a few days after his birth. His subsequent failure to meet so-called "milestones" was attributed to poor parenting, but it was when he started school that our problems really began in earnest!

I just wish those in authority could see how hard our children have had to struggle to overcome their difficulties and attempt to lead the sort of lives other people take for granted. I don't want to take up too much of everyone's time - I could go on and on here - but don't even mention the words "benefit fraudster"! That's what benefits are for - to support those who need help - and are one of the reasons we all (people who receive benefits included) pay our taxes!

I don't want this to turn into a rant, but I am hopping mad on your behalf and will continue to follow your progress (and that of others in a similar position) and hope for a happy outcome.

With my very best wishes,

Wendy

I'm feeling incredibly anxious as d's review is currently with IAS and has been five weeks now but I've heard nothing. D got her autism diagnosis at just two largely because her elder brother had a diagnosis and I managed to get a referral to the same paed.
Had repeated fights through SENDIST to get her placed in independent specialist school and now at 21 she has an EOTAS programme funded through her EHCP.
We have no real medical evidence, diagnosed at two, discharged by CAMHS at 18. D cannot manage the Doctor's waiting room and largely because she has very limited contact with others never picks up anything to need to see one. The antidepressants that were prescribed by CAMHS are reviewed yearly on the phone by me as she can't go to the GP and isn't able to speak on the phone.
She has fortnightly speech therapy and weekly OT but that is through the EHCP and independent providers because the therapy she needs isn't provided by the NHS. She also has a support worker weekly through the local autism services provider.
I've sent in the evidence I have, EOTAS is little understood by education I doubt very much that whoever IAS use will understand that d gets health and social care provision supplied and paid for by education.

Afternoon Donna,
I'm no expert but I think that you have all of the evidence in place re Speech and Occupational Therapy - As long as the providers are competent, ie: registered/qualified then the evidence supplied by them is as good as that supplied by the NHS.

Best of luck, only tips I can give are:
Get it recorded plus record it yourself - In our case the recording they supplied finished 2 minutes before mine.
And despite you having previously given them all of the details in the PIP Form, repeat it all over again - that way they cannot possibly get away with saying 'no evidence of xxxxxxx' (as in our case - and yes, I'm kicking myself now!)

Again, good luck and do post any updates

Hello Sheila and Donna,

Just a few thoughts having read your most recent posts.

Sheila - Don't beat yourself up about it - even when you think the assessment went well, the assessors can still bamboozle you and they don't have to justify their opinions, whereas everything you say is scrutinised for errors and inconsistencies.

I think recording the assessment yourself is a good idea, even though I still haven't been able to listen to the recording we made of my son's assessment beyond the first five minutes - too excruciatingly embarrassing!

Still hoping a decision maker will look at ALL your available evidence - and there must be a lot, accumulated over the years - and make the right decision.

Donna - We have no recent medical evidence regarding my son's condition since the various letters, etc. at the time of his diagnosis aged five, and he has had very little input from any agencies since he left school, apart from counselling provided by NAS Cymru a few years ago. IAS did tell us they would be requesting information from his doctor, but I haven't been able to find out whether they did, in fact, do so. I was hoping it might be in the bundle of papers I would have received if we had proceeded to tribunal, but I'm afraid my need to find out was over-ruled by my desire to have the matter settled (at least, until the next review!).

Best wishes to you both,

Wendy