Appeal Help Required

Morning Glory · Post by **Morning Glory** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:24 pm

Etienne

Thank you for your response and your comments. Will take them all on board.

Must admit thought you were extremely dedicated to be posting in the early hours - I was up due to having a cough which has been waking me and then not being able to get back to sleep.

Post by **Etienne** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:27 pm

Thanks! Just catching up, having been away yesterday. S-A kindly held the fort during the day - I did the night shift!

Morning Glory · Post by **Morning Glory** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:25 pm

Having read some other threads with similar problems and adjustments. I have some questions with regard to adjustments.

1. In June we applied for an enlarged answer sheet & a break. This was before my sons diagnosis of AS or dyslexia. The reason we applied for these were as his CATs results were so different when he had had an adjustment we new there was some problem with the way he was being asked to answer the questions. I don't think at the time we fully understood that it was a transposing problem.

2. The day the panel sat for the adjustments DS was diagnosed with AS and a copy of his diagnosis was faxed over to the panel.

3. WE were granted the enlarged answer sheet and break, with a letter stating he was considered disabled under the DDA.

4. He had an EP assessment in Aug. So in September we applied for the extra adjustment of extra time on the recommendation of the EP. EP assessment shows a dyslexic profile but his problem could also be down to his AS which is covered by DDA.

5. Extra time was refused no reasons were given.

Questions are

Now we know that the problem is transposing the answer to the answer sheet and this slows him down by approx. 40% (we do have evidence to prove this). Do you think we have an argument on the grounds of not being given adequate adjustments?

Will they say that we didn't ask for him to not transpose the answers?

Although my argument to that would be that on the list of adjustments available (I have a copy of the list) there is nothing else that would have really helped him other than what we applied for.

Could their argument be that this would not have affected access to the test only the performance in them??

They could also argue that we should have asked for an amanuensis but he doesn't have one at school so I think we wouldn't have been able to justify that one. He still would have had to have gone from question sheet to the answer sheet to see what his answer options were anyway.

Does this all makes sense - my brain hurts!!!!

jingle · Post by **jingle** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:15 pm

Morning Glory posted this thread (as titled) for help with an appeal for her child. Why, ealingmum would you hi jack it to post your own, unhelpful opinion?
This is a really difficult, stressful time (from one who has been there) I think if you are unable to offer help or support to anyone who is going through this traumatic process, then you should keep away from the appeals section!
Lets hope you never find yourself in this position.
Good luck MG, not much practical help to offer but wish you all the best. Plenty of others on here with fantastic advice to help x

jingle · Post by **jingle** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:18 pm

I see the above post I referred to has now been deleted. Good!
Sorry to interfere mods, couldn't help myself! Please feel free to delete these so MG can continue her thread uninterrupted x

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:22 pm

Please don't apologise jingle - your point is well made. This is the one section of the Forum where "energetic debate" is definitely NOT encouraged, particularly on threads about individual appeal cases.

Post by **Etienne** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:23 pm

Thank you, jingle, you have nothing to apologise for. The post was inappropriate and unacceptable in a thread that is trying to offer support.

Morning Glory · Post by **Morning Glory** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:28 pm

I didn't see the message that has now been removed but I would just like to say this is a stressful time but one that I have been prepared for for sometime.

We have had a stressful year what with getting DS diagnosed, an EP assessment, OT assessment and having to fight for every single bit of help you need from school. The SEN system is extremely frustrating and you have to prove everything with evidence over and over again.

Sometimes I just get a bit fed up of having to prove everything over and over again, we would never want our DS to go to GS if we did not think he was capable.

Maybe some people should think before they post.

Post by **Etienne** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:51 pm

Now we know that the problem is transposing the answer to the answer sheet and this slows him down by approx. 40% (we do have evidence to prove this). Do you think we have an argument on the grounds of not being given adequate adjustments?

Dear MG

I think you have a case.

But, looking at your subsequent questions, I think you're worrying too much. The 'opposition', in the person of the LA representative, probably won't get involved in this. He or she is likely to say "That was the decision of the panel. I wasn't there, so I have no more information about their reasoning than you do."

As for the appeal panel, they are not going to 'challenge' you. They will just want to understand what happened, to consider the disability issues, and to work out to what extent your son was disadvantaged.

I don't believe there'll be any sort of argument. You just give your point of view, referring to any evidence as appropriate. Any questions put to you will be to try and establish the facts.

Morning Glory · Post by **Morning Glory** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 11:08 pm

Etienne

Thanks for this.

Just trying to get everything in my head clear.