For Samantha Hall, the statementing process has been a nightmare. Hereldest son, Acis, was hyperactive and unable to speak until he was four,while her younger son, Harry, was obsessive and uncommunicative. And yether local education authority refused to provide a statement of specialeducational needs.
"From the beginning, it was obvious that Acis had a problem," says Hall."He didn't sleep and wouldn't join in games. At his nursery, when allthe other children were taking part in circle time, he'd be dancing onthe table."
However, when she approached the local education authority at TorfaenCounty Borough Council to ask for a statement, things got worse, withthe educational psychologist claiming there was no serious problem. "Wewere told that we were making things up and that there wasn't really aproblem," she recalls. "I was made to feel I was a bad mother."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
