MAY 07
I’ve not been very good at keeping this blog up to date. Emotions tend to get in the way and if you’re feeling down or frustrated the last thing you want to do is write a blog!! Also I’m not very good at creating the pages etc so it looks boring and I don’t know how to make it look like the others!
Well, we’re still on our journey to find appropriate educati0n for Sunbeam! We now have a date for the tribunal, 28th June. I put off preparing the paperwork as I found it all rather overwhelming. I managed it though, but now I have found out that we are unlikely to win our appeal just on section 4.
I’m rather hoping we don’t get to tribunal to be honest. The provision the LEA is proposing is very good and our preferred choice BUT we have to continue to tribunal as funding has not been agreed. Sunbeam has also been offered a place at the Asperger specific school so at least we have that to fall back on (if the LEA agree to fudning). What makes me mad is that in their paperwork the provision at the new unit is what they are presenting to the tribunal but if funding is not available then the tribunal will be making a decision based on fabrication! Aaaargh! I met with a representative from Disability Wessex last week and he is looking into our case. We haven’t actually got any representation for the tribunal mainly because all the agencies are just too busy with their present cases and are unable to take any new ones on. I just hope there is some good news after the half term holiday.
We are off to Normandy on Saturday to see the war museums! Sunbeam is VERY into WW2 and is looking forward to it (as am I but not to the same degree!) I have prepared my iPod and have a few books to take! I just hope the weather holds. In the meantime we have found someone who might be willing to take Sunbeam on to “play” with steam engines. We are going to meet him tomorrow and there is enormous potential for the future. I can’t believe that something might have gone right for a change!
I’ve also been sending e-mails to all and sundry ie David Cameron and Gordon Brown following Radio 4′ programme PM on which they covered Lord Adonis’ speach covering special needs. Needless to say he didn’t know what he was talking about and the blog on the BBC site was incredible so I sent a link to DC and GB! DC did have the grace to acknowledge my e-mail and also acknowledged that the statementing and special needs system needs reforming! I suppose I could be cynical and say it was the usual glib fob off but maybe he does understand as he has his own child with special needs. The e-mail said that he’d had to fight to get his son into a local SN school and had also had to fight to keep it open.
At least Sunbeam doesn’t seem to be as depressed as he was and I think much of it has to do with him taking up horse riding. He’s had a few massages too which also seem to relax him. I hit a brick wall myself a few weeks ago and the only way I can describe it was that my brain/mind felt parallised. My Gp felt my medication had run it’s course and prescribed me something else which seems to be working. I don’t feel quite so despondant so they must be working. I hate having to take medication and admitting that I can’t cope but I had no choice in the end. I was about to have a breakdown which wouldn’t do anyone any good.
On that cheerful note I’ll end May’s blog unless anything happens before the end of the month. Not sure if anyone reads this rubbish but it’s useful for me to have a rant!