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resources.

Navigating a sea of resources can be exhausting, we hope to give you a few of the key things that have helped families.... the links below are all recommendations directly from carers and professionals who support children, young people & adults with prenatal alcohol exposure...... this page is very full so is best viewed on a computer!

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'ASK THE EXPERT' event notes & linked resources:

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PREPARING FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT: 

  • ​Retrieving Birth Files: Please find a useful template for the request HERE

  • Summary example of gathering of evidence for diagnosis: Please find an example provided by a parent  HERE                                     (Please note this has been redacted to anonymised and is as way of an example only).

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HEALTH: â€‹â€‹

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SLEEP & SEPARATION ANXIETY: 

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SENSORY NEEDS: ​

PHYSIO: 

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SPEECH & LANGUAGE: 

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SUPPORTING OLDER CHILDREN & ADULTS: 

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SUPPORTING BABIES: 

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TOLIETING: 

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RESPITE & SUPPORT: 

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TEACHING & LEARNING: (Exclusion rights & EHCP section further below) .....

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EXAMS

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TRANSPORT

Under section 508B and Schedule 35B of the Education Act 1996 local authorities are under a duty to provide free school transport to "eligible children"

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EXCLUSION

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PUPIL PREMIUM PLUS (UK)

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EHCP: Education Health & Care Plans (UK)

  • NEW: OMBUDMAN REPORT on Personal Budgets (UK); a must read for anyone with or applying for an EHCP

  • 'EHCP Getting Started!' this is a really useful guide to help you prepare everything you need to consider (Special Needs Jungle)​

  • Once you or the school has applied for an EHCP an Educational Psychologist will arrange with School to observe your child in class and ideally in the playground at School. Ask the School SENCo for the date of when this will happen (as they will often not tell parents) & for the contact name & email address of the Educational Psychologist visiting your child where you can introduce yourself & send them all the Teaching and Language guides specific to FASD (details below) asking for a 'parent feedback' session where you can then chat to them about the things you see, how your child might 'mask or mimic' in school or where your child might come out of School with their lid ready to blow etc. It is very important to have this time with them and is not a standard request the school will be used to but it is your right to do so and vital because often a  child with FASD or developmental trauma will mask when observed as part of a masking 'trauma response' to protect themselves. The Teaching and Language FASD framework guides  above should be sent or given to the Educational Psychologist visiting your child as part of the EHCP process, do not assume they have FASD knowledge; this might include: 

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Checking the draft? Where to start, what does a good EHCP look like?  

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Other helpful information provided by our members on EHCP's: 

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Useful EHCP Facebook support groups:

  • EHCP Experiences & SEND support, Dorset LA EHCP, SEND & EOTAS Support group, Somerset EHCP Support, EHCP Experiences Devon, EHCP Experiences Hampshire, Bristol & surrounding areas EHCP support

We have added this FASD 'scaffolding in education support' link again here as we don't want you to miss it! ......it is a very powerful document written by Maria Catterick of our FASD Alliance that should be included in any EHCP application as well as any review.

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EHCP ANNUAL REVIEW:

Include details from the FASD Framework in your review discussion and document (find below link where you will find strategies appropriate for EHCP half way through the document below): 

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EARLY ANNUAL REVIEW 

Has your childs education, health or social care needs changed and are no longer accurately described in the EHC plan; or
that the education, health or social care provision in the EHC plan is no longer meeting the child or young person’s needs?

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SEND LAW:

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HOME EDUCATING: 

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Find here our Facebook FASD Resources pages for ideas and activities to support FASD

Find here our dedicated Facebook FASD Friends Home Educating community set up to specifically support home education

 

FLEXI-LEARNING:

 

EOTAS: â€‹

  • Education Other Than School (EOTAS)

  • Alternative Provision

  • NEW: Useful information re EOTAS case law; good for providing examples of supporting need.                                                                                "Time is of the essence when it comes to the provision of EHCP's to vulnerable children who without the implementation of these provisions, are effectively shut out of education with consequent impacts on their education, development, health and future."
    VERY interesting information on an EHCP & EOTAS case in a judicial review case that could, if needed, be potentially referenced in your local claim or pre-notice letter....
    Have a look at the list of things that have been provided as part of this EOTAS package as is helpful if you are starting out on your journey to support 'Education Other than School' or the EHCP you have is not being supported.
    It also provides good case law examples which would form the conversation starter to why your EHCP is not being upheld.
    An EHCP is a statutory document in law.
    In referring to the local authority the judge said they have an ‘absolute duty to secure special educational provision in EHCPs'.
    Details of the case found HERE
    Listed in this case as a requirement under section F:
    i. 3 hours per week of teaching from a dyslexia specialist tutor.
    ii. 1:1 support at all times.
    iii. 10 hours of direct teaching for core subjects per week by a qualified teacher.
    iv. A laptop or iPad for the Claimant's sole use.
    v. A physiotherapy programme to be monitored indirectly by a physiotherapist and delivered by a learning support assistant ('LSA').
    vi. A programme of occupational therapy to be delivered directly by an occupational therapist ('OT') for 36 hours per year.
    vii. 'at least' 5 hours per week of physical exercise.
    viii. A communication programme designed by speech and language therapist, implemented by teaching staff on a weekly basis.

  • Other Provision: Ombudsman Report citing failings in system; useful if in an appeal situation to demonstrate LA need to support child

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MEDICAL NEED NOT TO ATTEND SCHOOL: 

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VIRTUAL SCHOOL HEAD: On the 1st September 2018, virtual school head teachers became responsible for promoting
the educational achievement of previously looked-after children living within their local area. Statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) requires virtual school heads to provide information and advice to adoptive parents, special guardians and carers and also to
providers of funded early years education and designated teachers. Virtual school heads must also ensure that their local authority fulfils their duty to provide suitable advice and information for the purpose of promoting the educational achievement of previously looked-
after children. If you don't know who your Virtual Head is Google Virtual Head in your area, they should have a website with details of what is happening in your area. 

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DESIGNATED TEACHERS: Every School is required by law to have a Designated Teacher who represents children in care and those who have left it. It is their role to liase with the Virtual School, SENCO and other school staff. Please ask your school who your designated teacher is as they should participate in every meeting you have at School and support your family. They will take part in specialist training that is available through the Virtual School.  For the official guidance on the role read more here.

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EPPLAC meetings & paperwork: 

'Education Plan for Previously Looked After Children' (we are currently challenging the title of the form!), an EPPLAC or EPAC is a document that is used to identify key strengths and areas to support for your child in school.

Education Plans for Previously Looked After Children are a continuation of the good practice seen within the regular (PEP) Personal Education Plan reviews for 'Looked After Children'.

The purposes of these meetings are to:

  • Encourage positive collaboration and communication between home and education provision

  • Raise awareness of the needs and issues faced by children and their parents

  • Review the support, interventions and progress of the child

  • Identify unmet needs of the child

  • Discuss PP+ allocation, in relation to the child’s needs and the benefit of the school’s cohort of Previously Looked After Children.

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So what all this means to us is this document can be a vital tool to support and EHCP and can inform the School about your childs needs through regular meetings which should be held through a SEND review. If your School don't do this with you currently they need to so contact the School SENCO to arrange. 

 

FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT:​

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BENEFITS:

Disability Living Allowance

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Personal Independence Payments​

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Universal Credit (UK)​

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Adoption Allowance (UK)

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Adoption Support Funding (UK)

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TIPS ON HOW TO SUPPORT CHILDREN & TEENS: 

Sensory Activities, Occupational Therapy; a wealth of 'top tips' provide some really simple things that can be used in the Home and School 

Many parents recommend Nate Sheets YouTube videos  where his way of explaining how children and young people respond well to simple instructions works! 

One parent describes the challenges she faces.... "if a child is struggling in school then he/she is likely to blow at home, mine did exactly this.... masked all day and then literally as soon as they came out were bouncing all over the place. We found the OT from the NHS didn't have enough experience so we were funded through Adoption support Funding to see a specialist called a 'Sensory Integration Trauma Occupational Therapist' where we put in lots and I do mean lots... of sensory breaks in School and the School learnt to pace their language where we then started to see noticeable differences. Also we did a lot around keeping our children safe in school as my son is impulsive and very easily influenced by others..... this was written into risk assessments & with the report we received from the OT we applied for an EHCP." 

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RISK ASSESSMENTS: To make sure your School has considered 'risk', ask for their risk assessment of your child or young person. Every child or young person with SEND should have one; the actions from this should inform SEND reviews or/and EHCP reviews..... e.g. a child should be risk assessed if additional staff need to support on a school trip this should be included in the 'risk assessment' and the EHCP as additional funding will be required from school budgets.

Examples of Special Needs case studies can be found here

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EQUALITY

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THE SYSTEM FAILS a very powerful video by Sarah Naish focussing on the role of the social worker; signposting to useful tools to assist professionals in assessment of need

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JUSTICE SYSTEM: 

In order to confirm a child, young person or adult can 'understand or comprehend' what a 'police caution' is they need to be fit to be interviewed.  If there is identified need or hidden disability good practice states that a 'capacity assessment' by an experienced FASD clinician should be carried out, examples of some clinics recommended by parents that carry our these types of services are listed on our services tab above. If you every get into this position where your child/young person/adult needs to be questioned ask for legal advise & for a capacity assessment. A bail request can be made and then a capacity assessment be funded by the Police to support the legal process under the Mental Health Act. 

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Decision-Making & Mental Capacity 

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NEW FASD MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR POLICE: 'I am a vulnerable person' card (free downloadable), FASD & the law

Important leaflet for families & Police Officers

FASD Guidebook for Police Officers; a very useful guide for professional in how to support children, young people and adults

Section 136 Mental Health Act UK; this is where officers might need to take the individual to a place of safety

'Nobody made the connection'; powerful research discussing why early intervention is everything, should be included in every EHCP application!

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EXTENDED LEAVE FROM WORK: 

Taking unpaid leave from work

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CO-MORBID CONDITIONS:

This section is under construction!...

ADHD & FASD: Guidelines for identification and treatment of individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and associated fetal alcohol spectrum disorders based upon expert consensus

ADHD: Understanding and Supporting my Child's ADHD

ADHD Activity Book 

ADHD Teenagers 

TOURETTES: support through specialist Speech & Language Therapy

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Other great reading & sources of support: 

TOP TIPS HANDBOOK

FASD NETWORK RESOURCES

NATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR FASD (NOFAS) RESOURCES

ME & MY FASD

TUNING INTO TEENS

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MINDFULNESS: Remembering how to breathe; a lovely relaxing track and clip to support mindfulness

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SOCIAL WORK & FASD: A very useful overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum tailored to social work Dec 2022 publication

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©FASD Hub South West & FASD Friends Community Interest Company

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EHCP content information
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