Category: sensory integration

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Dr Yana Wengel is an associate professor at Hainan University. Yana takes a critical approach to tourism studies; her interests include volunteer tourism, tourism in developing economies and nature-based tourism. Her dissertation examined the social construction of host-guest experiences in volunteer farm tourism. Her current projects are focused on nature-based tourism and leisure and travel experiences of patients with an eating disorder. Yana is interested in creative methodologies for data collection and stakeholder engagement. She is a co-founder of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® research community.

Publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8131-4137  

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yanawengel

This is a shout out about Occupational Therapists and other AHP’s.

Those who lead and make things happen from a vision… no money made here and a norm referenced standardised assessment created by therapists – mainly OT’s from across the globe volunteering their time, energy, passion and expertise! Let’s celebrate them at the launch of the EASI Scoring Program!

Zoe, Susanne and Diane are world leading OT’s who have spearheaded this initiative that will ensure people with sensory integration and processing challenges are better understood! A goal realised; now there is a cost effective accessible tool that’s globally available with costs linked to local prices for creating the assessment kit and carefully managed local pricing for unlimited scoring and production of tests sheets via photocopier… affordable accessible assessment for all – anywhere because of a vision to do it differently! .

Join in tonight for a FREE webinar to CELEBRATE and hear the latest updates! Be inspired!

Wednesday, October 26, 2022
10 am Pacific Time (Los Angeles)

Register at https://mailchi.mp/cl-asi/esp-launch

The webinar will be recorded for those who are unable to attend live.

and what to do when they are not!

Reports by therapists outside of the NHS must be recognised by Local Authorities when the additional support needed by a child is required for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The SEN and Disability Code of Practice (2015) is quite clear on this point – there is no basis in law for any Local Authority to reject a professional assessment or diagnostic report simply because it was part of a private assessment.

The SEN and Disability Code of Practice (SEND) is statutory guidance issued by the government – it contains detail on what Local Authorities should consider.

Paragraph 9.14 of the Code states that “the local authority should consider whether there is evidence that despite the early year’s provider, school or post-16 institution having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress”. 

The advice given within the Code covers the relevant education, health, and care needs of the child or young person, as well as the views, wishes, and feelings of the parent. 

The Local Authority (LA) is expected to pay particular attention to:

• Evidence of the child or young person’s academic attainment (or developmental milestones in younger children) and rate of progress;
• Information about the nature, extent, and context of the child or young person’s SEN;
• Evidence of the action already taken by the school or other settings;
• Evidence that where progress has been made, it has only been as the result of much additional intervention and support over and above that which is usually provided;
• Evidence of the child or young person’s physical, emotional and social development and health needs, drawing on relevant evidence from clinicians and other health professionals and what has been done to meet these needs by other agencies.

Refusal by a Local Authority to accept private assessments that follow NICE guidelines would suggest an omission in following clear and explicit requirements re SEND. An assessment towards or as part of diagnosis made under these terms should be regarded as credible evidence for a Tribunal – refusal to issue an EHC Plan, would be an appealable decision. This means if you appeal a Local Authority’s decision, a Tribunal would be under a lawful duty to consider all the documents placed before them, private or otherwise.

In relation to the NHS, a privately obtained report is as crucial as an NHS one. If you are advised that a private diagnosis report will be ignored, this is incorrect advice. NHS England state, “You’re still entitled to free NHS care if you choose to pay for additional private care.”

In summary, an assessment report written by a registered, specially trained, and experienced professional is as reliable, lawfully credible, and clinically crucial as an NHS report.

Read here about actions you can take should a local authority try to reject a report.