Independent SEN professionals and therapists

PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

I am putting together a list of independent SEN professionals and therapists based on positive recommendations from parents and carers. This is not an advert and I cannot personally recommend any individual or practice. Most professionals listed will have experience of preparing reports for Tribunals and attending as a witness but it is best to check this yourself.

Independent Advocates and Mediators

• Fiona Slomovic - Fiona Slomovic runs Advocacy and Mediation Consultants. They  support parents and carers to ensure their child's additional needs are met at home , at school and in the community. They can negotiate with schools, social services and Local Authorities to ensure that children's needs are correctly identified and provided for and can help with appeals to the SEN Tribunal.Tel  07734 679857 / 07702 189889  Email partners@advocacyandmediation.co.uk

Speech and language therapists

• Myra Pontac - Myra is the Proprietor of MP Speech and Language Therapy Services based in Stroud, Gloucestershire. She has over 25 years' experience as a paediatric speech and language therapist. Myra has a special interest in autism, language disorder and dyslexia and also has experience in cerebral palsy. Myra has been Consultant at the British Institute for Brain Injured Children and has a high level of experience in rare syndromes. Myra has extensive experience of carrying out assessments for SEN tribunals and has appeared in hundreds of cases as a witness Contact her at Tel 01453 768861/ 07901 508646 Email myra.pontac@ukgateway.net

• Charlotte Enenmoh- a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with extensive experience assessing and treating pre-school and school age children. Tel 07904 658088 Email charlotte.enenmoh@gmail.com

• Margo Sharp - Margo is a Trustee of the speech and language therapy charity AFASIC

Occupational therapists




ABA therapists



Educational Psychologists

• Dr Sharon Lloyd - Dr Lloyd runs Learning Insights and undertakes a wide range of legal work within the fields of special education law. Dr  Lloyd is well known in the South West as an educational  psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.Dr Lloyd’s diagnostic work spans the entire age spectrum of learning needs and she frequently attends Tribunal as a witness. Tel 0117 9682870/077 6789 56 82   Email  info@learninginsights.co.uk

• Ruth Birnbaum - Ruth Birnbaum has spent 31 years as an Educational Psychologist. She has worked extensively within the legal sector as an Expert Witness in Tribunal & High Court proceedings, including working as a single joint expert in the Family Court. She is also author of the book 'Choosing a School for a Child with Special Educational Needs'‘Choosing a School for a Child with Special Needs’. Tel 0208 205 6720 Email Ruth@ruthbirnbaum.co.uk

Home education and flexi-schooling

PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, every parent of a child of school age must ensure that they receive efficient full time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs they may have. This does not mean that they have to go to school. The law allows parents to comply with this duty by educating they at school or by education 'otherwise than at school'. This includes home education.

• IPSEA has produced this useful case example here.

School refusal

PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

You can obtain further advice from the lawyers listed on this page and the following organisations/websites:

• School refuser families blog a support group and information site for families with a child who is unable to go to school

• ACE have information on their website

• IPSEA have produced this useful case example about a child who cannot attend school because of anxiety.

SEN, disability and human rights

PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS  STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SEN and disability

From "citizen autistic"
a film by William Davenport, www.talkstoryfilms.com

There is no confirmed figure available for the number of children with SEN who would also be categorised as having a disability under the Equality Act 2010 but it is arguable that most headings of SEN listed in Government statistics could be classified in this way. It is, therefore, important to note that children and young people may also be entitled to protection under the Equality Act too. For example, see this publication from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Thus, many children and your people with special educational needs don't just have 'needs' they hope others will meet, they have human rights protected by law.

EQUALITY IS NOT AN ACT OF CHARITY: IT IS A HUMAN RIGHT!

Equality Act

Human Rights Act

Sources of further information include:

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission's guide to 'The Equality Duties and Schools'

What to do when things go wrong: judicial review

                               PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Children and Families Bill

PLEASE NOTE THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

However, I submitted evidence on the Bill to the Public Bills Committee which you can read that here

Recent cases

By Eric E Johnson http://ericejohnson.com

I will post news of any recent cases on special educational needs and disability here.

Do let me know if you have any case reports or links to case summaries that you would like to share with others.

• Harrow Council v AM [2013] UKUT 0157 (AAC), the decision includes a useful summary of the law in relation to section 316 of the Education Act 1996 and a parent’s right to request mainstream education for their child. See barrister Rachel Kamm's very useful summary here

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