Memorandum Monday ~ Red Tape

Yesterday I learnt that my boy is (officially) eligible for help while at university. It has only taken the powers that be until now, well over half way through the academic year, to make a decision on our case. We applied in September.

I have filled in all the forms that I have been asked to and sent copies of all the supporting evidence that I have in my possession. The formal diagnosis, the Speech and Language assessment, along with various other letters from medical professionals and consultants, all experts in their field. None of it was considered to be good enough proof. They sent me this form last month.....

.....asking for the opinion of his GP on the matter. In the end it just took a couple of sentences from her (who incidentally has never met him), in a box on that form, for them to agree he is eligible. The letter she refers to is another copy of one I had previously sent stating his initial diagnosis.

The next step is a formal assessment, by an independent party, to decide what he actually needs to enable him to have full access to his course. Will that be by the end of his first year? Who knows? To say the process has been frustrating would be an understatement.

I have also learnt just how tenacious we both are. Although we kind of knew that already, from the three years it took us to get a diagnosis in the first place. I cannot help but feel my boy has been badly let down by the education system.....again. All the help, that the university said was available to him, is entirely dependent on Student Finance putting the funds in place. He has been managing (barely) with help only from me. A tall order when I am over a hundred miles away.

Waving to Sian and the Mondayers from a hilltop in Hardy country.