Should we move?

[maxsanta]

I have name-changed for this.

We have had our life turned upside down over the last 4 years trying to fit DS (ASD) into the school system. He has moved school 3 times.

He is currently at a school 25 mins drive away in a different county. Although school are great, our LA is truly appalling. Lying, deceitful, vicious, obstructive at every possible turn. It also offers no ASD provision at secondary level so DS would have to stay out of county.

We are renting as we were going to move west a couple of years ago before he started his current school. We thought we would head west on the basis that we could afford a bigger house, maybe even a bit of land and a better quality of family life even if we would still have to fight for provision.

DS's current school is hugely helpful but he still struggles just being in a class. He is academically very able but is stressed out by the social environment.

We had thought of buying a house near the current school but prices are double what they are in our current location. So we started looking at houses here again. We saw a nice house and have today had an offer accepted.

However, now the chips are down, I am wondering whether and away from all the crap memories. We live in a small cathedral town and everywhere you go there are reminders of the schools we left behind and the battles we have had to fight.

Should we go for a clean break? A new start? Or is this just dreamer's talk?

[Badvoc]

We moved house and LA for our son (9)
It has worked out well for us so far, but who knows what the future may bring?

[used2bthin]

Just my experience but we moved to a more expensive area to be near our lovely mainstream school. However despite lots of support dd will need special school either next year or soon after and so area didn't matter so much plus dd2 and the fact dd1 attacks her means we need to move anyway as they can't share the room as planned.


So if you think your Ds will definitely stay at the school and it works for other reasons but I know I regret being so set on this area at the cost of a nicer, bigger house. I do still love the area though and don't want to keep changing gp, professionals etc so wish we didn't have to move.

[maxsanta]

Thanks. I have fought so long for all the professionals DS needs to be in his life but the last year has shown me that this will continue to be a struggle as the LA will continue to undermine whatever they can, whenever they can.

The houses around DS's school are way beyond are budget - half a million pound houses. We can afford a decent 1930s semi here but I ask myself if we would still be here had DS not gone through a year of diagnosis and 2 years to get statemented etc and I think - no.

I also think he will either end up in more specialist provision or home schooled so what's the point? But this might be just flight after too much fight.

[used2bthin]

Hard to say without knowing the options but is there another area that's managable for school but still cheaper? I go round in circles with it here too ( and there is a lovely 1930s semi on my road I want so much but can't afford so am probably a bit swayed by that!) but my regret is thinking more about area than the actual house which I spend so much time in.

[maxsanta]

The whole area is really pricey as it is commuter belt to London so the school is just in the wrong direction! Also, who knows where DS will be for secondary school in a year's time. I'm not even sure I can get him back to school next week!!

We are further west, and therefore cheaper, here but we would still max out our budget.

If we go further west, we could get a much bigger house and garden but we would have to start again with provision.

We can't really wait either as time has flown by and we are now both mid-40s.

[maxsanta]

Has anyone else moved before secondary? What did you do for transition?

[used2bthin]

Oh dear I do sympathise as am so undecided about our situation. Thinking long term I suppose it depends on provision in the different areas, if there's anyone with children with sn who could tell you?

It's really hard to decide isn't it, I hate not knowing where we'll be and location wise our current house is perfect for all sorts of reasons( close to parents, near enough to hospital to be allowed home when sometimes we would be kept in if not so close etc etc)

[AgnesDiPesto]

We have thought about moving at times but actually I can't stand the thought of having to start a new fight with a new LA. Our LA is awful but we won our ABA fight (for now) and I sort of feel at least this LA know we won't take any crap and perhaps may be wary of starting a fight with us about secondary. Whereas moving would mean we would be back to having to exhaust and fail at all the local provision.
So I think moving can work - or it could just turn into a re-run of fights you have already had and put you back to square 1.
If there was a HFA indep secondary school then I might move near there to have the best chance of getting in.
I do think once you have done the battle for secondary then if successful they will have to leave you alone for several years.
If present school will back you on secondary choice (more likely if its a different LA) then again that may be a reason to stay put. If you move to new area that LA may put pressure on school to give different views about transition.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

We moved. We asbolutely had to though as our family name had been poisoned in the LA we were in and that venom would follow us and our younger children through time.

It's a relief. Even if it hadn't all worked out, we'd have homeschooled ds and it still would have been a relief to be out.

But our life and lifestyle is not what we'd hoped or planned. There is limited extra-curricular activities for our children. There are cheaper holidays and fewer days out. Our house is smaller than is probably ideal for 3 kids (one of whom NEEDS space). But honestly, our quality of life is STILL so much better.

But where we came from had to be escaped. If that is how you feel too, then move and don't be afraid to.

[maxsanta]

Thanks. The secondary provision we were looking at is not near where we currently live either so we face a commute and I'm not even sure it would work for DS as, at the moment, I can't see how any type of school would work for him long-term.

So I don't know where to send him and I don't know where to life! I suppose I just want one thing right in our lives - a home of our own or a school that works for him.

I think if you have provision in place that is really working, it is hard to move. But we have a very good school but a DS who may just find schooling impossible wherever he goes.

Do we keep our lives revolving around him and his battle? Our youngest is really settled where he is too.

I am just so worried that we buy and end up having to move somewhere else anyway.

[Dinkysmummy]

It sounds like a risk either way.

It's up to you face the known or the unknown.

I know that is not any help whatsoever sorry



It's a hard choice

[Badvoc]

You could do what we did.
Sell up and rent in the area for a while.
It worked out ok for us, although we only rented for 4 months in the end.
It is a risk, but one we were prepared to take.

[maxsanta]

Thanks. I suppose I just wanted to know I am not completely mad for trying to place the quality of our family life above all this SEN nonsense.

But then, perhaps I am fooling myself.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Yes. We rented for a year in new area.

We didn't want to commit, but be able to re-evaluate. May as well do that somewhere nice.

It's hard work, re-establishing yourself in a new place. making friends again and getting to know resources etc. But equally, it's a bit like a holiday too.

[maxsanta]

I think it is that feeling of not knowing what the future holds that is so hard, no matter how hard you work to sort things out.

We are renting at the moment as well!

[Badvoc]

It was a bit different for me as I went back to my home village so knew a lot about the area, people, schools etc.
In fact ds had already started at the primary before we moved...in many ways it was the catalyst, that and me being unhappy where we were (we also got judged like star) and also ds2 needing a pre school place.
It was then a case of finding a house that dh deemed acceptable! :)

[Badvoc]

Yes.
It is hard.
But that isn't ever going to change.
Our move has been great for ds so far.
He starts middle school in sept so who knows what may happen?
Whatever it is, I will deal with it when it happens.
I am done trying to second guess every stage of my child's life.
It's just too exhausting.
I am more confident than I was. I would have no problem home schooling again (but would prefer not to) I am not so easily fobbed off as I once was.

[maxsanta]

Yes I have a massive label attached to me too!

We would be leaping into the unknown but it is an area we have always wanted to live in and I feel so tired to the constant drudge and treading water and feeling homeless as I don't know where to buy.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I do know what you mean. But you don't know what the future holds whether you stay or move.

I think moving is stressful because there is a lot of hard work in ensuring that the place you move to has everything you need to access. That means pretty thorough searching.

Probably the most stressful time of my life was the period when I was searching for an area to live in. It was mid-tribunal so investigating schools, likely catchments/places, distances from ds' potential school to be close but far enough away for transport, arranging viewings around dh's working hours and childcare. I suppose though it was horrid, it was time-limited stress due to tribunal (and impending birth) constraints.

Things appear to have worked out well and I'm pleased with how things have turned out which makes me pro. I also know that I was 'thinking' about it for a long time before it was kind of forced on us and it just felt too overwhelming to contemplate. I wish I had done it sooner.

[Badvoc]

Yes.
Me too.
I faffed around for too long.
But it's scary.

[maxsanta]

I am coming to the conclusion now at I don't know if DS will cope with any school. I have spent too many years pushing a square peg into a round hole and he keeps on popping out.

No one really knows what to do with children like him.

[Badvoc]

What is his dx op?

[maxsanta]

AS

[Badvoc]

Check out the tinsley house support thread part 3 (or better still read all 3!)
X

[maxsanta]

Thanks but I don't think that's for us.