DS currently being assessed for ASD & ADHD - should school be offering him a place as a SEN pupil during COVID-19 closure?1

[kerrycgeorgie]

My DS 6.5 has been under the local neurodevelopmental pathway for ASD and ADHD assessment for the past year or so. Assessments are now complete, just awaiting his panel to sit, which we've been warned could take up to a year.
In the meantime prior to COVID-19 school closure he was under a school run 8 week program to help manage sensory issues at school. Great progress was being made with that, as other changes including a separate table area when he needed it (ahead of the social distancing curve).
Anyway, his school have been particularly slow to try and onboard government reopening targets. Still only open to key workers, vulnerable children etc. Letter home today said that they only have space for quarter of pupils. Reception years will be given first Available spaces from June 29.
Doesn't look promising that my ds who is in year 1 will be back before September, maybe later.
I have held off requesting a place for ds based upon SEN requirements until now - in a honesty he is more settled, comfortable and happy at home, it's been refreshing. Problem is both DH and I still homeworking and we have two DCs aged 2!
He isn't getting much in way of homeschooling. I'm worried more about the social development stuff which he so struggles with. Would prefer him back before summer so it's not so hard for readjusting come September - change is a struggle for him.
So essentially he doesn't have a statement as yet, but AIBU requesting school to take him back on these grounds?

[drspouse]

Schools can offer places to vulnerable children defined in many ways. YANBU at all.

[Mrsfrumble]

There was a similar discussion on another thread the other day. According to government guidelines, school only have to offer a place if he has an EHCP (I posted the link, will try and find it again) but there were posters whose children with a diagnosis but without EHCPs were attending school, so it’s worth asking.

[LaneBoy]

It’s at school’s discretion, they can define vulnerable themselves when there’s no EHCP etc. I emailed the school about my eldest, she has a diagnosis but no EHCP, and is technically a young carer due to health issues DH and I have. I just mentioned the policy and described how she was struggling.

I did get a back up email from our family support worker but as they had very low uptake of places they probably would have said yes anyway. She is back full time and far more settled.

No harm in asking - you could add that even one day a week would be beneficial, in case staffing is too low to offer full time?

[Mrsfrumble]

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people government page on who counts as a vulnerable child.

www.ipsea.org.uk/news/ipsea-update-on-covid-19-school-closures-and-sen-provision IPSEA advice on the subject.

[LoseLooseLucy]

My son has an EHCP and hasn't been back at school since lockdown, it's not an absolute given.

[Dairyfairies]

my daughter has complex needs and an EHCP. She cannot access school. Most children with EHCP are not offered places - many of these children hugely struggle at home both on terms of learning and socially.

I think a bit yabu if you can keep him safe at home for the time being.

[drspouse]

@Dairyfairies they are now asking for all children with EHCP to go if possible, not to stay home if possible.

[x2boys]

My sons special school has been closed since all other schools closed in March, all the children have an EHCP and there are no plans to reopen any time soon so it's not a given.

[PharmaLama]

You can ask but don’t get your hopes up. One of mine has an EHCP and attends a Special School which is closed so no school for them. One is classed as ‘Young Carer’, I asked and was told no. One is awaiting diagnosis for ASD like you child, again I asked and was refused.

[PastMyBestBeforeDate]

My dd does have an EHCP so could have been in school all along. It wouldn't have been school as she knows it though, different teachers, no proper teaching, no friends (she's at secondary school) and no consistency. How would your ds cope with that changes at school?

[spanieleyes]

You can ask but, as mentioned, the school don't HAVE to take him back although they can if they feel it would be best and they have the space. The difficulty might be setting a precedent for other children with SEN but no EHCP who might also feel, quite rightly, that they deserved a space too. I would need to add 4 additional bubbles in that case, which I simply can't do. It is hard and ideally everyone would be back but schools are having to make hard decisions at the moment and this is one of them.

[Dairyfairies]

drspouse, I know that. Just pointing out that having Sn or an EHCP doesn't mean they can attend school. I work from home, have to homeschool DD and a younger child. I am a lone parent. I am not coping and neither is DD. doesn't mean that anyone cares or give as shit. School place refused, furlough refused. it's not as simple as some people assume

[x2boys]

Indeed @Dairyfairies,I think special school,s have been forgotten about in all of this ,whilst I quite understand why my sons school can't open yet I don't think the government have considered schools where social distancing will be impossible.

[Cabinfever10]

My ds has both adhd, asd and tourette's. He hasn't been offered a place, though even if he was I wouldn't send him as the local hub is in a different school than his and is not staffed by his teaching staff so would cause more problems than it would solve.
I know that it's really hard to deal with it 24/7 with no help or break. However it's highly unlikely that being at school would help with his social development as 1, they won't have enough staff to work with him 1 on 1 and 2, the change of staff and different environmental could be easily be detrimental to him.

[kerrycgeorgie]

Thank you for all the replies, helps me out it in perspective a bit better.
I'm sorry that special schools remain shut, that must be very tough all round.
Yes, the drive to get him back to school is to not delay the inevitable transition problems he will experience when returning to school. I guess if schools look very different ATM that's counterintuitive. But that said, how do we know they won't still look like that in September?

[Cabinfever10]

@kerrycgeorgie
Unfortunately we don't know what school will be like after the summer, though it will be different from how it is now. That said it becomes a choice between dealing with the current situation at home or the disruption of going back to school for a couple of weeks and the all change again for the holidays and then more change when school returns for everyone.
You know your DC better than anyone on here, so you unfortunately need to decide if it's worth all the change and upset to your routine.
for you as I know how hard it is

[kerrycgeorgie]

Thank you lovely. I am probably veering on the side of not pushing for it, given the multiple upheavals involved. Plus youngest two will be doing a couple of days per week at nursery from July so that should make things a bit easier all round. They are winding him up something chronic now

[drspouse]

My DS is doing even better in school (they are very specialist so he was doing better than before anyway) because there are so few in. Can work both ways.

[Thisismynewname123]

My dd has an EHCP (ASD, ADHD plus other issues) but I was told there was no space to take her back regardless. It's up to the school and how many other vulnerable children they have vs how much space and teaching staff available. Even if they agree to him going back, they wouldn't continue with the provision for his sensory difficulties that you had prior to lockdown