Hi OP. I have twins who are 4 now. They were diagnosed with ASD at 2, I applied for EHCPs just before they turned 3, we went through a long process (plans were issued but they were absolutely crap and the LA wanted to name a school for severe learning disabilities which my twins don’t have - they are non verbal and delayed but both very able to learn and we don’t believe they have intellectual impairments). I had to appeal the plans and placement - their tribunals were in September just after their 4th birthday, we won and they started at an ASD specialist school in early October and were then full time from that half term. Obviously this term has been a write off so far but it has been amazing for them, truly. One is now spelling and starting to read, although still non verbal.
They were not due to start reception until September this year. The provisions vary by area but here there are no specialist nurseries - some of the specialist schools have early years provision from age 2 but you need an EHCP so it’s rare to start before 3 or 4.
For me it was a no brainer - if going to mainstream they would have stayed at nursery for this year where they weren’t really progressing, then gone to a mainstream school where they wouldn’t have understood anything or been able to interact with peers. Instead they’re in a tiny class of 7, every child in that class has full time 1:1, they’re all trained in ASD, they have sensory rooms, soft play rooms, forest school, weekly trips out, swimming pool, even half a term of equine therapy every year. They have OT and SALT on site, their paediatrician runs clinics at the school, it’s just an entirely different experience than mainstream. Autism specific strategies are embedded throughout the day, the building is designed around the needs of autistic children so lots of individual rooms in their building, low arousal environment... it’s just an entirely different proposition.
The private EP who did reports for our boys said that there is no reason they cannot make significant progress in a setting like this. The school does dual placements with a mainstream school for those who can manage. Once they’re in the main school there are academic streams and sensory / life skills streams depending on how things progress, and all being well they can stay at this site until 16.
I would have been really concerned about them going to the school for profound and multiple learning disabilities- there was lots in their OFSTED reports that concerned me in terms of whether they’d have an appropriate peer group. From that information I know that one of my twins can already spell better than some of the children 3x his age for example, and the report raised concerns about low expectations for more able pupils. However, I would probably still have taken that over mainstream because I just cannot understand how they would have managed.
So it really depends on the school and your child’s needs - have you had a look at what’s available locally?
The other thing to consider is independent mainstream schools - there are lots of children who couldn’t cope in a maintained mainstream school due to large class sizes etc but cope well in an independent with fewer children. Also much cheaper than specialist so easier to fight for.