ASD/ADHD Ds1 - looks like permenant exclusion from main stream - what next?

[raspberryroop]

Major incident today at school - looks like could be permanently exclusion for My 13 yrold from Aaspergers unit in main stream. Very bright but violent outbursts and zero tolerance for others . What are the option are education now?

[IndigoBell]

Special school? or PRU?

[brandy77]

i would agree with indigo about SS i dont know what PRU is?

[sickofsocalledexperts]

There are some aspergers specialist schools around, like lvs hassocks, and have you considered medication such as ritalin or risperidone? Risperidone can be good for aggression.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

raspberry

Is your son statemented?. That is key. You need to read IPSEA's website re exclusions //www.ipsea.org.uk regardless of whether your DS is statemented or not.

PRU is pupil referral unit. Not at all recommended for children on the ASD spectrum.

[IndigoBell]

A PRU is a pupil referral unit for kids whose behaviour is such that they can't be taught in a MS school. Ie they have been expelled from one or more schools.

They're not normally the right place for kids with ASD, but it is an option the OP should know about, before the LEA spring it on her.

[Agnesdipesto]

ABA at home / in mainstream
private school if you can find one to take him (can argue smaller class sizes needed and LA should pay for private school)
HFA / AS independent special school (day or residential)
Some BESD schools have high % children with AS+ challenging behaviours
Online / internet schooling
Home tutoring (paid by LA)
There should be a multi-discp team meeting now - guidance on Dept of Ed website about exclusions and SEN
You can also appeal the exclusion if you want (look at IPSEA)
Are new rules about children out of school under s.19 Education Act (education otherwise) which implies LAs will have to provide a FT education eg 23-25 hours home tuition I started a thread on this over the past week or so if you look back - LAs tend to only provide about 5 hours
Whereabouts in the country are you?

[bochead]

Priory Lodge? It's a boarding school in Hampshire for HFA/Aspergers boys - so he'd still be able to access the full national curriculum inc 3 sciences etc but would have expert specialist behavioral experts on hand. Only affordable via statement/tribunal so giird your loins ; )

You'd have to fight HARD for it but seems a much better option than a PRU.

A managed move to another asd unit? Facilliated by failures to meet his current statement/needs? Sit down objectively was the school fulfilling the statement, if so did that statement accurately reflect your child's needs or has it just been lazily rubber stamped at each annual review for a few years while your sons needs for support have in reality increased? (Noone's fault just how it goes sometimes iykwim).

If so ask for an URGENT statement review including a proper reassessmnent of your child's needs as part of the managed move process, so that the next placement has everything in place it should to support your son. If you can afford it avail yourself of a private report from someone like Linda Miller to facillitate the process.

IF a PRU is suggested - go and look at it before passing judgement, the unit my own son spent a couple of months in was staffed by a teacher who had a son on the spectrum - he learnt more there than in 2.5 years previous in mainstream within the 1st month. Staff of 4, kids = 4. Perfect after a bad school experience and I'll always be grateful to that unit for what they did for my lad when he was at his lowest point. I think of it as 2 months free ABA and more on the lea tab lol! PRU's vary massively from holding pens for the feral (and frankly savage) to what my lad experienced depending on the set up and authority. If the one you are shown (and you may not be!) is a holding pen go legal and fight. Home education is a legal option to you and education otherwise will be able to help.

Do remember this happens to 1 in 8 asd kids according to the NAS so your son isn't unique (i.e don't waste energy feeling ashamed, focus on the road ahead - sadly yours is a common experience). As well as IPSEA the NAS has a great database of people who may be in a position to help and advise you locally.

In order to permanentely exclude rather facillitate a managed move the school have to prove no disability laws have been broken. IPSEA can help here. If you feel you need to go legal the others here will have great suggestions for representatives, from hotshots to advocates if you can't aford a solicitor right now.

[raspberryroop]

Good statement full time 1-2-1, he just has no tolerance of other children at all. Barnardos have suggested I try and get a managed move but not sure its just out of the frying pan into the fire.

Live in very rural mid wales.

Am wondering about complimentary education ie 1-2-1 home tutoring would be fab for his academic side but rubbish for his social skills and they dont do A' levels.

What are the chances of him growing out of or learning to manage his violent outbursts by 16 ??? He is generally a well behaved, polite and funny guy, just the social imagination/empathy bit is so totally missing sometimes

[raspberryroop]

And that you for the detailed responses - just a little shell shocked at the moment

[Nigel1]

Look at Springfields Calne- its a SEN Academy will do residential and since its an LA school - notionally, then the costs will be far less than an independant school. LA reasons why not to attend would diminish.

www.springfieldsschool.net/asp/default.asp?pID=1

Alternatively Farleigh College at Mells would be fine.

www.priorygroup.com/Locations/South-West/Farleigh-College.aspx

Either way its likely to be residential if he has failed in a unit.

Under no circumstances go to a PRU unless they have a medical unit/team

Reading between the lines I would suggest a call to IPSEA with a request for support under the Equality Act as this would appear disabiluity discrimination to be an issue and grounds for fighting the exclusion.

Why did he react as he did? I would suggest is that he is suffering from sensory overload and that his flight or fight response was triggered.

Email me off line if you want to talk it thorugh

Will he grow out of it. No dont home ed, it takes the pressure off the LA whose job it is to manage it.

[raspberryroop]

Pipinjo do live in Powys - not that much help for Autism that has been offered to be honest and would say DS is at the mid to top of scale for social problems but IQ is 120+
but have just found the details for the internet school AND on 1st inspesction looks very promising!!!


Struggled to keep him in mainstream for secondary.

Outburst are stress related but also control issues and just plain intolerance of other children. Normally good to fantastic 1-2-1 with adults

Is on ritalin

[davidsotherhalf]

my dd was sent to a pru when we moved county as there wasn't a school placement, they are not good places to be, eg day 1- within 5 mins of arriving dd was assaulted with a knife-- dd got the blame as she defended herself as she couldn't run as all the classroom doors where locked and so was all exit doors. day 2- dd suffers from depression and she got thrown out onto main road and told to go kill herself...(nice teacher) day 3- meeting with ht was told it was ok to be thrown out on road because teacher was watching her dodge cars, and kept shouting for dd to to f off back to county we came from. i had 5 reports saying pru wasn't right place for my dd before she went but lea ignored them

[davidsotherhalf]

btw boy with the knife was punished....they sat him down and gave him a giant bar of his favourite chocolate, (ht told me this)

[jandymaccomesback]

Try the Advisory Centre for Education and IPSEA for advice.

[jandymaccomesback]

Risperidone is worth a try. My DS took it for 2 years to curb aggression,and during that time school were able to do a lot of Social Skills work with him. He has been med free for 10 months now. It doesn't have to be forever.

[raspberryroop]

Thanks every one.

Have just rang the inclusion officer and offered them a package - not sure if they will accept.

Online school from home in the mornings. (asked they provide a computer)
2 hours specialist counselling ( I'm already paying for this )
2 hours dyslexia tutoring and a couple of hours a month Art tutoring in the local pru unit as I know they have a fab art guy.

It will probably cost them £5000 a year max
They pay £500 a week at the moment just for transport

I'm hoping that removing the major stress from Ds1 life ie other children will allow him some time and ''emotional' space to grow some control

[IndigoBell]

I think an online school sounds like a good idea. Hope the LEA goes for your proposal.

[raspberryroop]

Pipinjo - Powys have no money - the next step is the pru unit. and honestly I understand what you are saying but I think sometimes you have to stop trying to make a cat a dog and just make them the best dog they can be.

The Councillor who I already pay for is an a autism specialt in teaching strategies and social skills. I have quite extensive experience of the Salt sysytem in powys as have a dd with verbal dyspraixa and am very underwhelmed.

They are offering the pru unit or the local sn school which to be honest would be like sending lambs to the slaughter.

[raspberryroop]

He is was in the ''top'' autistic unit in Powys attatched to a fantatsic small main stream high school. No no of the above strategies

[raspberryroop]

Are you in mid/north powys Pipinjo? Do you know of any independent ABA tutors or other simlair resources as that I think I may be able to ''request'' as am saving them so much money

And that was ment to read make a cat a dog and just make them the best cat they can be lol

And if we both mean LL - it is a fab schooll and a good unit - senco (;() - i just think my DS needs time to de stress.