Planning to delay school entry

[theDudesmummy]

Hi, wondered of others here had any experinces of this.

Our DS (ASD) is 3 (May birthday) and is on a fulltime ABA home programme (well, he has one day a week at a private nursery but with an ABA tutor shadowing him). We are very keen on ABA (not here to debate the pros and cons of that really, just to say that we are absolutely sure that it is the right thing for him). The LEA are just about to start the assessment for statementing.

DH and I have decided however that we do not want him to start school next year when he is 4 but to carry on with the intensive home ABA programme for a further year and enter school, when he is 5. The ABA is going to have a far greater impact and effect than going to a reception class, we are entirely sure. I have no idea what the LEA will say about this but it is not negotiable from our point of view anyway so they can say what they like really.

I applied for the statement now not to look at schooling options right now but in fact to see if we can get any financial support for the ABA (funding it all myself so far).

Anyone else done this?
Thanks.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I would be seeking advice from one of the charitable organisations out there like for example IPSEA or SOSSEN to name but two.

Have the LEA in question actually agreed to statement your son?. If this is the case you will eventually have to check parts 2 and 3 extremely closely as these need to be right re quantifying and specifying of provision. If the statement is neither specified or quantified it needs to be rejected.

You may well have to fight hard re the LEA funding the ABA programme.
Do you want him to go into full time education when he is 5?. Other posters I believe have more knowledge of both areas so will bump this for them as well.

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

Do you want him to A) go into Y1 when he starts or B) drop back a year into reception?

If A), you should have little difficulty as it's allowed for any child to start school in the term following their 5th birthday. Your problem may be getting a school place, as he'd have to start sometime in Reception for the school to hold a place for him, I think straight after Easter. Otherwise, without a statement, you'd have to find a school with spaces in Y1. If he has a statement that names the school, that should make things easier, however.

If B), actually dropping back a year, lots of LAs will only allow this with a statement of SEN that has this written into it. If you can get the EP assessing for his statement to agree that dropping back a year, not merely deferring his start for a year, is educationally preferable, you should have little problem again. Some LAs do insist on DC catching back up at some stage in their school career, though, so be wary of that.

[theDudesmummy]

Thanks for the replies. It is hard to tell at the moment what year I would wnat him to be in as it will depend on his progress. At the moment he is still totally non-verbal, not toilet trained etc, but I have hopes these things may change. I have not even decided if I want him in mainsteam or special school, as I want to see how he goes with ABA. And I don't know if I will wnat full or part time. All still to be seen I would say.

They have agreed to assess for statement, assessments starting soon.

I know I will have a fight for any money for the ABA, I am working on the premise that I won't get any, so anything will be a bonus. I do get higher rate DLA and mobility, plus some direct payments from SS, so that helps a bit althugh does not even nearly cover the cost of the ABA.

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

If you end up going for SS, the year group won't matter, he'll be in with those of the same age and he'll have to have a statement to go to SS. You have the right to keep him from starting until Y1.

[moleskin]

There is an option for part time reception placement as well if that's feasible? It's an option I'm considering

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

BTW, my DS2 was non verbal and not toilet trained at 3. He's 13 now and in a MS secondary with a statement and 1:1 and in middle sets for everything. You never know. He spent most of his reception year mornings in MS, afternoons in a SS, but he has an Oct birthday which helped. He transferred to MS full time by Easter.