My special needs DS being repeatedly rejected for activity clubs

Was your son awarded the voucher because of his SEN, or was he awarded the voucher for another reason?

These sorts of settings are often largely staffed with very young, inexperienced and only barely trained folk, often PE students. I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel leaving any child in that sort of setting, esp one who needs help with ch she to routine/transitions etc.

It means that the named setting on his EHCP will change from Special to Mainstream. It means the provision on his EHCP will change.

It doesn't necessarily mean the EHCP will cease, unless he's doing exceptionally well. The LA would be mad to move from Special to Mainstream without funding for the transition and support to settle in and adapt.

It's difficult. Most of these clubs are non-profit and the staff are often volunteers. Schools/government may parrot on about making everything inclusive but don't back it with funding or provision to make it happen.

Ultimately you go to a football coach and say they must take him or its discrimination, then what? Coach will be removed from the job? They weren't getting paid for it anyway, and there is no one to take their place so now there is no football club for anyone

When people are donating their time for free, they can make a decision about who they want to cope with. Your DS may not seem to require much extra attention to you, but they may have zero experience dealing with an autistic child. They will have ratios. If your DS gets overwhelmed and runs off - they may not have the staff ratios to allocate someone to run after him. What if he gets hurt? Or another child while they're out of ratio because they were dealing with your son?

They need dedicated support to take on your son and don't have it. That's not their fault. They're being told they should take him, but those making the rules that they should aren't giving them the support they need to be able to.

I think you've misread @Sprinkles211 The vouchers were given as the family are free school meals, not because the child attends a SEN school.

I agree it's poor @SNmum23 , but the companies running these holiday clubs are businesses. They are considering their bottom line. Some children with SEN need extra adults to keep them, and the other children, safe. The risk assessments demand it.

The business have ratios they need to work on, and employing extra adults for 1:1/1:2 is not cost effective. Therefore, they say they can't meet need.

I'm not saying it's right, but it's how it is.

Why do your kids get the vouchers for these activities?

I think this is terrible. How is this even allowed? It’s disability discrimination. I would feed this back to the clubs & school & you can mention the disability discrimination act when you do.
On a separate note I’m so pleased your DS has come on so well!

Don't let your daughter miss out. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

My 'high functioning' autistic child should on the surface cope with mainstream clubs. But, she doesn't. She cannot cope with the noise and chaos of NT children.

She now attends an ASN swim lesson and swim club rather than the group lesson and local club.

Scouting has been a success though. We found an entirely outdoor group not far away. The NT noise is far easier to cope with outdoors.

DD2 attends entirely different groups to give her a break from DD1.

I'm sorry if he doesn't need much more support than an non autistic child why is he in a specialist school? You need and EHCP to get a specialist school and significant need. If he doesn't have that level of need then why are you taking a place from children who desperately need that level of support but cannot even access school because there are no places?

I also got 4 credits. I also can't get a provider to take my autistic son. The difference is my son is out of school for 2 years now because his needs are so significant he needs specialist autism school but there are no places. It's ripped my family apart.

Also cubs will let your child attend if you attend with him as 1:1. They are volunteers not specialist providers

YABVU
So DD missies out because DS is autistic? Where is the logic there? That’s just going to cause resentment.

Why can’t you do a fun activity at home with DS whilst DD attends one?

I think some ppl are missing the point here. These vouchers are given by councils to children at specialist schools to use in the holidays but are actually not providing them anywhere to actually go so these parents are given them told they are inclusive and finding that inclusive doesn't actually mean them and are left out of very needed help and support. It's actually cruel. As the parent of a little girl in specialist school who went into it straight away from nursery we get used to the needs of out children and sometimes forget how much extra we do because it's our normal. But these children should still be accommodated for or that service just not offered to us because the way its done now quite frankly feels like someone waving a donut in front of you and turning on a treadmill at high speed

I think there is a difference between cubs which is run by volunteers and children’s activities where people are getting paid .

if your child doesn’t need extra support why are they in a specialised school?

I’m so pleased for you and him - what wonderful progress.

In that case I would push back.

I have to agree with others; are you sure you aren’t underestimating his needs, given he is in a specialist setting aged 5?

My own 9 year old DS is autistic and has ADHD, he wasn’t diagnosed until aged 7, has low support needs so can participate in clubs independently… there’s not a chance he’d be considered for an EHCP, let alone special school.

This seems odd, isn't it basically discrimination?

But if he is in a specialist school of 5, surely his needs are very very high, and you thus must be underestimating how severe he is?

My 5yo is in Y1 in a specialist setting but his peers are mostly non verbal, significantly delayed, and have toileting issues.

He’s extremely happy, easy going in nature but absolutely couldn’t participate in something like that.

I think the starting point would be to ask what they've actually used to assess whether they can meet his needs, because if you've simply disclosed his diagnosis and the associated food challenges, I'd say it's a bit of a stretch for them to claim they've considered things sufficiently. Surely they'd need to talk to you or his school in depth to make a more informed decision anyway? And secondly which aspects of this they feel they can't meet, rather than the generic response you've had so far. For example if they came back and said they would be uncertain about their risk assessment for going out to the panto, but ok with the rest on site, that might be understandable and reasonable? And a mitigation might be that you would go along with them to support (I've done that before with families, to good effect).

Definitely don't let them off the hook, I doubt they've given it an acceptable level of thought at this stage from what you've said!

I’m astonished that someone that young got a place in a specialist setting but doesn’t need any support in extracurricular activities. Your area must be well resourced for specialist places. Have you checked you local authority website for the local offer for suitable settings? Or any local FB groups or support groups were you can ask for suggestions on welcoming activities for your DS?

What he does struggle with is a change in routine that he isn't prepared for, so we do alot of work at home and school to make sure he knows what to expect and when.

Is this not problematic? At an activity club where you aren’t there and the staff don’t know and he’s got lots of new activities is a meltdown likely?

If you are confident then definitely push for a trial at least.

I’m surprised he’s got a specialist setting at 5 without significant day to day needs.

If he's as able as you say he is, how did you get him into a specialist setting so early? I want to know where I went wrong!