Autism and schooling

[poppupppirate]

Just wondering if anyone could have a read of how my child is doing right now and what they would do regarding schooling or give me any advice. They are 4 and a half and have a diagnosis of autism and ehcp.

12 months ago - non verbal, constant meltdowns, wasn't engaging in learning at mainstream school nursery. Couldn't tolerate being in the vicinity of other children and became distressed very easily if other children tried to join in. We were asked to carefully consider school options and have a look at special schools for comparison though they were happy to keep them in school.

Now - in reception at the same mainstream.

Speaking in sentences and has good understanding, is able to hold a two way conversation
Still needs speech therapy and has a way to go, but has come on an incredible amount.

Knows all phonics sounds and can blend sounds to read simple words (dog, cat, dad etc) also recognises 'special friend' sounds (th, sh etc)

Can count to past 20 and is able to add up with numbers upto 10.

They have made friends and can play happily with and alongside other children, but sometimes needs support if they don't get their own way or need to understand sharing.

They have built good relationships with staff and trust them.

They needs a lot of additional support especially with personal care, sensory needs mean they still want to use a nappy although they are not incontinent and have full bladder and bowel control.

My main concern is how much things will change in year one moving from eyfs and less play based learning, sitting at a desk etc.

My gut is telling me to continue into year one and see how they go, moving school could be traumatic and confusing and I feel they are making enough learning progress to give it a shot.

Nobody can really decide except you but I tend to go with my gut instincts. My eldest has autism and adhd. He is in primary 5 in mainstream school and does well. His speech has always been very good but he is very impulsive and struggles with focus. He gets a lot of support and I plan to send him to mainstream secondary school. It was best for him to be in mainstream school as he mimics behaviour and sounds.

Thank you

I guess I'm so emotionally involved it's hard to separate how I'm feeling from how well they actually are progressing

Providing there is sufficient preparation and planning, I’d stay in mainstream. Your child might need warning of a change of activity, a visual timetable, very clear reminders of expectations in class etc, but with an EHCP and the support it offers, that should be possible.

The AR might need to recommend changes to the EHCP to reflect the change in class expectations.

If there is a good relationship and progress is being made, a change of school might not be beneficial. I’d go with your gut feeling.

If they have a 1:1 I'd say carry on in mainstream. Learning becomes more structured from Year 1 upwards but with support I'd say stay.

@LizzieBet14

If they have a 1:1 I'd say carry on in mainstream. Learning becomes more structured from Year 1 upwards but with support I'd say stay.

I get the feeling a 1-1 could be difficult to get just from impressions in get from other parents who have been in this situation. I would definitely feel more reassured if there was one.

I get the impression there needs to be evidence for needing one, which there isn't at the moment as they are coping in eyfs, but year one will be completely different

@Foxyloxy1plus1

Providing there is sufficient preparation and planning, I’d stay in mainstream. Your child might need warning of a change of activity, a visual timetable, very clear reminders of expectations in class etc, but with an EHCP and the support it offers, that should be possible.

The AR might need to recommend changes to the EHCP to reflect the change in class expectations.

If there is a good relationship and progress is being made, a change of school might not be beneficial. I’d go with your gut feeling.

Thank you

It sounds like your little one has made fantastic progress in all areas. How exciting! I would say don't change a good thing. But engage with the school at AR and other times. Ask them what they think - it's in the schools' interest to be honest. If Year 1 transition doesn't go well, then ask for an emergency annual review and talk about specialist then.

Do they have an EHCP? If not, try and fight for one. It will make their transition through school easier as the school will have more resources to devote to their needs.

My DS was almost non-verbal upon entry to school. Against the odds, he's holding his own in school. Can read, do maths. Albeit more slowly than his peers. Writing is a struggle. But he's settled and happy.

Assuming you are happy with the school and feel the setting is working for your child, try and get your ducks in a row so they get their ongoing needs met.

@Stevenage689

It sounds like your little one has made fantastic progress in all areas. How exciting! I would say don't change a good thing. But engage with the school at AR and other times. Ask them what they think - it's in the schools' interest to be honest. If Year 1 transition doesn't go well, then ask for an emergency annual review and talk about specialist then.

Thankyou

I find the SENCO quite difficult to talk to and she tends to focus more on the negatives and the difficulties my child faces rather than being positive about improvements. The class teacher is amazing though.

I will definitely have everything I need to discuss ready for the AR!

Honestly your son sounds like he is doing brilliantly well I work with autistic children and would definitely say if you can keep him in mainstream then please do so. I find it so sad for the more able children who are overwhelmed by the less able children and they are significantly held back socially and educationally by being in a special school it's sad to see Keep him there as long as you can he really will be brought forward

It sounds like your little one has made great progress op. I would listen to your gut and see how Year 1 goes. I have a 14 year old with ASD who is thriving in mainstream secondary with some support.

@collieresponder88

Honestly your son sounds like he is doing brilliantly well I work with autistic children and would definitely say if you can keep him in mainstream then please do so. I find it so sad for the more able children who are overwhelmed by the less able children and they are significantly held back socially and educationally by being in a special school it's sad to see Keep him there as long as you can he really will be brought forward

This is my concern, I don't think he would fit in at a special school because although he would benefit from some of their ways of learning and smaller classes and more tailored support I just don't think he is at that level overall and definitely benefits from being able to mimic other children and have them demonstrate how they play etc

@RestingStitchFace

Do they have an EHCP? If not, try and fight for one. It will make their transition through school easier as the school will have more resources to devote to their needs.

My DS was almost non-verbal upon entry to school. Against the odds, he's holding his own in school. Can read, do maths. Albeit more slowly than his peers. Writing is a struggle. But he's settled and happy.

Assuming you are happy with the school and feel the setting is working for your child, try and get your ducks in a row so they get their ongoing needs met.

Yes they have an ehcp.

I think a keyworker or 1-1 would be beneficial even if just temporary to help with the transition but I can't see it being an easy process

I work at a special school and I'm also a parent of an adult with asd and when we are consulted for children like your little one we would say that we can't meet their needs as they are making progress in mainstream

Your little one will be benefitting so much from the language modelling that is going on in the classroom that they just wouldn't get in a special school setting at a KS1 level

I'd also say if transition to year 1 is hard it's very easy to have a knee jerk reaction of calling an emergency review but please give it time for them to get into the routine and school to establish the level of support needed

If your child does need to access special school in the future this can be done at any age and the point I'd look at moving would be if they are not making progress or if they aren't coping in mainstream despite the school having made adjustments

Of course every child is different but I can offer a few thoughts. Middle grandson was late to potty train, barely spoke until 3, then very repetitive and garbled. Awful meltdowns. By reception age he was speaking clearly, gradually caught up academically. It has been a long haul but the progress has been steady. He is now in the first year of secondary school, and is doing well and making friends.

You would not recognise the sad, screaming frustrated toddler now. He is bright and funny, very passionate about fairness and kindness to animals (vegetarian). He still hates going to school, but knows he has to go so makes the best of it. The school have a safe space to go if he's feeling overwhelmed. I really think a good ASD support system in mainstream has helped him.

Op, I have no advice as my likely autistic child is only two, but I just wanted to say that reading how your child has progressed has brightened my day so much. Your child is doing so well.

@helloisitmeyourelookingfor

I work at a special school and I'm also a parent of an adult with asd and when we are consulted for children like your little one we would say that we can't meet their needs as they are making progress in mainstream

Your little one will be benefitting so much from the language modelling that is going on in the classroom that they just wouldn't get in a special school setting at a KS1 level

I'd also say if transition to year 1 is hard it's very easy to have a knee jerk reaction of calling an emergency review but please give it time for them to get into the routine and school to establish the level of support needed

If your child does need to access special school in the future this can be done at any age and the point I'd look at moving would be if they are not making progress or if they aren't coping in mainstream despite the school having made adjustments

Thank you this is so helpful

How about a specialist unit within a mainstream setting? It's a smaller classroom with 10 kids or so and a higher staff ratio. More specialist staff with a better understanding of his needs so they can tailor the curriculum. They can also fully support his social and personal care needs better. He can also access the mainstream school activities as well so he gets to experience both specialist & mainstream.

Or you can send him to a fully specialist school which can cater for him fully. There is a limit to what a mainstream school can provide for children with additional needs.

@Appleseesaw

Op, I have no advice as my likely autistic child is only two, but I just wanted to say that reading how your child has progressed has brightened my day so much. Your child is doing so well.

It's so so tough in the beginning and I was exactly where you are a couple of years ago, and wondering if there would ever be light at the end of the tunnel but there absolutely is.

We still have hard days but so many more happy days and seeing the progress they can make is so exciting

I think the main thing is to make sure her EHCP is good and she is supported. Whether that be in a mainstream or specialist environment.

Sounds like she is progressing well at the moment but stay open minded about the best kind of school or placement. Needs can and do change as a child grows and develops.

My child who has been in mainstream the whole time, is about to start a specialist placement at 17, so things are always changing. We never really know when they are small, what the future might hold.

@Alrightqueenie

How about a specialist unit within a mainstream setting? It's a smaller classroom with 10 kids or so and a higher staff ratio. More specialist staff with a better understanding of his needs so they can tailor the curriculum. They can also fully support his social and personal care needs better. He can also access the mainstream school activities as well so he gets to experience both specialist & mainstream.

Or you can send him to a fully specialist school which can cater for him fully. There is a limit to what a mainstream school can provide for children with additional needs.

That is a stark difference to what other posters have said I must say!

It sounds like your DS has made a lot of progress in school this year and is doing well in mainstream school. Just like a previous poster said go with your gut feeling.
For our DS also 4.5 he will be moving to special school in September his school he is in now have said they can't meet his needs he has full 1:1 support but only attends school part time he not made any progress this year so main stream is not the place for him. If he was making progress we would keep him in mainstream school. He's still non verbal and struggles with using pecs he needs to have specialist help that the school can't offer.

@Punxsutawney

I think the main thing is to make sure her EHCP is good and she is supported. Whether that be in a mainstream or specialist environment.

Sounds like she is progressing well at the moment but stay open minded about the best kind of school or placement. Needs can and do change as a child grows and develops.

My child who has been in mainstream the whole time, is about to start a specialist placement at 17, so things are always changing. We never really know when they are small, what the future might hold.

Yeah I am definitely open minded about the future, I don't honestly know how the next year will go and have no indication.

In the present I am just trying to get the balance right between learning progress and social and emotional needs and mainstream seems to be working.

I think it would be detrimental to move at this time while they are settled and happy, and also there would be little point when progress is actually being made.

But on the other hand I don't want to hold them back if there could be somewhere more suited. But my gut is telling me to leave them where they are for now.

@Goldenbunny

It sounds like your DS has made a lot of progress in school this year and is doing well in mainstream school. Just like a previous poster said go with your gut feeling. For our DS also 4.5 he will be moving to special school in September his school he is in now have said they can't meet his needs he has full 1:1 support but only attends school part time he not made any progress this year so main stream is not the place for him. If he was making progress we would keep him in mainstream school. He's still non verbal and struggles with using pecs he needs to have specialist help that the school can't offer.

In your situation I would absolutely go with a special school it sounds like it will be the best setting.

@helloisitmeyourelookingfor

Your little one will be benefitting so much from the language modelling that is going on in the classroom that they just wouldn't get in a special school setting at a KS1 level

Just wanted to say how helpful this perspective is. Weighing up secondly options for my DS and this has given me something useful to ponder. Thank you.