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.

It wouldn’t do any harm to go and look at other settings, and also other types of schools. Things can change a lot from one year to another.

I would see how they go for now. You will have the option later on to explore specialist schools. I would say if it becomes obvious school aren't meeting your child's needs I would recommend not leaving it to go on and on. My DD really started struggling by age 6, by age 7 we deregistered her for the same of her mental health. 11 months later she was in a specialist school thriving. I would highly recommend the Witherslack group if you have a school near you.

@poppupppirate as a reception teacher I think he sounds like he’ll cope fairly well with some adjustments but what support does his EHCP bring? Will he have an adult who is able to provide motor breaks and play provision where needed?

DD1 has autism, started nursery barely verbal with global delay and still on 2-3 word sentences when she started reception. She's had a 1:1 since part way through nursery and her EHCP was approved in the first half term of Y1. She only ever engaged on her own terms in nursery and reception and would not even set foot in the Y1 classroom so we had real doubts about how she'd manage the move up, even though she'd made great progress

Her 1:1 and the school did brilliant transition work with her, and she actually managed much better in year 1 and 2 than in reception - she found the free flow of nursery and reception very hard to manage and the more rigid structure of infants where everyone was doing the same things at the same time was much easier for her to cope with. She came on leaps and bounds

She's now in Year 3 and struggling with the change of pace from infants to juniors but we're hoping this will improve and she will be able to stay in mainstream until the end of primary. If it doesn't and she has to move, then we're open to that.

For my son the transition to year 1 was actually very easy and he thrived from the more routine based side of things.

He got an ehcp in year 1 and during year 3 (which was a nightmare year for him) we considered moving to specialist school but with the help of his school fought to get the funding for full time 1-1 and he has thrived since (in his own way!)

He is now in year 7 and a mainstream secondary, still has full time 1-1 and a lot of adaptations but so far it’s working.

We have been lucky to have two very supportive schools though

[quote MamaTutu2]@poppupppirate as a reception teacher I think he sounds like he’ll cope fairly well with some adjustments but what support does his EHCP bring? Will he have an adult who is able to provide motor breaks and play provision where needed?[/quote]
The ehcp seems to mostly detail interventions that need to take place to help him reach desired outcomes, and a lot of those require 1-1 or small group work, but doesn't actually say anything about being entitled to an actual 1-1 persons if that makes sense

Sounds incredibly like my DS who is now in Y6 at his mainstream primary .
He has a. EHCP and a wonderful 1-1 although they are trying to wean him off her a little and put different teachers in to support him .
I'm at the next stage of worrying about transition to secondary now however I'm still very happy with my decision to stay in mainstream primary and I think it's done him the world of good . He is working at Y3 English and Y5 maths , no one could have foreseen the non verbal little boy who got excluded in his first term would have achieved that !

I would look at SEN. Schools.

I agree with rightqueenies post.

@HadaVerde

I would look at SEN. Schools.

I agree with rightqueenies post.

What is it from my OP that makes you think that way?

Just all but two posters seem to think he is doing fine at the present but to be open minded

I don’t think looking at it as specialist v mainstream helps particularly. It’s about finding the right setting for your child which depending what is available locally could be either (or for some children neither)

I have friends who are thriving at local specialist schools but I decided they weren’t right for DS because the reasons they thrive there would be the same reasons DS would struggle.

Likewise when I visited other mainstream schools they couldn’t meet his needs fully in the way he needs. The school he is at is the best fit for him, not perfect of course but he is happy there and that’s what matters.

DD1 (year 3) is autistic and is at mainstream school.
Reception for her was an absolute disaster. She had numerous sensory issues, refused to engage or do any work. She also wouldn't stay in her classroom and would flit between the two. There was also no understanding of following the rules and expectations of reception and her language was very echolaic. Her school were adamant that she was not suitable for mainstream and we went through the process of amending her EHCP and requesting a special school. Whilst waiting for a special school she turned a corner in year 1. She also had a teacher who really understood her and she's just blossomed and gone from strength to strength. When her EHCP was reviewed the following year we agreed that she'd done enough to continue at her school and that specialist intervention was not needed.
She does have some attention issues but in terms of language, understanding and ability to do the work has now caught up with her peers. She loves school and has a couple of friends and I'm very proud of how far she's come.
I'd definitely see how things go in year 1 especially as your DC is improving. Good luck

The most important thing at the moment is that the ehcp truly reflects his needs and that all the provision he needs is in it.

Thank you very much, OP. I really appreciate your reply. Apologies for the slight thread derailment.

I was in this situation a couple of years ago but my child has coped fine in mainstream with an EHCP. Years 1 and 2 were a breeze. Year 3 is proving to be more of challenge....

@Bewildered2021

I was in this situation a couple of years ago but my child has coped fine in mainstream with an EHCP. Years 1 and 2 were a breeze. Year 3 is proving to be more of challenge....

For ds the transition to year 3 was by far the toughest. Transition to secondary has been easier than that was!

@poppupppirate

"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."

DD is the same re prefering to wear pull-ups and I've actually found this issue to be the greatest barrier. Despite having a good level of intelligence and being age approriate re phonics etc DD has been kept back a year because of it (NB Scotland so slightly different school system plus not got a formal diagnosis yet but heading that way).

Interested to hear how your DCs school plan to manage the nappy issue if you don’t mind sharing. We're just told 'no' she can't be at school in a nappy.

[quote Halloweenrainbow]@poppupppirate

"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."

DD is the same re prefering to wear pull-ups and I've actually found this issue to be the greatest barrier. Despite having a good level of intelligence and being age approriate re phonics etc DD has been kept back a year because of it (NB Scotland so slightly different school system plus not got a formal diagnosis yet but heading that way).

Interested to hear how your DCs school plan to manage the nappy issue if you don’t mind sharing. We're just told 'no' she can't be at school in a nappy.[/quote]
They have only said a toileting plan can be implemented if necessary, there's been no mention of not being allowed to remain in school.

I would raise holy hell if that alone was used as a reason to move school, surely it's disability discrimination.

@Appleseesaw

Thank you very much, OP. I really appreciate your reply. Apologies for the slight thread derailment.

Not atall, I'm glad you found some positivity in the posts

@Underhisi

The most important thing at the moment is that the ehcp truly reflects his needs and that all the provision he needs is in it.

Yes absolutely.

The ehcp is perfect for eyfs but will definitely need adjustments for year one.

@Daisychainsandglitter

DD1 (year 3) is autistic and is at mainstream school. Reception for her was an absolute disaster. She had numerous sensory issues, refused to engage or do any work. She also wouldn't stay in her classroom and would flit between the two. There was also no understanding of following the rules and expectations of reception and her language was very echolaic. Her school were adamant that she was not suitable for mainstream and we went through the process of amending her EHCP and requesting a special school. Whilst waiting for a special school she turned a corner in year 1. She also had a teacher who really understood her and she's just blossomed and gone from strength to strength. When her EHCP was reviewed the following year we agreed that she'd done enough to continue at her school and that specialist intervention was not needed. She does have some attention issues but in terms of language, understanding and ability to do the work has now caught up with her peers. She loves school and has a couple of friends and I'm very proud of how far she's come. I'd definitely see how things go in year 1 especially as your DC is improving. Good luck

That's amazing thank you for replying

My son, and pretty much all the boys with autism we know, just about managed in mainstream until year 4. It all fell apart at that point and they went to schools with autism bases or SEND schools.

Get an EHCP as soon as possible (if you don’t already have one).

@poppupppirate

Thank you so much for replying to my comment.

I do think it's discriminatory especially since there's really no extra support required with it - DD is fully capable of going to the toilet. Even if she did have an accident she would change herself independently just like if she was wearing underwear. Perhapse I'll ask for this to be included in some sort of toileting plan as you mentioned.

To answer your OP, one of the issues raised about DDs moving up was her lack of stamina and concern she might not get through the whole school day with there being less play and less down time than in a nursery setting. Is stamina an issue for your DC?

My DS has ASD and other needs. He stayed in mainstream until it totally broke him in year 8. Primary up to year 5 was good and then the differences became too big.
It took a long time to find the correct setting as DS doesn’t have global learning difficulties, he also doesn’t do very well being around just autistic people.

If your DS is happy then keep him where he is but look out for alternative schools should the placement break down. My DSs school is 40 miles from home, independent and in another LA, don’t feel you just have to look locally or at LA maintained schools.

He sounds very similar to my ds, who is 6 and in yr 1 now. Nursery/reception was very up and down, the start of year 1 was horrendous! We managed to get his ehcp through in October as it had previously been rejected (think having the educational physcologist witness him throwing a chair at the door to try and escape is what swayed it 😳!) He then got an amazing 1 to 1 who works with him until lunchtime everyday and he is a changed boy! He engages with all lessons whereas before he would go off to read a book if he didn't want to join in. He speech has really come on, he's made some lovely friends and he really enjoys going to school. He's still not toilet trained and struggles with things like pe/dressing himself etc, but we are working on that. It doesn't sound like there is any reason why mainstream wouldn't work for your ds, but I would maybe bring up about a 1 to 1, I'm surprised they weren't more specific in the ehcp.