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.

To guarantee 1-1 you need to ensure it is clearly written in section F of the plan. Ds ehcp states “x will have 25 hours 1-1 from a teaching assistant during lessons, he will also be provided with a high level of support during break times”

It means no matter what is happening school have to find someone to provide the support.

I would watch and wait. Keep options open.

My son wasn't diagnosed until he was 8 and did up to year 2 without a sniff of difficulty or support, Fast forward to 7yo and the massive advance in the complexities of social communication around year 2 and the wheels totally fell off. He was barely at school, severe anxiety, school became less than helpful (I find they are super helpful when things go well but quite unhelpful when they can't and won't just admit it instead of getting defensive which would help everyone)

Anyway, he was out of school for nearly a year and lots of 'there's not enough money in his EHCP to help or have a 1:1 etc' and he was placed at a SEN school which was the making of him, I know he will be a far more successful adult for the well rounded therapeutic education he's getting now. He's very far advanced academically but there is a whole class of them who are the same (more and more academically able children are going to SEN schools due to lack of support in mainstream - most at our school were out of school due to mainstream failing which is a real shame)

That said, your child might continue to do really well with just enough support here or there and the mainstream environment as a really good structure, many children do too.

@yellowoffering

I would watch and wait. Keep options open.

My son wasn't diagnosed until he was 8 and did up to year 2 without a sniff of difficulty or support, Fast forward to 7yo and the massive advance in the complexities of social communication around year 2 and the wheels totally fell off. He was barely at school, severe anxiety, school became less than helpful (I find they are super helpful when things go well but quite unhelpful when they can't and won't just admit it instead of getting defensive which would help everyone)

Anyway, he was out of school for nearly a year and lots of 'there's not enough money in his EHCP to help or have a 1:1 etc' and he was placed at a SEN school which was the making of him, I know he will be a far more successful adult for the well rounded therapeutic education he's getting now. He's very far advanced academically but there is a whole class of them who are the same (more and more academically able children are going to SEN schools due to lack of support in mainstream - most at our school were out of school due to mainstream failing which is a real shame)

That said, your child might continue to do really well with just enough support here or there and the mainstream environment as a really good structure, many children do too.

That's positive and reassuring, thank you for sharing

Sounds like your child has come on so much! What helped? Mine is non verbal and I'm trying to do everything I can to get him talking.

@Chismeando

Sounds like your child has come on so much! What helped? Mine is non verbal and I'm trying to do everything I can to get him talking.

Is he in nursery? I think being in school nursery helped so much, being around professional teachers who know what they are doing, also being around children and picking things up from them.

Speech therapy with personalised targets and plans is vital.

At home I started with single word. If he wanted something and gestured towards it I would say the word and try to get him to repeat it before giving it to him.
Then when he started repeating single words I would add 'please' or 'Thankyou' or say the colour of it to try and build upto two word phrases.

Eg
Son wanted an apple
He would lead me to the fridge and point to an Apple
I would say
Apple?
He would nod
I would say Apple again and he would eventually repeat it (this took weeks of building upto it)
Once he was confident with repeating single words I would try things like
Red Apple or
Green Apple
Apple please
Apple thank you

Now he is able to say things like
Mummy I want an Apple
And when I've helped him he will say Thankyou without being promoted.

It's a long slow process but worth the effort if it starts to bring out their language

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 didn’t realise you only wanted one type of opinion/viewpoint.

Why do I say what I say?
Experience, extensive personal experience.

I am autistic, my (now young adult) children are autistic. I have a lot of experience both good and bad of SEN educational provision and my advice is to look at SEN schools.

I think you could benefit from asking yourself why you are so against the suggestion of SEN schools.

Also @Thenose your posts are fab 👏🏼

I'm not against SEN schools, the whole point of my post was to help me to work out what is the right setting for my child. If I was against SEN schools I wouldn't bother to ask.

I was just asking you to give a bit more detail about why you thought I should look at SEN schools. As that was all you said.
Other posters explained what they thought and why which helps.

Autism is a huge spectrum and it sounds like your child is doing brilliantly in their current placement
What works for one child won't work for others ,my son has severe non verbal autism and learning disabilities and he's always been in s special school. as that's the best place that can meet his needs
Ime the LEA,s will always go for the cheapest options and If a child's needs can be currently met ,getting any other more expensive place would be a fight
Obviously things can and do change ,but in your situation I would keep my child in their current placement provided they continue to do well ,in in the annual review It should be discussed wether the current placement is the correct one .

Thank you

Replies like this are really helpful

I'm autistic.

Please help your child by always being clear, honest and direct.

He. Or she. Not they, or it.

@StopStartStop

I'm autistic.

Please help your child by always being clear, honest and direct.

He. Or she. Not they, or it.

I don't need a lecture from anybody thank you about how I address my child.

I was posting as neutral as possible to avoid outing myself as I know people who use the forums.

Of course I don't call my child it. And didn't on this post either.

@StopStartStop

I'm autistic.

Please help your child by always being clear, honest and direct.

He. Or she. Not they, or it.

I just took that the Op didn't want to say on here wether her child is male or female ,?

I just took that the Op didn't want to say on here wether her child is male or female ,?

---

Exactly that! I probably slipped up somewhere but I just prefer to try and keep some things neutral where possible because you never know if someone will recognise you or a newspaper will try their luck.

But there will always be someone nit picking when the op is literally just looking for some kind and helpful advice.

poppupppirate, 'nitpicking'? I think you need to have a word with yourself.

StopStartStop, your post was clear to me. Language is important, the message you've stated is uncontroversial, the op's post were inconsistent and only she knows whether she does this in everyday life. It can't be taken for granted that she doesn't, because it's a noted problem in disability studies. Unfortunately, the op appears to have an unusually significant deficit of empathy for the characteristically autistic perspective, despite having an autistic child. Ostensibly, she wants us to read past what she says and to respond to what she has hasn't said. She criticises our failure to satisfactorily read her mind, and in doing so demonstrates that she lacks even a superficial understanding of ours. The irony would be entertaining if the message wasn't so disappointingly familiar.

HadaVerde, thank you. 40 years old, and I still get caught out thinking a question is a question .

It's hard enough agonising over trying to do the right thing for a child who is struggling without being pounced on and accused of having no empathy, or having something against SEN schools.

I go to extreme lengths to ensure my child is comfortable, settled and understood and always will. I don't need to justify my choice of language on an anonymous forum that has no bearing on the way I communicate with my child. Of course I don't call my child 'it'.

Im going to step away from this thread now because the tone is becoming unpleasant. Thank you for those who gave their personal experiences and advice it's really appreciated and insightful.

Not all mainstream provision is equal. There are some schools which have very good SEN provision and some (supposedly ‘outstanding’) which have suspiciously low numbers of SEN children. Keep an eye on the future for secondaries that may suit him: the underrated community school that does a wonderful job with tricky cases is often a better bet than the box-ticking exam factory with the five star Ofsted.

@ThomasinaGallico

Not all mainstream provision is equal. There are some schools which have very good SEN provision and some (supposedly ‘outstanding’) which have suspiciously low numbers of SEN children. Keep an eye on the future for secondaries that may suit him: the underrated community school that does a wonderful job with tricky cases is often a better bet than the box-ticking exam factory with the five star Ofsted.

Thank you I think primary school (as they're presenting at the moment) will be fine for them unless things drastically change. But secondary will be a much bigger decision I think.

I have got some tours planned and have been looking at websites of SEN schools and those that have enhanced provision so I can make a fully informed decision, but I am feeling more confident that the current school is the best place right now.

I'm a teacher in a special school. Your little one does not sound like a good candidate for us unless he really cannot cope in mainstream.

He will get access to a much better education in mainstream as a lot of time in special schools is spent on life skills, sensory play, soft play, walks, cooking, baking, messy play etc.

The amount of time spent on actual academic learning is less than an hour a day in our school. Often not even that. The activities we offer however are amazing and so much fun, the children learn to share and take turns and to experience the wider world safely.

Your son sounds like he can achieve far more in mainstream going by what you have written. At least try and see.

@bettertocryinamercedes

I'm a teacher in a special school. Your little one does not sound like a good candidate for us unless he really cannot cope in mainstream.

He will get access to a much better education in mainstream as a lot of time in special schools is spent on life skills, sensory play, soft play, walks, cooking, baking, messy play etc.

The amount of time spent on actual academic learning is less than an hour a day in our school. Often not even that. The activities we offer however are amazing and so much fun, the children learn to share and take turns and to experience the wider world safely.

Your son sounds like he can achieve far more in mainstream going by what you have written. At least try and see.

That's really useful thank you very much.

I am going to have a look around just so I know what's out there incase we need to think again further down the line. I think we are going to stay put at least for the remainder of this year and the next school year, I do feel like the progress made so far has been great and I can't wait to see what else is possible

@bettertocryinamercedes

I'm a teacher in a special school. Your little one does not sound like a good candidate for us unless he really cannot cope in mainstream.

He will get access to a much better education in mainstream as a lot of time in special schools is spent on life skills, sensory play, soft play, walks, cooking, baking, messy play etc.

The amount of time spent on actual academic learning is less than an hour a day in our school. Often not even that. The activities we offer however are amazing and so much fun, the children learn to share and take turns and to experience the wider world safely.

Your son sounds like he can achieve far more in mainstream going by what you have written. At least try and see.

Sounds like my son's special school which is fabulous for him as it meets his needs and I agree would be completely wrong for the op,s child Their are autism specific special schools however which can be more academic these tend to be private and cost ££££,s and ime ,it would be a fight for the Op to get the LEA to fund it As I said in my previous post currently it seems the Op,s child is doing well in their mainstream placement and has the correct support If I was in the Op,s position as long as my child was happy and making progress and supported I would keep them where they were The situation can always be revisited if things change .

Sounds like my son's special school which is fabulous for him as it meets his needs and I agree would be completely wrong for the op,s child
Their are autism specific special schools however which can be more academic these tend to be private and cost ££££,s and ime ,it would be a fight for the Op to get the LEA to fund it
As I said in my previous post currently it seems the Op,s child is doing well in their mainstream placement and has the correct support
If I was in the Op,s position as long as my child was happy and making progress and supported I would keep them where they were
The situation can always be revisited if things change .

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Thank you for your help, my husband and I have agreed we should stay put and we will think again after they've had time to settle into year one and take it from there. The move from eyfs to ks1 will be huge I think that's what's been worrying me.