Hi
have posted at various points before. Will be very outing
My daughter is 5 - she was diagnosed autistic age 3 has had an EHCP since she was 2
Our preference for school was a specialist school - the LA lost her info and were only aware of her as i rang two weeks before school placements pannel to double check the date. The info they then presented was out dated and she did not get a place at a specialist school. Her case went back to panel with up to date info reports and statements and pannel decided she needed a specialist school but that there were no places.
the last week of summer term they offered her a place at a mainstream school that will be opening a specialist base .
we appealed after the first pannel sections B F and I. The date was for the end of september.
DD started at the school in sept. They are wonderful. Its DD and one other autistic child untill the base is open (work keeps being delayed) it is 2 teachers and 2 tas for the two children for now untill the base is open when it will be 8 children with 1 teacher and 1 or 2 TA’s.
There have been challenges but she has settled so well.
The staff have no real sen experience but have really bonded with DD.
one thing that has really suprised us all - DD likes to keep herself to herself - shes non verbal with limited but growing understanding- she has always actively avoided other children. Untill the base is ready the two children mix with reception a lot - dd has taken to joining in with some of the other children holding hand and last week actually playing (she never plays) i cant express how happy this made her and us.
we delayed the tribunal from sept to nov (next week) to see how it went to see if it could work.
ultimately, we dont think she would stay at this school long - they dont have the experience to help her and i think she would be moved along before ks2 by the school/LA anyway. I worry we would be holding her back to keep her there - that she would be ‘behind’ her peers - that i would be failing her as her mum and her voice to not fight for the best for her
We asked the LA if they could offer DD a place at a specialist school next september and she could stay at this school untill then - they havent answered.
Im told the tribunals decision has immediate effect but i worry the impact this would have on DD.
I know for her to have the best of her future she needs to go to a specialist school. The opportunities and access to different services at school would change her life. I dont feel that she will learn in any capacity at this school but she is happier than we have seen and very settled.
do we carry on with the tribunal next week to try to get her a place at a specialist school now? Or do we wait untill the school/LA inevitably move her along ?
would we be holding her back if we did this?
has anyone had similar experiences ?