My daughter is currently in Year 5, and we're starting to look at secondary schools for her. She has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Although she masks well and is considered high functioning, she struggles significantly with sensory processing, particularly with clothing.
She can only tolerate one brand of trousers and wears sandals all year round because any other type of shoe is unbearable for her and leads to meltdowns. We've had numerous mornings where getting dressed has been such a battle that she's been late to school, and last year, we went through a period where she had daily meltdowns and would hide under the bed, screaming, unable to wear anything at all. She has had play therapy and additional emotional support in school, but clothing remains a major trigger.
Currently, she attends a primary school with no uniform, which helps tremendously. Unfortunately, none of the secondary schools in our catchment area are non-uniform, but there is one just outside our catchment that seems much more relaxed and understanding of individual needs.
My question is: Could her sensory issues and the need to avoid uniform be considered a social/medical reason to apply to a specific school? Has anyone gone down this route?
I’ve heard that having an EHCP would make it easier to choose a school based on her needs, but she doesn’t currently meet the criteria for one due to her relatively low academic support needs. I’m worried that if she went to a school with uniforms, even with an exemption, it would increase her anxiety and make her feel singled out, which could result in school refusal.
Any insights or advice on how to approach this would be much appreciated. I just want to ensure we find the best environment for her to transition to secondary school smoothly.