My little boy didn't get in to the SEN school

[HighHopes59]

My son is 5 and due to start school this year. He is being assessed for ASD currently. Unfortunately, he didn't get in to the SEN school due to too many applicants and other children having more severe needs. He is verbal but not conversational yet. Can make his wants and needs known and is starting to put words together and has a heap of echolalia too. He's made great progress recently and I'm really proud of him. He has his issues though and I'm struggling to picture him in a mainstream environment. The school are being super supportive at least and it is attached to his current nursery (which he loves). Some stories of hope and positivity would be really appreciated for this worried mama 🙏❤️

Anyone? X

Just hang in there - most Schools provide excellent SEN support. Get him started in an educational environment which will stimulate and hopefully encourage him to become verbal. Someone will be along with some great advice.

Aw, I can understand how you would feel worried about him. How does he currently manage in the nursery? Does he have a one to one assistant or have the school talked about how they will support him?

I would be advising you to appeal this decision and get SENDIASS on board for legal support. It’s true that there are not enough places to meet the needs of all children who require a special school setting, but that doesn’t mean we should just accept it. I assume your DC has an EHCP? You need to call an interim review and go over the provision with a fine tooth comb - make sure the LA put enough provision in place to meet his needs. Don’t let it drop!

I would imagine that he will be fine in mainstream reception for a year at least. In my area children who never go to mainstream are usually very very delayed.

I assume he has an ehcp so if mainstream turns out not to be the right choice, he can switch settings at a later date. Given that he's made good progress recently I think giving him a chance in a local school isn't unreasonable.

My own children were at primary school several years ago but there was a little boy with Down syndrome in the opposite class to my son and he was very well supported and part of the school community.

Hope this link helps you @HighHopes59 :

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs

Do you have any local schools with resource bases? All SEN schools in our area are so oversubscribed. I'm assuming he has an EHCP - have they consulted local mainstream to see if they can fulfil the plan? We found for ours that a resource base worked perfectly for the infant years and whilst they were at the base we fought for SEN school. Request an annual review and make sure provision is watertight before you agree to mainstream. speak to IPSEA if you need advice on how to make your EHCP watertight.

Assuming you have an EHCP you need to appeal the decision to place him in mainstream as @Soontobe60 says. Knowing our SENDIAS aren't great then I'd suggest contacting IPSEA or SOSSEN for support with this. You have limited time to appeal so you need to start asap.

My DGS mainly spoke in echolalia. A few words like a baby by the time he started year R. The school couldn't cope with him at all and I had to collect him early every day as they just didn't want to help him. This is an outstanding school according to Ofsted. He was clean and dry though. It was thoroughly miserable for him.

We got him into a nearby SEN school for year 1 and he was speaking in sentences within four weeks. He's having some other issues now he's hit puberty and the specialised staff are able to handle his huge meltdowns.

I totally disagree that mainstream schools are equipped to handle children with SEN as described by the OP. Fight as hard as you can to get an appropriate placement. Most mainstream schools expect good, compliant children who boost their image by achieving and that's the bottom line although really sad.

The main issue is SEN provision is very limited for infant/junior years. My son attended 2 mainstream primary schools and moved to a special school in Y3, he had to travel 80 miles a day and his taxi driver did 160 mile journey to get him there and back.

School will identify if they need additional support for your son and they will also be able to liaise with the LA if they feel he needs a more specialised placement.

This. The majority of appeals are successful. On its own being full is not enough of a reason to refuse to name your preferred placement. The LA has to prove the school is so full placing DS there is incompatible, which although there is obviously a point where the LA can do this, it is a higher bar than LAs like to admit

I can't offer any help with regard to the correct school, but what I can offer is maybe a little hope and positivity.

My close friend's ASD-diagnosed daughter was almost completely non-verbal at 4 and probably not much beyond your little boy at the same stage. She went to mainstream school and did struggle - particularly socially, which is maybe obvious(?) - but her development accelerated there, with the support that they put in place for her.

EDIT: I think maybe the second half of what I was posting isn't all that relevant at this early stage, so thought better to remove it.

Good luck, OP.

When did you get the final ECHP naming a mainstream school? You have 2 months to appeal the decision. That should be your priority. Special Schools have Agreed Place Numbers that comprise all places in the school, not Published Admission Numbers, which refer to the amount of children admitted each year, so it's the total number of children in the school that is more significant than the number of children in a year group in this case.

I agree that you need to appeal.

In my experience SEN children they might "get through" their reception year in mainstream but generally they are being contained rather than educated in a way they can access.

Also, if he's using delayed echolalia, please research the concept of gestalt language processing. Children who communicate in this way (many autistic individuals do) need a different type of language support in order to reach their potential. The website Meaningful Speech is a good place to start.

You say he's already 5. Which country are you in?

From an English perspective I can tell you this is just one roll of the dice and there is traffic between special and MS schools throughout children's school careers, so MS now doesn't mean MS forever. However you should appeal the placement straight away if you don't think the setting can meet his needs, as PPs have said. A school being "full" is not strictly in itself a reason to deny a child with an EHCP a place if they need it. But fighting for that right is tough in practice. I'm not sure how it works if you are not in England though.

Generally children with SEN in MS can work really well for the first couple of years, though I do think specialist settings have the edge on expertise and it would be my first choice often too. But socially the first couple of years tend to be OK, classmates are accepting to welcoming and many children with SEN bring a great deal to the class (not that that is their job!). He's really young still and there will likely be other children in the class with speech delays. Hard to argue he would get the same intensive input with S&L though, and you should absolutely fight for this if he'd be missing out by going to MS.

Has it gone to panel.?
In my LEA it goes to.a panel and its.discussed whether the school can meet his needs ,it maybe they think he functions to highly for the school?
If you really think the schools a better fit for him don't give up ,my son has always gone to aSEN school since reception he's year nine now ,but there have been children that have moved through out his primary years from mainstream
Also some children manage ok in primary school but transfer to special school for secondary school ,basically get allyour evidence together to make a case for why the SEN school is a better fit for hi.

In my LA there aren’t enough special school places.

Parents are appealing when their child is offered mainstream and are being allocated places at the SS. This means it’s even harder to get a place if you don’t appeal. The system is really unfair.

My DS is almost 7 and is now moving from
Mainstream to a SEN placement elsewhere.

Keep your DS for time being in Mainstream they will do regular IDP reviews with you regarding your son all which will help build a case and support that he may require SEN school, you may find he can cope in Mainstream school if he is able to have 1-1 support again this all depends on where you are based in the UK and the schools set up.

It will also help put together your son's case on his educational requirements whilst you wait on his assessment.

if you think he needs a special school fight for it. What did the EP report state?

Go all the way to tribunal. I have been there. Stressful but ultimately worth it. They count on parents giving to. Don't.

Call Ipsea or Sossen. Both are great. I had great help from Ipsea for my appeal.

He'll be fine. It's best not to give your child a label (unless it's extreme) 5 is so young!! My kids were still having the odd tantrum at 5! They're 7 now and come on leaps and bounds.

Neurodivergence is not a "label"

Appeal the decision as the school has to prove that your sons attendance would be detrimental to his education or the education of other children.

I would also look at other SEND schools, even ones slightly out of area. The LA can consult with as many as you request.

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/ are a great source of advice regarding EHCPs SEND schools and the law.

https://theautismadventure.co.uk/ is a really good website, and there are WhatsApp support groups you can join via there. I'm in them and they're very supportive.

I would also try the face book support groups

S.E.N.D Reform UK
Educational Equality
Not Fine in School

They're all very active and very helpful.

Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the battle. If you feel your son can't manage in mainstream you're going to have to fight for specialist.

I appealed and won before it got to tribunal. 96% of parents win appeals. It's basically a local authority delay tactic.

I wish you the best of luck x

Sorry to hear that, @HighHopes59 but you should try and appeal.

I’m worried this will be me next year as I keep being told my DD (3.5, non-verbal, awaiting ASD assessment) won’t get into the local special schools and will be able to manage in mainstream. It’s so frustrating.

A diagnosis that allows parents to access support for their child is not a label. That's such an outdated opinion.!