Full specialist or ASD unit attached to mainstream?

[Ricecakesaremyjam]

5yr old DS, diagnosed ASD and ADHD. Has an EHCP and 1:1 in mainstream primary reception class, been a complete shitshow and he has been made to attend for just 2hrs a day the entire time. At annual review school will agree they can’t meet need and request a change of placement.
He is clever, kind, loves to make people laugh - but also shows huge impulsivity, total
lack of danger awareness and has outbursts at school when things aren’t as he expects them to be or during any moments of transition.
This is where I’m stuck - full specialist or ASD unit attached to mainstream?
There’s pro’s and cons of both.
If he doesn’t cope in a tiny village primary I can’t see it being easier for him in a larger mainstream school with a unit attached. BUT I keep getting warned that he could pick up behavioural issues if he attends a specialist school.
I just don’t know what to do - no specialist provisions allow you to visit without having already named them on the EHCP so I feel like I’m being asked to make a huge decision totally blind.
any advice would be so appreciated. Thankyou x

Anyone? 🫣

Is your child medicated for ADHD? DS was a bit "up and down" pre med but having the medication at school has totallt changed things... just something to consider.

What county are you?

You can view units before naming anywhere (i did this year)

What type of curriculum is on offer at each? If he needs a mainstream level curriculum is that on offer in specialist? What is the peer group at each?

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes he is medicated - it wears off so quickly though. Just been given a 5mg top up for lunchtime. I think in view of his age they are reluctant to up the dosage too much.
He is becoming overstimulated, disregulated and lashing out and I’m so worried he’s going to start getting suspended etc

How is he getting on academically? My friend’s son is at a specialist unit within a high school and the benefit is that he can attend classes in the non specialist unit when suitable. As science is a special interest it’s really great to give him the opportunity to learn in different ways.

Personally I'd go full specialist. I say this as someone who works within education.

Despite only being in school 2hrs a day and spending most of that time playing with Lego; he isn’t actually behind. He can read at the expected level, can write some words, can count etc. I don’t want him to lose his academic potential but I am also very aware that if he’s made to continue in mainstream his mental health would be at risk as he gets older. So basically looking for a specialist school for high functioning ASD kids. Getting him into one is another matter though isn’t it 🫣

Hi.
We are in a similar position: 6 year old DS in mainstream and he's out of class and has been since Xmas, so we're starting to look at different providers.
Has 1:1 and individual timetable but was unhappy hence us starting looking.... but... In the last 4 weeks he has really settled and starting to access more, been playing with others... And one of his biggest triggers is other children being emotional/crying which we think he may encounter more in a specialist provision.
It's so hard to know what to do for the best.

@BillyWind 100%. I really don’t know what to do

Sorry, no answers... but solidarity!

Go and see the proposed offers and you’ll be a better judge as to where DS best fits

Actually, I did go and look round a specialist primary school. I just called up and explained our situation and we were shown round by SLT. Have you tried that?

Are you paying for this? If not you may not get a lot of choice and the school/local authority will decide. I’d choose a asd unit if it was my son but he’s boarderline for mainstream/sen school and academic. A lot of people I know who have children in Sen school say it’s been the best thing for their child.

Have you got anyone to discuss with what the options are and what the different settings can offer your child?

DS wasn't offered a place in a special school at primary because it was felt he was too academic for it, he ended up in a small unit for children with additional needs attached to a mainstream primary.

He's now in secondary and in a specialist ASD base within a mainstream secondary, where, as others have said, he can attend mainstream lessons if he's able/in the subjects that interest him most.

My DD is in specialist provision which is good in some ways, it if I had my time again I’d aim for mainstream with a specialist unit. All of the kids she is friends with have some form of social or communication difficulties which really impacts her social skills. In mainstream the mix of kids means the communication difficulties are diluted a bit and she would learn through more common relationship dynamics, rather than every situation being complicated by the mix of additional support needs. It may not be an issue when he’s young, but in teenage years it’s certainly added colour to her friendships and not in a good way.

How is he socially?

Visit the school choices you have. Ask them what they can do to make things work for your child. Ask about other kids they have with similar needs, what worked for them. Ask how stretched they are for resources.

I would get the names of local SS and start a thread asking for current parent opinions.

I'm a bit biased as i tried out a private SS with DS and tbh although they said they were teaching the NC, they werent and it was a bit shit. He's thriving in MS now.

I do think units are good as it's the best of both worlds

You really need to battle to go and view these places or take advice from the LA. I have recently done supply teaching in special schools and the difference in them is enormous. My closest special school was mainly pupils who could communicate and didn’t have any major medical issues. The curriculum was very low level and no chance of achieving GCSEs which was appropriate. I then worked at another where pupils had significant communication difficulties and medical needs as well. I’m now at a school with a group that is very high functioning and I’m teaching GCSE level. They each cater for significantly different types of young people.

DD's primary was a mainstream with specialised unit attached, three classes Reception - Y2, Y3/4 and Y5/6.

At that time she wasn't diagnosed and her ASD symptoms were managable so that for her mainstream was doable.

The school really worked hard to integrate the SEN children with the maintream classes. Where possible academically they attended some lessons, often English/maths and science, depending on their level of disability.
They also were included in activities like work shops and sports day.

Secondary wise the majority went to a specialist secondary, it was rare that they went to mainstream.

I would push to see both schools and have an in-depth talk with the mainstream senco. Can you try to find out from other parents locally via FB groups or a local SEN group?

How integrated is the unit into the school?

DS is in an ASN provision attached to a school but it is almost 100% separate.

The kids who can might attend the weekly assembly and DS is involved in this year’s gala float but others he’s in a class of 8 kids either a teacher and two learning assistants.

In two years he’s gone from non-verbal to short sentences. He is learning to read and is excellent with numbers.
His only problem academically is he struggles to press a pencil hard enough to write so he uses a pen.

Outsode of academia he’s gotten better at identifying his emotions and interacting with others.

It's such a shock and tough going when you realise your young, lively and lovely dc are going to be following a different path than the expected mainstream.

And then it gets a bit more tougher when you're trying to find the right school and then have to fight some to get the LEA to agree to funding it if it means an Independent SS.

All I can say, from my own experience, is that the LEA will try and get him in the cheapest place - with space available. DS had to go through that and being segregated, excluded and permanently excluded more than once did some serious damage...which he eventually recovered from, by attending an Independent SS for a few years. We had to move 200 miles to even get close to having that as an option.

He became the boy he was born to be again.

When he was ready, we moved back and after some LEA shenanigans he spent his pre and GCSE years in a Free School - chosen specifically by me due to it's natural environment. Then to the nearest College for some mediocre post-16 education and a bit of casual work and an Apprenticeship later he's off to Uni in Sept to study his passion, History. He's now 23.

It's a long road but one worth taking, fight with all your might, if you have to.

Specialist provisions do allow look rounds, both special schools I work in do. They prefer to do them on scheduled open days rather than for each family individually, but they will do seperate ones in specific circumstances.

Full specialist
When he ready for mainstream they will encourage him onwards

There won’t be one right decision for all, especially because a large part depends on the specific schools you are comparing. Special schools vary massively. As do units within mainstreams.

Not all special schools allow visits. Some do at any time. Some don’t until the LA has formally consulted them. Some don’t.

I think a lot depends on what area you’re in as some have great specialist schools, whereas as some are more like a babysitting service. Equally - the same goes for unit, where some are better than others. I’d agree that you need to fight to view them. It sounds like you need somewhere that will still push him academically but in a way that suits his needs.