They’re seeking autism specialist school

[Ricecakesaremyjam]

DS 5yrs diagnosed ASD, ADHD and social communication disorder. In mainstream reception class, been awful, school have agreed can’t meet need. He has been discussed at a LA panel meeting and Autism specialist school is being sought.
Im so anxious about what this exactly means - so a school specialising in educating autistic children? He is academically able, friendly and sociable, but very dependent on routine and massive social communication issues, becoming very disregulated in school, running about, starting to lash out (at staff, not at kids). I’m worried about the type of school he could be sent to. I’d really appreciate anyone with experience giving advice or words of wisdom please! Thankyou x

I'd also say it's worth looking at independent mainstream and specialist schools. In our LA there's only one LA maintained specialist secondary school in the whole county for asd students where they can sit GCSEs, but a few independent specialists where they can do this. Some asd children will be ok in a non specialist independent as support tends to be better and the smaller class sizes can make a huge difference on their own for some children.

Thankyou everyone for your replies.
I guess my question is, how do I ensure he gets a place at the specialist independent I know would be right for him? The maintained specialists take kids of quite different presentations to him (more complex needs and learning disabilities) whereas the specialist independent seems to have a cohort of children with a similar presentation to my son. How do I get him in there?! All I hear is how it is almost impossible to get a place in such a school ☹️

Evidence and sadly potentially an appeal.

My daughter got a place at a very sought after independent sen school for secondary without any fight whatsoever. I asked for the school and the LA agreed to it (much to the astonishment of her primary school).

So wait and see what the LA says. If they refuse, you have to appeal and I would take advice from somewhere like SOS!SEN.

@Ricecakesaremyjam - firstly, congratulations to you and ds for getting to where you are in regards to his education.

If you think you have found the ideal school setting for your ds then you make a very good case for that.

It would be wrong of me to advise either way as the state provision of ASD-specific school places has greatly increased since ds and me went through 'the mill' - and an increased understanding by more school staff.

DS would probably have fared quite well in even a mainstream setting, but too many factors were against him (back then) that fucked him right up and so the only feasible way through was via Independent Specialist Schooling.

It took a big fight with the 'powers that be' and moving to a location where such provision was available (always a Day Boy, no Boarding); but completely worth it and it worked.

Do you live near the school? Transportation costs are often a big factor in these things.

I also wouldn't rule out other options. Go and look round if you are offered a place and see what is on offer.

My cousin (now mid/late 20s) went to a state "special" school. He was very similar to your son (amazing at numbers and patterns etc... very bright). He did really well in the primary setting, but for secondary school his parents paid privately and sent him to a Montessori school where he thrived. He ended up at Cambridge university and is now an investment banker! His emotional skills aren't the best (not required in his job) but he has a nice apartment, he loves his job, has a few friends...

My advice is to contact the SEN school directly. If they believe your child is a good fit, they’ll often support you in securing a placement. My son was struggling in primary mainstream school, but because he wasn’t violent or disruptive, the school didn’t support him moving to a specialist secondary setting.

I bypassed them and reached out to several SEN schools myself. I visited with my son, and one of the schools invited him for a few taster days. After seeing him in that environment, they agreed he would be a great fit.

I made the decision not to name any other school on his EHCP. I expected to have to go to appeal, but with the SEN school’s backing, he was offered a place. Because of the cost, the placement still had to go to panel, but I made sure I had all the correct documentation and evidence from everyone involved in his care. I also shared this with the SEN school so they had everything they needed to support the application.

I’ve named the independent specialist as my parental preference and written a 2 page statement listing reasons it would be the best fit for him. It’s also 15mins away from our house so I would obviously drive him, meaning no transport costs for the LA which I hope would go in our favour?
Sorry to sound dim but when you guys mention needing lots of evidence; what exactly should this be?
To date the evidence I have is obviously his diagnoses & EHCP, his current school saying they cannot meet need, him being on a permanent reduced timetable of 2hrs a day since beginning school with a 1:1, and my statement of why he needs to move to a specialist ASD school and then why I think the independent is the right choice.
I have no other evidence 🫣
I am requesting an Ed Psych reassessment as he hasnt had EP assessment for 18 months when he was still at nursery. Doing this via right to choose (??? No prior experience of right to to choose but I am told as it is very hard to get an EP assessment, right to choose may make this quicker?)

Well it sounds like the paperwork you have already, is pretty good. I had CAMHs, sleep clinic and dietician also. Does your DC see anyone professional like this also?

@Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse No he doesn’t have any support other than the developmental paediatrician who sees him fairly regularly as he has has started ADHD meds so she reviews him quite regularly. Would her writing a supporting statement be of any help, do you think?

I think as much evidence you can obtain won’t do any harm. It’s sounds like you're doing all the right things Op, I really hope you have a positive outcome.

It is about quality of evidence rather than quantity. Things like the EP, SALT and OT reports. Also evidence from the existing placement. Right to choose doesn’t cover EP assessments for the EHCP.

To get the wholly independent school named you need to prove the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. Cost doesn’t come into the equation if the LA’s proposed schools can’t meet needs.

Personally, I wouldn’t go down the formal reassessment of needs route. There’s no guarantee the report will be good or the LA will subsequently agree to name your preferred placement. Instead, if following the conclusion of the current review process, the LA doesn’t name your preferred placement, I would appeal and seek an independent EP &/or other assessments - if you can’t afford this and you aren’t eligible for legal aid, contact Parents in Need.

You need to know where they suggest instead and then you tailor your evidence accordingly so wait and see. Local authorities DO send children to independent sen schools. You will have other parents telling you it's impossible, but that school IS full of kids whose LA is paying. You have a chance.

A lot depends on what the ehc says. You have hopefully had it written in a way that points to this school.

I think there are 4 maintained specialists they will consult with. I don’t think he would have an appropriate peer group at any of them, as mentioned they teach children with quite different needs to his in terms of severity. As he also cannot go to a unit attached to a mainstream (will not take due to episodes of disregulated behaviour) to me that only really leaves the specialist independent?

Hi,

I think you have some of the same worries I had when choosing specialist provision for my daughter.

My eldest son has autism and is academically gifted and goes to mainstream with a 1-1. He has had struggles socially but in general has done well, he is not a disruptive child and his emotional deregulation affects him alone. He doesn't like school and feels like the 'odd one out' There are other kids with autism in his year but they have differing presentation/interests to him. I can see how specialist school could have been good for him in some ways but he didn't qualify due to his scores on the EP report. He is expected to get 11 top grades (9) at G.C.S.E. Therefore if your child is deemed too clever, specialist education would not be recommended

My daughter has another disability along with her autism and when specialist education was suggested I too was worried. However, I needn't have, my daughter is in a class of 8 children who are working at a similar level to her. She is doing work that matches the national curriculum for her age.

Your child is not currently accessing the curriculum as he should be due to the fact he is missing valuable school time and therefore, despite his academic ability, it would be unlikely that he could keep up with his peers as he gets older. A more supportive environment could facilitate him reaching his potential rather than an uncomfortable and inconsistent school day.

Another thing is that you need to consider how your child's behavior (no fault of his own) affects the other children in his classroom. I have seen other parents 'shoehorning' their children into mainstream school thinking that it was somehow better, afraid that mixing children with more severe disabilities would be detrimental to their child. I have witnessed first hand the psychological damage to a child (not mine but someone we know well) caused by the expectation that they should 'fit in' and the constant 'telling offs' and punishments for behaviours that are completely natural and rational to themselves. Also damage to self esteem of being viewed by peers as the naughty child in the class.

My advice would be to call around the schools, speak to staff, explain your worries and listen to their responses. Speak to the Ed Psych regarding your worries about educational attainment and let them reassure you. Each child is to be challenged to their meet their potential.

There may be options other than maintained and wholly independent. For example, academy schools, free schools, section 41 independents, non-maintained special schools. There may also be other wholly independent special schools which the LA may try to name if they offer a place and they are cheaper. You can search for schools here.

And just because the units in mainstream say they don’t admit pupils with dysregulated behaviour doesn’t mean the LA won’t still try to place there.

If the LA plan to consult with a school I absolutely do not want my son to attend, am I able to request they do not consult with that particular school?

No. They can decide it meets his needs and then you have to go to tribunal to get the school you want instead.

I don't think you can stop them. I do know how difficult the process is, but it's really about the evidence that your preferred school can meet the needs in Sections B and F and the LAs school cannot.

I would caution against getting into pointless arguments with the LA. It is frustrating, but sometimes you get valuable evidence when they do consult many schools. DS3's appeal had the LA consulting 16 mainstream, all said no, many wrote long and detailed explanations as to why it would be detrimental to admit DS3. A tough read, but ultimately went in our favour. They did get one to change to a yes, but it was evident at the hearing it was unsuitable.

With kindness, unless you have inside information about the intake of the SEN schools in your area, you can’t possibly know whether they have children similar to your Ds or not. In my LA we have a couple of Primary ADS schools plus some SEN units attached to mainstream. As a general rule, the children are allocated to the provision that can best meet their needs so children who are clearly not able to access National Curriculum anywhere near their chronological age attend one of the schools and those who can attend the other.
The most important thing to consider at this stage is which school is appropriate for his SEN needs, because unless this is dealt with, his academic progress could be massively be affected in the future. have you spoken to the LA SEN team to ask them to arrange visits to the schools that they are consulting with?

Bear in mind that statistically most tribunals uphold the parent’s request!

I'm going to be totally honest and say you will probably have to fight to get the school you want and even if you get a place it may not work out how you expected. Many of the specialist schools we looked at didn't have good history of GCSE passes, my son went to a specialist primary for 4 years and 3 different specialist schools (1 LA run and 2 Independent). The 2nd high school was the one we really wanted him to go first, unfortunately it turned out it wasn't a great fit for him and he was much more settled at the 3rd high school which we didn't think would be right for him.

My son is bright but in the end didn't get to sit a single GCSE exam, we tried and tried to arrange exams with the LA and school but no other children were sitting exams. We were fortunate that our local college was excellent and gave our some the opportunity to start a BTECH in music performance without any GCSE results, 1st year he got a distinction and awaiting results for 2nd/3rd year now.

After thinking he would never go to college he has suprised us all by getting accepted into university, starting September.

It might not be an easy journey finding the right school but it's worth the fight to see your child happy and thriving.

Hi there, this sounds very stressful! First of all I’m surprised a 5YO has a diagnosis of ADHD? They don’t usually diagnose until 7 at the earliest. Secondly, does he have an EHCP? Specialised provision would be out of the question if he doesn’t. Assuming you are in England? May be different in Scotland/Wales/NI.

The SEND code of practice puts great emphasis on parental voice and preference so none of this should be happening if you’re not fully on board. What support does he receive in his mainstream class currently? Are you satisfied that school have given it their absolute all to meet his needs?

Absolutely. It should be entirely your decision which schools they consult with.

The LA can consult with the school.

If it was as simple as parents refusing permission for consultations, parents would refuse permission for any setting other than their preferred placement. And those seeking EOTAS/EOTIS, would refuse all consultations with placements.

At appeal, LAs like to try to portray parents as unreasonable. Don’t play into their hands. Even if you could refuse, if you have to appeal, the LA would likely ask SENDIST to Order it, SENDIST would and you would come across as unreasonable for refusing (even if the school couldn’t meet DS’s needs).