PDD NOS and school

[mlr]

According to my son's school, he may have PDD- NOS, snd next year he will be assessed by an Educational psychologist. The school thinks he may temporarily need one to one support. He is intelligent and is doing well in most of his work but gets confused by informal instructions and imaginative tasks.

If he does not need support when he is older (he is six now) would a mainstream independent school admit him? I do not think he would cope well with the informality of a state school.

If they suspect PDD-NOS then really he needs to be assessed by a developmental paed- not an ed psych. I'd be wary about PDD-NOS it's a pretty useless diagnosis- and very uncommon in the UK. Doesn't get you access to the sort of help needed anyway.

Independent schools vary greatly but are often NOT good with children on the autistic spectrum- unless they are very very high functioning, and all that is needed is small classrooms. (I know one boy who is thriving in a small private school- who doesn't have a diagnosis as far as I know but has some mild autistic tendencies). He is lucky though in that his teacher has a son with AS so she understands the issues. Luke Jackson also attended a private school for a while- which he did find better than the state school - he writes about it in his book.

If your son does have special needs they are generally best met in the state sector with additional support. The state sector has the funding (although you may have to fight for it) to provide one to one helpers and for children who have this type of problem that is generally the type of help that is needed.

My son is severely autistic- 5 years old non-verbal and is just finishing his reception year in mainstream. It has gone very well because he has had full time one to one support. I don't think that mainstream will be suitable for the whole of his school career- but it has worked well for him up to now.

Thanks for answering. I am feeling very confused over the whole thing. I feel to some extent that I am trying to lable my child with Asperger's because the school says he must have it, and yet I do not really see it myself most of the time. He clearly does have difficulties at school, but there is a lack of a box to fit his behaviour into.

However, if I tell the Educational Psychologist that the school calls in that I do not see the behaviour, then it seems less likely my son will get help. It is as if I have to decide what diagnosis I want my son to have in advance of actually speaking to a professional.

Perhaps I should take this over to Special Needs Discussions.