HE and disability

[asouthwoldmummy]

I'm planning to HE my 2yo DS. He has a genetic disorder which means when he's a bit older he'll be in a wheelchair. None of our local schools are appropriate for wheelchair users(one of the original reasons why we thought about HE).
He had a paediatric appt the other day and the doctor asked what school we'll be sending him to as they'll need prior notice about his condition. Just said we hadn't thought about it yet(doctor is retiring soon, thought there's no point mentioning HE yet).
Given that he regularly sees doctors and physiotherapists is HE likely to be a problem? Does anyone have experience of HE with a DC with a disability?

It shouldn't be a problem - what sort of problem are you worried about? You might get ignorant HCPs making stupid comments, I guess, but if you can grow a thick skin and assume the role of educator to them too, then it shouldn't be a problem to your DS.

Why not post on the sn boards?
There are quite a few who have HE'd for a while or permanently.
And we're all very friendly and helpful.

OP - totally respectful of your decision to HE - but wouldn't want you to feel that your DS had no options in school.

sorry sentence should say - The ladies on the special needs board will have lots of useful tips about this.

Thanks tabouleh, that was the original reason we thought about HE, but the more we have looked into it the more we realised it is what we want for our DS.

It's always a lottery with "professionals." The more you are in contact with, the more people there are who could potentially want to report you to the LA. But it's not the end of the world if they do. Current legislation is very much in your favour. At worst, you may have to write up a report as a one-off and then send a few assertive letters to set your LA straight if it claims it needs ongoing involvement with your family, home visits etc.

Whenever any of my younger daughter's specialists ask about school, I use it as an opportunity to launch into the benefits of HE, specifically with respect to my daughter's particular needs. Nobody has reported us to the LA yet, but I'm not that bothered if they do.

hi - i'm assuming that most of your physio/ ot/ slt whatever visits at the moment are home or clinic based. shortly after school age in some areas it's more the norm for these appointments to tail off, or to be incorporated into relatively infrequent assessments and school-based stuff (if you are lucky enough to have it written into your statement.) i'm assuming your ds is not statemented at the moment (in our area dcs were only statemented for yr r, so in their pre-school year.)

the only downside i can think of is that some people have had difficulty transferring physio/ ot/ slt support from a statement (where that support is provided in school) into an out of school context (obv people who have withdrawn their dcs from school to he.)

i would explore how that provision will be implemented in an he setting before you make any firm decisions (particularly if your ds will need this type of support)

fwiw, dd2 has cp and has always been in mainstream nursery and school with great support. (she used a walking frame/ wheelchair for a long period) - it's my perfectly nt ds1 who would most benefit by he, and we do discuss it periodically (he's very keen). at the moment i believe that dd2's needs are best met in a school environment, but all dcs are different. (our infant school was an old victorian building that the lea adapted for dd2 to attend. there was only one classroom she couldn't access in the end, but if she had been there for yr2 they would have switched the classes around.)

i would also suggest having a good look around all the local schools, even if you choose not to use them, it will prove invaluable in your discussions with the lea and your ds' paed.

Saracen - thanks that's a big help. I suppose I just assumed any professionals would immediately report us to the LEA.

Nickoftime - tbh our local paed services aren't great. He has a rare progressive disorder and is already seen once a year at GOSH( I assume they'll want to see him more regularly as his condition progresses). He has some local physio but his local paed appts are really just routine follow-ups, so tbh I can't really see appts being too much of a problem(hopefully!).