Walking home from school

[lollipoprainbow]

I've got a real dilemma coming up in September with my dd10. She is desperate to start walking home by herself, she's autistic and I don't think she's streetwise enough but she is getting so upset about not being allowed to as her friend is allowed to. Her friend is 8 months older though as my dd is one of the youngest in her class, her friend isn't autistic and is super confident which my dd isn't. How do I say no or should I let her?? It's about a ten minute walk home. The thought of her crossing roads etc makes me feel sick to the stomach.

Can she walk with her friend/s instead of walking along? I would not let my child walk along too, that would make me very anxious and worried. If she can't join any group of friends for a walk, why don't you let her walk by herself but you walk behind her at a distance to make sure that she gets safely to school. And if you don't trust any other child do the same when she walks with them too. That's what I did with my ds when he 1st started walking with his friends to and from primary school in Y6.
Now, he is starting secondary school and has to walk a bit farther and possibly without friends, so will be walking him to school too.
I always think that it's better to be safe than sorry. Independence is good but safety is far more important.

Can you practice this summer? (I'm assuming that you're in England)
will she be walking to secondary school in a year?
Does her friend walk the same route?
Can you meet her half way (say just before a tricky crossing or where her friend might go in a different direction ) and increase the meeting point over time ?

@Bango2019 her friend has offered to walk with her but lives in the opposite direction so can't see her mum agreeing to this (I wouldn't)! I thought about walking behind her. She's just terribly upset when I say no as she's already feeling sad about her autistic diagnosis.

Build up in stages.
So first she meets you at the end of the road the school is on.
Then round the corner.
Then at the first crossing point.
Then across the crossing point.
etc.

Go and 'play on the roads' with her at the crossing points (or find safer places to cross) and massively talk through the safety and judging.

My eldest has dyspraxia and had difficulty judging traffic. So when she went to secondary we did some practicing at the only unmanned crossing and it really helped.

I used to meet mine half way; they had the kudos of being allowed to walk home alone but I'd actually be at the bottom of the road waiting for them. We gradually built slowly to being able to walk home alone

My daughter has autism and is 11 there is no way she would be able to walk to school alone but then she has a 1:1 all day at school so only
you know your child