Help! DS with EHCP Falling between mainstream and specialist school, potential PDA

[ASDandus]

Where to start, our DS is currently in year 5 has ASD and we've recently hard fought for him to have an EHCP (issued Sept 21). He suffers with high levels of anxiety and will have a fight or flight response to a situation, currently happening approx 3 times per term with 2 occasions since Christmas where the Police have had to be called as he couldn't be found.

It doesn't appear to us that the small local village School are coping with the situation very well. When we ask about what support he's actually receiving we just get "we're doing all we can" no evidence or data seems to be being accumulated. It is clear that the head is becoming more and more frustrated by the situation and the undertones of aggression are despite us trying really hard to work together for 4 years are beginning to show so we are wondering how tenable his placement is as they are looking for reasons to exclude him.

The local pupil referral unit has been in to observe DS and believes that a specialist provision is going to traumatise him. We agree with this as DS appears to be very social and loves all things sport.

We are worried about moving him away from his friends especially as he moves into year 6, if we do move him we want to be sure it's the right options.

The other challenge is that we need to name his secondary school, we have a local school with a unit but it appears to be a lunchtime and break club rather than having educational element. There is another unit where the students spend approx 70% of their time in which is about 45 mins away but we're about the impact of the long days.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation with their DC school??? Help!!

I think it might be worth posting this in the special needs section too as there are some knowledgeable people on there who will hopefully be able to help you.

There are several things that jump out at me about your post. Firstly, the fact that your DS couldn't be found when he runs away is a massive, massive safe-guarding failure on behalf of the school. On that basis alone, I would be asking for an emergency annual review of his EHCP.

His school cannot simply fob you off with 'we're doing all we can'. Now he has an EHCP, they have to evidence what they're doing to meet section F of his EHCP. Again, you can ask for emergency annual review if you believe the school are failing to deliver his EHCP.

Do you feel that his EHCP is fit for purpose? Is the support he needs quantified and specified in Section F? (This is the legally binding bit of the EHCP.) If not, you can look to appeal this once the annual review has been carried out and the local authority don't agree to change it.

You know that with an EHCP you don't have to just look in your local authority for a school? You can look further afield. You can even look at independent schools.

Try and contact Ipsea or SOS!SEN - they give free advice but can be very hard to get hold of so you will need to keep trying.

There is some useful info here so you can make sure you know the law:
www.ipsea.org.uk/Pages/Category/get-support

Info about early annual review:
www.ipsea.org.uk/asking-for-an-early-review-of-an-ehc-plan

It's worth noting that you can only request an emergency review. It may be that IF the school doesn't feel they can meet DS's needs, they may be supportive. As his EHCP was issued in Sept, the local authority will have to hold one then so it's not actually that far away.

45 mins away isn't that far when it comes to Secondary schools by the way. He may well be entitled to transport if that's his nearest suitable school.

Thank you, I'll post in the SEN section.