Permanent exclusion - autistic child

[Mayalamadingdong]

Hi,
I'm hoping for some advice from SEND mums in a similar position.
My son, 9, has just been permanently excluded from primary school, 2 weeks before the summer holidays.
He is autistic and has ADHD. He is very clever, amongst top 1% in SATS, but has severe behavioural, communication and sensory issues which means he's been struggling a lot at his mainstream school.
He's been studying in isolation with a 1 to 1 for 2 years now. Mostly he's been doing OK, but occasionally he has violent outbursts and he would hurt staff or damage property. He's been excluded for a few days at a time frequently for years now, and now they've decided to permanently exclude after he's attacked a teacher.
I understand where they're coming from and I know they've been trying to support him.
He is in the process of getting an EHCP (we've been in the queue for 2 years, our council is shocking). The Local Authority now says they'll rush it through given his circumstances.
However, we are now stuck without a school, and we were told it's unlikely he'll have a school place for at least a few months of the next academic year.
My questions are, to those who have gone through similar issues:

1. What are you meant to do while waiting for a place? Just educating them at home yourself? We are nowhere near qualified to meet his educational needs, and work full time. How are we meant to do this?
2. What kind of school would accept a child that isn't behind academically but has a history of violence and erratic behaviour?
3. How do we keep him 'socialising' while he's at home? He has no friends and our friends' kids don't really spend much time around us as it can be risky.

Is there a way to seek out other families in similar situations? I don't want him staring at 4 walls on his own for 6 hours a day :(

Any advice would be much appreciated.

(PS in the 5 minutes it took me to write this, he's managed to threaten a stranger he would kill her, and try to choke his brother... it's endless 🫩)

What assessments have been carried out by the LA, just the EP or SALT and OT as well?

I would look at alternative providers yourself, there's usually more available than traditional home tuition.

We struggled a lot to find a suitable school for DS3 when he was primary age. He's nowhere near as academic as your DC, but locally for his age there were only MLD and SLD available, which were unsuitable. The ASD hub was not suitable as they needed to be in mainstream for all lessons and it was a much bigger and busier environment. He ended up at an independent special 50 miles away. The LA paid the transport, but I can't deny the journey was difficult for him. We moved him to a nearer SEMH at Yr7 but unfortunately that didn't work for him and we'll be EOTIS from September.

I know of one grammar in my county that now has an ASD base, so I wouldn't necessarily rule it out for secondary. Getting the right provision now would be the priority so I'd be ensuring particularly OT including a sensory assessment has been carried out.

(I cannot accommodate home tuition so DS3's provision will all be community- based.)

You are wise not to challenge the schools decision. From what you've told us they've been remarkably patient. Most schools would have given up long before this, and two years of one to one teaching in isolation will have made a huge dent in their budget.
But yes, once he's attacking staff, he can't be left alone with any of them, and they clearly have no other strategies or practical approaches left to bring out.

As others have suggested, spending the time researching schools and behavioural units, not just in your LA but also neighbouring ones, would be a good idea. Also look at private ones. That would be a hell of a battle given LA budgets, but you need to be armed with all the options.

What's the history, if you don't mind me asking? When did this behaviour start, and was there anything that triggered the start of it?

Ah yes, I forgot I'd written that 🫠
Yes he often says stuff like that but I don't think it's ever a serious threat.
The choking thing is an issue at the moment as he's obsessed with the Simpsons and loves to imitate Homer choking Bart! He doesn't mean to cause real damage but we do take it seriously as he can inadvertently harm someone.
When I asked his brother 'did he choke you?' He said 'I asked him to' 😅 they're both mad!
I can't look away from him for a second when we're out and about 🙃

Have you contacted your MP? In my experience they are very helpful at suddenly getting things moving in situations such as yours. As a former senco, I often advised parents do this when the LA were acting illegally. I hope you get sorted with suitable provision soon 🤞

We had the same when DS was 6. He was without a school for 6 months. I was signed off from my job (I had other things going on) and stayed home working full time on getting him an EHCP, school place, on the waiting list for CAMHS and escalating a complaint. When he started at a special school I went back to work, but by then he was so traumatised by the whole thing he often refused to go in so I lost my job for good. Honestly, battling for a SEN child to get the care & education they need is a full time job and I don't know any SEN parents who both work full time. I did escalate to the ombudsman about the LA's failure to provide an education and we received a few £1000 compensation, but that's no substitute for my old salary and the process took years.
To answer your questions:

1. Just do your best. Keeping both of you sane and alive is a win.
2. there are special schools that are very used to this. Find a good one and fight for it. My son was placed in one I wasn't sure about on paper, but it was literally the only choice so we visited and he loved it. It's worked out as well as any school could for him.
3. in our case DS won't socialise full stop so that wasn't a real concern for us. But yes there will definitely be other families in the same situation in your area. Get on Facebook and seek them out. Absolutely invaluable for me - not for socialising with DS, but for finding out about resources and schools and for generally feeling less alone

He's always been a bit erratic and would randomly attack people with no apparent reason, since a toddler. Never us or his brother, it only happens with strangers or authority figures.
He was a lot less aggressive before they started isolating him, we think it's made his threshold for triggering environment etc a lot lower.
However, it's clear he needs a more specialist environment.

I didn’t say OP had to leave her job, just that one might have to. Is it fair or ideal? Absolutely not. Should it have to happen? No. But they are our children and saying the LA should sort out a place doesn’t help if there ARENT any places. I’m furious that this is the situation for SEND children, but it doesn’t change that the support just isn’t there. My daughter couldn’t cope for hours in a taxi with another child, the nearest specialist schools are too extreme so she wouldn’t thrive there, the LAs only suggestions have been part time provision. Luckily she is managing in mainstream with a one to one TA and me being on hand several times a week when necessary. My husband is the main earner so it made sense for me to be home. She isn’t allowed to attend wrap around care so part time, school term only jobs that are flexible enough for me to drop if needs be are all that’s open to me and sadly I’m yet to find one of those

He is still eligible to apply to grammar. If he can get the right support around him then this could be a system that works for him, but the ECHP is essential.

Your friends have been lied to. An unsuitable placement does not relieve the LA of their duty. Neither does part time education. The maximum recommended travel for primary is 45 mins, although some travel further, so nearly 3 hours away is not suitable unless residential. This is where knowing the law and how to enforce it is essential.

If it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school, there is EOTAS/EOTIS. Parents don’t have to accept inadequate part-time AP.

Hi op, did you want him to stay in mainstream? It's slightly mind-blowing to me that he has had 2 school years in isolation. I do hope you find a place that stretches him academically and soothes his emotions.

@perpetualplatespinningthey’ve spent many thousands on solicitors and specialists and gearing up for a tribunal so well aware of the rights, just not getting very far with having them implemented! LA currently arguing that package of suggested education is too high and would set a precedent and that needs can be met in school they’ve offered despite being clear that it’s not true. It’s ongoing and hellish.

Have you joined any local support groups? They often have Facebook groups and actual meets. They are usually people who will have gone through what you are going through and can advise on local ish APs and also people to help you advocate for the support you all need. Not sure what area you are but if West Yorkshire, let me know I can recommend some.

To enforce s19 provision &/or provision detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP, they should email the DCS threatening JR, then send a pre-action letter, and if that fails, JR proceedings will resolve the situation.

If the are in appeal, have they requested an expedited hearing?

The LA doesn’t understand what setting a precedent means. It wouldn’t set a precedent if they agreed to provision without an appeal. Or via the FtT either for that matter. Only case law does that.

Haven’t read the full thread but last time I checked (a while ago now) it was claimed that 70% of PDA young people didn’t have a school placement. My son has PDA and is at a specialist C&I provision, but he masks incredibly well. From what you’ve said and SEMH provision might suit your son better.

Goodness me, this sounds incredibly difficult.

I don't know if you are anywhere near Essex or if this provision might not be able to meet your son's needs but reading your posts reminded me I read a news article about this specialist autism unit recently opened in a Southend boys grammar school.

https://www.shsb.org.uk/page/?title=SEN+%26amp%3B+Disability+Provision&pid=136

I think he needs a specialist environment if he's going to stay out of trouble...
It's mind blowing to us too he was isolated and we frequently challenged it, however he posed too much of a risk.
Lately he's been reintegrated into the classroom for 60 minutes a day (in 3 separate chunks) and was doing really well with it. His confidence grew and he'd started talking about his day at school excitedly. Sadly it's all been for naught.

I am in Essex actually! Will check this out, thank you 🙌

This sounds so hard, I’m really sorry.

With regards to question 2: not sure what area of the country you are in but near us we have a school run by a group called Cavendish which sounds like it might fit. They are a trust with about 15 different schools and may have one near to you. They take children who struggle socially and emotionally at school, but who are academically capable. The fees privately are v expensive but my understanding is you can get a free place with an EHCP. Might be worth exploring:
https://www.cavendisheducation.com/admissions?utm_source=digithrive&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=schoolspage&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=11023071995&gbraid=0AAAAACNn8UjQkOFdPGtWbTdwBzbMt8UUa&gclid=Cj0KCQjwss3DBhC3ARIsALdgYxOte2PMJjDZJcK1ol5bB6vgcz1r1e-0atMNEraaOhxr-0jCpoCWDzcaAnbPEALw_wcB

If you google Cavendish sen school or something then similar schools in your area might come up in the search.

I'm in Essex, I can PM you some information on APs and Schools if you want

I would challenge on the basis that by law an EHCP should take 20 weeks and that if the legal timeframe head been stuck to then he may not have been excluded and may already have been in a suitable setting.

This might sound a bit odd but have you tried a forensic psychologist? One that works with children? They are really skilled in working with challenging behaviour and might be able to provide some useful strategies/ place for him to work through things. I know one who works a lot with children who have this sort of presentation and she’s great!

Essex was in the news because at one point they only met the statutory deadline for 1%. I think the most recent FOI said for needs assessment, the longest one was currently 84 weeks and still waiting to be completed 💀

My son is autistic and I am a leader in a primary school who has been involved in PEx.

As others have said, from day 6, the LA should provide alternative provision. This will probably be a home tutor. I worry they will not comply with this however, as it is nearly the end of term. Depending on the day of the PEx, the school governor panel meeting might not happen until September as this has to happen up to 15 working days from the decision. This will hold up any securing of provision.

Although you support the decision, it is up to the panel to decide if the exclusion is lawful and will be upheld.

In my experience, our LA will start off with 2 hours home tuition a day then try to arrange further AP. This can take time as the services are over run and don’t always have space. They would likely look for a therapeutic provision also.

EDIT- I’ve looked at Essex website and it is likely he will be given a place at a PRU (pupil
referral unit). If you don’t hear from them, I saw this email on their page - [email protected]

Meanwhile, I would lodge a judicial review against your LA for the delay in the EHCP. The LA are more motivated to progress the cases where there is legal action that others.

The school where I am Governor regularly has to take SEN kids due to being named on the ECHP. Quite often we cannot meet their needs and the SLT are very open about that from the start.
The vast majority of these children cannot cope and end up PX'd
Its really sad

There is a lot of incorrect advice on here passed on as factual. I'm an LA Inclusion Officer dealing with perm exs regularly, please feel free to message me.