Boarding option for high functioning Asperger's

[mominpain]

Hi, I have year 8 son with High Functioning Autism and attention deficit (not hyper) and he is placed at ACS Cobham to start in January.

ACS is lovely, has boarding and an international feel similar with his previous school. I am starting with day but eventually will move him to baording when my family will be relocated to Europe in 4 years time. Thinking leaving him at ACS or other private boarding school he can study art and Digital Technology for GCSE and A-Level, not IB or AP which ACS offers. ( He lacks organization and will struggle for IBDP)

If I leave him at ACS, what degree of individual support can be made for students without EHCP? (He's SEN and disability for ASD is registered outside UK but haven't started process in UK yet)

The best scenario I can imagine is his homeroom teacher can manage and track his day routines, academic progresses and occasional push-ins or counselling services are available at ease during day.

Tardiness, negligent and struggle with routines at board house can be managed under housemaster who understands the needs of ASD students. If there are special support staffs at boarding house available for housemasters and SEN students to consult all time, that would be superb.

Has anyone have experiences with ACS boarding worked well with teens with similar needs or have names of other private boarding schools I can try?

I wouldn't want to consider special schools as I worry he will limit himself there with lowered bar and he's been capble of following mainstream curriculums so far. If he's symptoms starts to drag him down then I will consider the special school options but I would like him to stay in a mainstream school with some support until then.

For more information about his status, no behavior, social issues or violent at all.
He functions well with no difference with neurotypicals at a glance. His main struggle is slow processing, focusing, finishing up tasks independently within given time and organizing and planning his day and tasks independently. Though he is on quite bright side, I can see these limits his academics as the requirements gets harder. He needs a structured and efficient environment and adult guidance and good peer group. He can let out himself with art and ICT subjects, those two are his huge passion so easy access to those facilities and good program on these area would be a plus.

EHCP is more relevant for state schools where it will come with funding and expectations.

In the private sector it's more a case of talking to the individual school and seeing what they can offer. I know quite a few private schools will provide additional help but that is funded by the parents on top of the school fees.

Thanks for answering, being new to UK I just assumed the independent schools will share the same responsibility for SEN students funded under EHCP.

I've heard it takes a lot of efforts to get through the steps for EHCP so our options would be narrowed down to the private schools who can accommodate his needs with fee-paying services, not EHCP.

I guess I will try the EHCP first while he is at ACS and get to know the options for GCSE or Sixth Form depending on the funding status at the time.

Have you discussed all this with the school? Ultimately it will come down to what the school is happy to support and what they want you to fund (or what they are just not prepared to support I'm afraid). An EHCP is actually possible for independent schools so you can pursue this but as I'm sure you are aware it's not an easy process and it will be harder for you if your child is at a fee paying school (the argument would be that his needs could be met in state education without extra funding). Do ACS do GCSEs? If not you really want to move at the end of this year for year 9 to start following the GCSE curriculum if that's what you are looking for (GCSE and A Levels). Have you looked at King Edwards Witley as an alternative? Or somewhere like Sibford if you are looking further afield? Or Seaford College? Bethany in Kent? Frensham Heights is very good on the arts side but I've heard less inclusive of significant learning needs than it used to be.

ACS don't offer GCSE or A levels do they?

www.moorhouseschool.co.uk/

Boarding can work for ASD kids as they love the structure. For others they can’t cope with lack of privacy and constant social interaction. Depends on their specific traits/needs and what the school can support.
for my ds, travelling is stressful and he finds homework hard outside the school environment - set times for prep work well.
His small school can be flexible with the timetable eg fewer activities to give more down time and much smaller dorm.
weekly boarding allows some down time at home - we are 35-40mins from school
you need to speak to the school and the senco and see what they can offer

only familiar with our regional offerings - look at bloxham, shiplake, Bredon - smaller, less pressured but mainstream. I know ASD kids thriving at all these. There will be similar independents all over though,

Your best bet is to be very upfront with schools about the issues and what you are looking for. Then see what the reaction is.

We did this with our DD who is dyslexic and some schools were able to demonstrate exactly what they had on offer and it was in no way a potential barrier. Others made it clear that they were not the right place for a child with anything but the mildest spelling issues.

We came away from the process finding that, in general, if your child is an academic/sporting/music superstar and they are likely to get a good set of results - and there are no behavioural issues - then you'll probably get a decent response, but most of these schools are heavily oversubscribed and don't need to deal with 'problems'. This becomes the case even more with boarding schools where the pastoral aspects are as important as the academic, and where they are thinking about both the child in question and the other children in the boarding house.

Might be worth looking at Bedes (just to add to the other suggestions).

I see what you are talking about...
Most of the school told me that his SEN can be catered but it all comes down to how far they can go when things don't go well with him as they or I expected.
I admire you went through the difficult part of seaching and making decisions for your DD.
I will check Bedes and try to leave my progress here so that other moms in similar situation ca refer to.