Mainstream Special School for Autism

[StainlessSeal]

I appreciate the oxymoron! DD (10) has ASD. She is exceptionally bright, thought has a host of issues related to her ASD that means she's likely going to be much better in a specialist provision. We are going through the EHCP process now.

We love Limpsfield Grange, but are out of area. We have everything crossed that we can get her in, but need to look for alternatives, too. If she gets an EHCP does anyone know of ASD specialist schools commutable from South London that cater for bright ASD girls? DD really wants an all-girls provision, but I believe Limpsfield Grange is the only one.

Burlington House doesn't really accept kids with ASD as primary need anymore. It's very much dyslexia centred now. They're very clear about that in their open day. They are in the same group of schools as Holmewood and Abingdon House and direct parents of kids with ASD to those.

That may be the case generally, but they do but still admit a minority, therefore I felt it was worth mentioning.

To get a wholly independent school named in an EHCP you have to prove the LA’s proposed schools cannot meet needs OR that it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure.

Definitely, esp HFA. The child needs to have SpLD as their primary need though. My DD is starting in Sept so I've had quite a lot of dealings with them recently. They seem keen to have a SpLD only specialism and I know a few parents of kids with HFA who have been turned away.

The school does admit a minority of students with a primary need of ASD, therefore I felt it was worth mentioning. Clearly you don’t think the same and feel I shouldn’t have mentioned it, which is fine we can’t all think the same, so we will agree to disagree.

Yes, I forgot about the second part. Generally speaking it's best OP approaches IPSEA once she's at that stage.
We managed to get BHS funded in the first panel but it was extremely stressful and I've had extensive experience with SEN law. It is not easy by any stretch, but not impossible.
For us, the deciding factor was proving that not naming BHS, will end up costing our LA a lot more in the long run.
Good luck OP.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I even mentioned BHS at the beginning of this thread. Just warning Op that they seem to be really pushing the SpLD more and more. No hard feelings. We seem to rub the wrong way on these threads 😅 I appreciate your input, you obviously know your stuff and it's good for OP to have a balanced view.

I didn’t mention BHS to the OP, I was responding to another poster and your post clearly did disagree with me mentioning it in response to that poster.

Ok. I've given you my olive branch, let's leave it at that. Have a great day.

Having been through the process (tribunal) of securing specialist indi placement for DS1 and it failing I decided online for DS2 as he was very 'bright' - ie advanced for m/s but ADHD and ASD. Bright in specialist schools means 5 GCSEs. DS2 took 11. Having been home Ed ( with internet school funded by his EHCP) for the whole of secondary he is now thriving at 6th form college and is on course for predicted 3 A*.

ND kids mature later. It is better to not experience failure in m/s or be limited in specialist because of this.

You sound amazing. Your DS is very lucky to have you. I'm sorry your tribunal didn't work out. It is very stressful. It is so difficult to find a school for a child that's too typical for specialist but has needs high enough where they make mainstream a struggle.
We've been so lucky to find a specialist school where it's academic (they expect all kids to take 7 GCSEs min) but very nurturing.
I wholeheartedly agree that ND kids mature later. My DD will be retaking the year and I think it'll be perfect for her. She's very similar to the kids in the year below.

Is anyone still on here and able to talk about how their choices have worked for their girls?

N Londoner here. My DD with ASD is really struggling in a small MS single sex secondary comprehensive. I thought it would be gentle and low demand enough for her but it isn’t working out well.

At school she’s masking all day (zero behaviour issues, a pleasure to teach etc) At home wildly anxious and furious morning and evening and regressing to hitting and running away and smashing things at home in meltdown. Strongly fits a PDA profile and the demands of homework etc are just too great even though she is just managing to meet the set work by doing hours and hours of work which should take 20-30 mins max.

She seems verbally great academically but has an extremely spiky profile eg Her IQ is at the very top of her age range, but her processing speed at the very bottom. There doesn’t seem to be effective support from the sencos in the current setting who are really nice but not very engaged with DD because of the masking. She clearly can’t take in what the teachers are saying but then responds with long words so they think everything is great.

Can anyone recommend a school for girls with ASD and probably PDA? And secondly do I try to pay to get the PDA diagnosed to help school support her better or will those three letters mean that other schools not accept her if she has it? Feels likely to not work out where she is.

We don’t have the money for private so all of this involves fighting with the LA. Just feel exhausted by it all and haven’t even started really. I also don’t know what would help so don’t know what to direct my energy towards.

@CoolLikeThat how old is your daughter and what borough?

thanks - Y7, N London zone 3 if that helps?

@CoolLikeThat : have you looked at Egerton Rothesay in Berkhamsted?I know they take children from a wide catchment. They transformed DS life. Won place in Tribunal but so so worth it. Wishing you all the luck x

When we were looking for schools for my son all the local grammar schools assured me they had extensive programmes for bright ASD children because it was quite common in grammar schools.

I really feel for you because my daughter masks very well too and also has a similar spikey brain profile. She masks so well her school SENCO actually questioned me just how many sessions she had spent with the psychiatrist before being diagnosed - even though she was only diagnosed after her form teacher completed the assessment and it supported her diagnosis.
After three schools my daughter is finally in the right place but sorry its private and not in north London. May I suggest you start your own thread with the title something like seeking school north london for autistic girl.
I also think its better to go co-ed - my daughter went to two all girls schools (I also have a son) and girls social structure rules are very complicated compared to boys. Also girls put more pressure on themselves and all girl schools can be hot houses for this pressure fed by the girls themselves. The school which suits my daughter now is a co-ed.
One thing I think is important is to choose a school which seems more relaxed. My daughter passed her grammar school entry so is quite bright despite her poor working memory - schools with high academic expectations made her feel overwhelmed. Ironically, her new school with low academic expectations is actually a place she is thriving the most at academically because her academic confidence is soaring as she tends to be on top of her classes.
Also please google infant reflexes not going dormant.

Thank you both I appreciate the tips

Another vote for Egerton Rothesay. A mainstream school for those who need extra help and support but does not accept children who are in any way disruptive.

This is why I wanted my autistic girl to go to grammar rather than the local high school. I’m not fussed about stellar results, I just want staff who understand academically able autistic girls. It’s early days but so far I’m really happy with their support and understanding.

Thank you very much. I’m really confused about the grammar/high ability teaching side of this. I had thought with PDA it would be safer not to send even a very high ability child to an academically focused school because of the pressure of all the deadlines and essays etc it would be too much.
How is this managed at your DCs’ grammars? (Assuming perfectionism/very high anxiety/PDA is an issue for your ASD child?)

Grammars tend to be a lot more relaxed around rules etc and homework load is far lower than at many comps. Their intake is generally kids who are clever, learn fast and don't tend to have behaviour problems so they just don't have the same type of rigid rules the comps seem to all now have.

I very nearly didn’t go for the 11+ because I figured DD was too demand avoidant. And getting her to work towards the test was… challenging. Still, she did well enough to get in.

So far she tries really hard not to do homework at home. She’ll do it at lunchtime (social demands of lunchtime means she appreciates having something to go away and do) or on the bus. I’d rather she did a better job of things by working at her desk at home but I’m staying out of it 😅

She won’t always be able to get away with keeping homework at school but for now I’m enjoying not having to get involved.

Wow that sounds really brilliant - no arguments about homework at home! Well done your daughter

It really is worth seeing the school/ asking in local sen groups.

My 2 autistic girls (well 1 diagnosed) are in the local grammar and it's been amazing.

They "get" quirky clever girls. This means they feel accepted and in amongst peers which is worth so much.

One is doing astronomy gcse "mum I think we nearly all get extra time and I'm not the geekiest in the class."

There is so much less homework than the local schools. Really. Like very little. This isn't great in terms of revising for gcses but brilliant in terms of lack of pressure (vs local school with 30mins/hour a day or detention)

None of the "talk in the corridor and it's detention/drop a pen/come without a clear ruler and it's a behaviour point..." but more of an adult approach.

Understanding SEN. Been great on the days she's had overwhelm and not been able to be in. They don't argue if you say you're sick and need to go home but are lovely.

Girls environment had been good here. Focus on academics without the constant boy stuff going on. And able to shone on maths and science etc.

I've just been blown away by the differences. Much less work/pressure and a nicer calmer environment. Teachers have more time for you as less time spent sorting behaviour.

Not perfect and some kids would keep smaller classes/etc but really good in my area. Obviously each area/school is different but it's been good here 😊