Private school for SEN child (mild)

[Thequeenhascovid]

My son has been diagnosed with adhd and autism (mild and he's bright). We are wondering if we should apply for an echp or take him to private school. We have a meeting with one of the private schools on Tuesday.

Are there any schools in the west London area (private) who have a good SEN support.

If you went down the state primary route, what help could I ask the SENCO for?

Not all independent schools are supportive of pupils with SEN, and when they are many charge extra for the support.

It doesn’t have to be either or. It is possible to have an EHCP in an independent school.

Support will depend on DS’s needs. Without an EHCP the support in school will be more limited than with an EHCP as it will depend on the school’s resources but could include social skills support, ELSA, nurture group, Lego therapy, sensory circuits, equipment e.g. wobble board, sensory toy. Or adjustments such as going in 5 minutes early or through a quieter entrance. An EHCP could include whatever provision DS needs including therapies and 1:1.

There’s no such thing as mild autism. In order to get a diagnosis one must have “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” that “limit and impair everyday functioning”. If someone’s difficulties were ‘mild’ they would not be diagnosed.


Hmm not sure then. I've used words from his neurodevelopment paediatrician who described his diagnosis as mild. We will apply for an echp but from what I understand it will take long and until then we want to give him the support we can.

If you don’t have to appeal EHCPs take a maximum of 20 weeks. If the school need more funding in the meantime to provide additional support they can apply for high needs top up funding, by moving DS to an independent school they wouldn’t be able to apply for this.

If the paediatrician really did describe DS’s ASD as mild they are mistaken about how the spectrum works - it is not a linear spectrum from mild to severe. When people say mild they mean the person’s ASD doesn’t cause others so many obvious difficulties, but that doesn’t mean DS experiences his autism mildly.

Some private schools avoid SEN and some are very supportive. You need to investigate your potential options.

Our personal observations/ experience is that if your dc needs lots of 1:1 support or can’t manage in normal classroom setting or is likely to be not reaching age related academic norms then EHCP and state is definitely best.

If needs minor adjustments, calmer more structured environment, nurturing then a supportive private may work better.

I think it is quite individual and also an element of luck re local SEND offerings. Our ds with ASD who is in the second category I describe was ignored by the state SEN system as was not causing problems to others and achieving academically. School thought we were ‘not in the real world’ when I mentioned an EHCP. His mental health was worsening though and he wasn’t happy. In private so far he has thrived. Objectively I think some state schools resources are very stretched so they have to ration in every area and have a lot of competing needs to manage.

This is the issue. We haven't had a formal diagnosis and the doctor we saw last week (it was a private doctor) diagnosed him from the moment we walked in and had already made up his mind that he was ASD. He did the ADOS within 15 minutes and called it a day.

We are going to find another doctor for a second opinion.

But what the school has to offer is another thing. Where can I find what schools can offer in terms of help?

I am going to visit a private school but without a proper diagnosis and a breakdown of his neurodevelopmental profile, it will be very vague.

You say you don’t have a formal diagnosis but then say the private doctor diagnosed?

With each post the private doctor sounds even worse. You would be hard-pressed to do the ADOS properly in 15 mins even with a young child.

State schools will have their SEN information on their website. Diagnosis or not they must make their best endeavours to meet the pupils’ needs.

Support isn’t based on diagnosis, but on needs.

Looking at IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites and reading the SENCOP would help you understand SEN law more.

What I meant is the doctor diagnosed him with ASD adhd but it was done so quickly we are just not sure if we should accept it.

Thank you will have a read

When my Ds was diagnosed with ASD, we were seen by three professionals (a highly specialised speech and language expert, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and a clinical psychologist) and the process took three hours. This was with the NHS. My understanding is that best practise is that the Ados should be conducted by at least two people.

This is not to say your Ds's diagnosis isn't correct though. Does the private doctor who saw him do NHS work too?

As Imitatingdory says, the use of the word 'mild' seems strange. In order to reach the threshold for a diagnosis, a person must present with significant difficulties. These difficulties aren't always cognitive though. I know of DC with ASD who are at grammar schools and some who are at top universities. Autism is a complex condition and every person with a diagnosis has their individual make up of social communication/barriers to learning/sensory difficulties.

In terms of schooling, how old is your Ds? What school year would they be joining? I know that for the competitive private schools in London there may be some sort of entrance test (even at 4 years old). They will also want to see how a Dc copes in a classroom setting away from the parent. Being brutal (and knowing children who've gone through this system) many of these private schools are a business - the 'business' being to get the Dc into the top selective secondary schools. I have known Dc who have been asked to leave.

However, there are other private schools that are nurturing and have a different ethos. As ChocolateHoneycomb has said, there are some good private schools out there. There are also good state schools.

You will need to contact all the schools directly to sound them out. You will quickly be able to tell how receptive there are to Dc who may have additional needs.

Is your Ds in any kind of setting at the moment? If so, what have they suggested or said?

Thanks all. Yes the doctor who saw him does work for the nhs and seemed very credible but I wonder how he could just say that DS was ASD as soon as we walked in. He hadn’t even looked at his school questionnaire.

We are not looking for a competitive private school (DS was offered a place last year at one of these schools who tested him but we declined). The school we have in mind seems nurturing but I will have to see how they will cater for his needs.

We are keeping our options open and will need to speak to the school senco as well. He is in reception

I’m afraid any autism assessment (and even more so an adhd and autism assessment) can’t reliably be carried out like that: it wouldn’t meet NICE guidelines and so your chances of accessing an support with it are nil. If the diagnosis was with so called “mild” difficulties even more so as these should bbe harder to pick up on. Be aware that legislation about SEND doesn’t apply equally to independent schools and as the social and academic demands of schools increase you might find out your child has more difficulties that aren’t well supported in the private sector

Looking at this board before posting elsewhere but I am awaiting an EHCP for DD9 diagnosed with autism. We were privately diagnosed too because the wait for CAHMS was so long.

Stay away from the private sector unless they have decent SEN. We are in a private school (cannot wait to leave), it has no SEN and the whole approach is about trying to make her a little less autistic to fit in better, rather than appreciate her needs. It’s a nightmare.

@Archepsych this is what I wanted to know. I thought so too and we are reluctant to accept it specially now that his school has seen changes him. He is on the nhs waiting list so we will see how it goes

@KnightsofNi sorry to hear that. Are you in London? We are deliberately staying away from selective private schools but wonder whether the smaller class sizes might help.

Did you have to pay extra for support at the school!