Advice re planning senior school transition for ds with ASD

[RedPanda2022]

Ds1 has ASD (and mild dyslexia) and is in yr8 at a prep school and therefore has a big transition coming for next Sept. He will be moving school to a 13+ independent school so everyone will be new to start yr9. The school has about 500-600 pupils total, co Ed and only a couple of miles away from where we live. We have been totally open with the school about ds from the start. The school is selective but not very selective and has quite a wide intake of ability/type of dc. It is boarding and day, ds will be day. Ds has already been to a familiarisation day this summer that he seems to have enjoyed.

DS is not bad socially, quite anxious about being disciplined and needs a lot of structure, routine and advance notice of changes. He doesn’t need 1:1 or similar - has managed in a very academic prep in class of 20. No EHCP.

I have an initial transition planning meeting with the SENCo from the current school and the SENCo from the senior school next week. I think important considerations are

• visiting again to get good idea of school geography well in advance
• meet housemaster/tutor in summer term so vaguely familiar with them
• Copy of timetable in advance (even day before start of term would be ok)
• Cope of school rules in advance
• ? Where ds could go to read, do prep, have quieter environment if required during breaks or free time. He hasn’t really needed this to date but the school day currently finishes at 5 (clubs or prep 4-5pm) and his days will run until later some days at the new school.
• Practising journey to/from school with us in advance

what else?..
So I’m wondering if people could share what helped your dc with ASD make the transition to secondary/senior/bigger schools?
any thoughts very welcome!

*Please don’t berate me re our choice of using independent school, local state options didn’t work out for ds1 and he has thrived thus far in his current school.

THANKS

Some things that may help:
Map of the school if possible.
Weekly visits over the summer term (or even longer).
Who to speak to if DS is overwhelmed/upset/needs help.
A key worker to help him with organisation - either ongoing or just initially.
If DS may need them, allowing use of noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders &/or uniform adjustments.

As well as practicing the journey to/from school, practice what to do if something goes wrong on the journey or in school e.g. bus/train doesn’t turn up, road closed, someone says something upsetting, tries to get him to do something he doesn’t want to do, someone tries to take his phone etc.

I don’t know whether your DS will need them, but some find a time out card, moving between lessons 5 mins early/late, arriving/leaving 5/10 mins early or late, having copies of notes.

Thanks so much, very useful. We have battled various transport disasters such as buses not turning up, bad traffic etc the last couple of years so transferring how we are managing that will be helpful.

I hadn’t thought of the more social elements like managing upset …will definitely need to make sure we cover that. His prep school have been amazing and he has a fortnightly ASD group since year 3 in which 2-3 of them have done various social skills, emotional literacy etc.

Ask if they will allow photographs of key places in the school.
Reception area
Toilets
Form room if they know it
The lunch room

Is he allowed to enter the school a separate way which is quieter (compared to the noisy route of all the children gathering in)

Take your child to matrons room so he knows where it is if he’s I’ll

Thanks- useful ideas

DS spent his whole time at secondary school in the library when he wasn't in lessons. It was an absolute sanctuary for him. Might be worth checking out as an option, hopefully the librarian is lovely.

The other thing I'd say is - don't assume information will filter down no matter who you speak to or what forms you fill in. None of ds's teachers ever seemed to know he had ASD and dyspraxia as behaviourally he wasn't a big problem.