School for ASD girl

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Dear parents,
Please help.
My daughter is 4 years and a few months old, and she has just been diagnosed with ASD. She’s been receiving OT and SLT for a number of months prior to that. We don’t have an EHCP.

She’s a very creative, intelligent, imaginative, and socially curious child with a deep passion for storytelling and drawing. However, she’s struggling with sensory sensitivities (noise, smell, and taste), transitioning from one activity to another, needs a lot of support in group work, and often struggles with emotional regulation. She’s just started playing with other children one-on-one. She doesn’t react well when pressured to do something she doesn’t want to do.

The team that assessed her advised that she would benefit from one-to-one support at school, ideally for a few hours each day. As we wanted to go the private route anyway, they said she requires a small, nurturing prep school environment where she can be closely monitored and supported by adults as she navigates social interactions. It’s crucial that the school can cater to her pastoral, social, and emotional needs, and understands the importance of teaching her coping strategies when she feels overwhelmed or unhappy.

At the moment, we are trying to find a kind and nurturing prep school within the Fulham, Wandsworth, and Putney areas with ASD experience, but the whole process has been extremely stressful. It’s hard to find a setting that has confidence in dealing with ASD kids, and even though we have the financial opportunity to provide any kind of therapies and one-on-one support, it feels like our child is seen mainly as a burden.

I’m also worried that she won’t be able to cope with mainstream school in the long run and we’ll have to start the process all over again.

I did some research and read about Chelsea Hall School, which takes children from 4 years old. I reached out to see if they have any spots available from September.

To be honest, I’m completely lost: should I go with a private mainstream school with one-on-one support and see how my daughter manages? Should I look into state schools with specialised ASD units? Should we try Chelsea Hall if they have spots available (even though it costs a fortune and will be a huge stretch for us)?

It seems like no one knows what the best course of action will be for us, but I want to make the whole experience less traumatic for my child…

Has an EHCNA been requested? If not, you should request one now.

Not all independent schools are supportive of SEN and when they are they often charge extra for the SEN support you are talking about. At this point you will be

You would need an EHCP for ARPs.

If Chelsea Hall would be a stretch, you may find a mainstream independent with 1:1 and therapies on top is also a stretch.

Have you not applied for schools already? You will be limited now with what schools have places.

Our nursery will be assisting us with EHCNA, but I understand the whole process can take years… So we are mentally prepared to pay extra for 1-1 support and therapies

Do you have any experience with Chelsea Hall? Is it worth the money?

You should request an EHCNA now. Don’t delay. On their website IPSEA has a model letter you can use. The process is governed by statutory timescales that can be enforced if the LA breaches the,. It takes 20 weeks if you don’t have to appeal, but many do have to appeal at least once.

I don’t have personal experience of Chelsea Hall, but know some who have attended and their parents were happy. It is worth the money in the sense it is a special school and the type of provision they provide is costly. You aren’t going to get it cheaper without compromising on the provision.