What sort of school?

[Alibex12]

Hi!

Just looking for other opinions, as this is my first time doing this and hearing from other people with experience is always useful.

My son is 3.5, diagnosed autistic and due to start reception next September. He currently attends a private day nursery 1 day a week and receives targeted 1:1 support at parts of the day. He is completely non-verbal and has no understanding of language and can’t follow instructions etc. He needs taking to the sensory room to regulate and communicates by shouting and making noises, pulling you to where he wants to go.

We are starting the process of applying for an EHCP and I’m booking visits in with the local designated provisions and specialist schools and also doing the normal mainstream application too.

My question is what sort of setting sounds best for a child with these sort of needs? What happens if a DP/specialist school doesn’t have availability but a mainstream is also not going to be suitable?

Sorry for the essay, just struggling to find advice/answers. Thanks in advance 😊

From my experience, longer term, you will probably be wanting a specialist school with therapeutic provision embedded throughout the day. For those with significant sensory needs, a unit within a mainstream can still be very overwhelming because they are still within a mainstream and even the calmest of mainstream still has a huge amount of sensory input. Although they may have a sensory room/equipment, they also won’t have the same level of provision some specialist schools will have.

Special schools don’t become full in the same way normal admissions to mainstream schools can be. With an EHCP, for schools that are not wholly independent, if the school is your preferred placement, the LA must name them unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.
Being full is not defined in law, and on its own being ‘full’ is not enough of a reason to refuse to name your preference. The LA has to prove the school is so full admitting DS is incompatible. The bar for this is higher than LAs often admit. Having said this, the LA may name a mainstream and force you to appeal.

The majority of designated provisions are not separate registered schools, so the mainstream school is named in section I of the EHCP, with the DSP being included F of the EHCP.