Dc2 has a severe speech delay (16 months delay approx), GDDs of 10 -12th months across the board for everything besides speech and may be low on the ASD. Well the child psychologist thinks so and he has a 'statement' which says so.
Anyway, dc1's headmaster told me to send in the statement to the school and they would see if they could get a resource teacher or a special needs teacher for him for the year 2010.
I was telling this to my friend whose dd will be in the same year and I could tell she wasn't thrilled my son might be in her dd's year. She merely asked a few subtle questions about whether or not he would be taken out of the class for extra lesson etc,, but obviously, was thinking to herself 'how does this affect my dd'.
I haven't made up my mind yet anyway. I may send him to a more specialised school, which I think very highly of. I do want him to go to a mainstream school, but only if he can cope.
I don't really know what my decision is yet, but hadn't considered that other parents would be wishing I didn't send him to the same school as his elder sibling.
He has NO speech at all right now, would it be MAD to send him to a mainstream school when I have a place at a much more specialised school.
PS, although I don't think my son does have autism, he definitely has some of the behaviours. eg, had to track down and order a coat exactly the same as his old coat, he needs to arrive to an empty room not a room full of people.. he loves keys and remote controls, little things like that. I think the experts really seem to read to much into it though.