Should my son with asperger's syndrome have an IEP?

[Squiz]

My son is 8 (yr3) and in mainstream school. He generally copes well in school, is academically able and has no behaviour issues(at school anyway!). He gets no extra support, has no IEP, I presume he is not on the Special needs register -but would I know if he was?

Lately his teacher has been saying that he is difficult to motivate, he finds it difficult to put his ideas onto paper and hates to write. He is also losing interest in maths as he doesn't want to try new methods of solving maths problems - he prefers to use the method he already uses. I suggested that as well as giving the whole class the learning objective that the teacher writes him a few extra instructions making it clear to him what he is supposed to be doing and questions to prompt his work, I have also devised a reward chart to use in school where we will give him extra pocket money (30p per day!) if he works well in the lesson.

His teacher is happy with these ideas and says that after the first week they are working well. I'm not overly clear on IEP's etc. but is this the kind of thing that could/should be on an IEP rather than just doing it informally. This would then mean that we have a record of needing to provide extra support in class to help him achieve. I don't really feel that he needs 1:1 as such but he does need a bit more pushing to achieve what he is capable of and official records of this would mean that if and when we do need extra help this would be easier to get.

Any advice welcome

[Niecie]

Hello,

I have a DS very much like yours - dx of AS, academically able and no real trouble at school. He has an IEP although mainly for his motor skills. However, in the past he has had things like using a timetable if he is questioning what comes next or use of a timer to get him motivated. It is a way of saying that there is a problem to be handled, as you have established, how it is going to helped and what the time scale is for trying it out and reviewing it to see whether it has helped. The timescale for review is the bit that would probably get missed out if you do this informally. I personally think it doesn't help to leave things too open ended as they tend to get forgotten about. A deadline always focusses the mind!

You are supposed to review them once a month apparently but we usually look at DS's once a term. That is fine for us but as I say, DS's problems are relatively minor.

He is also on the SN register. Any child that needs any level of extra support and consideration should be on it. My DS was on his before he got a dx so that shouldn't be a reason for not being on it. We only found out by accident really. I asked and they said he was. I can't see why the school wouldn't put your DS on the register though. It is a factor in Ofsted reports so if you have a child who is underachieving, surely the school would want to have a justifiable cause for that underachievement other than the fact they haven't taught him very well. Well, that is my take on it. Maybe schools see it differently.

[BethNoireNewNameForPeachy]

Hiya

have a look at the IPSEA website fordetails on IEP's etc. Also SOS!SEn website.

It sounds as if your ds is following a not uncommon path fors omeone with AS and as such I would want him to be on the register and have a formalisedIEP soon. TBH IEPs aretoothless but theya re evidence if you need at any stage to ask for anything else. I ahve a child with as (albeit statemented) and who knows where they'll be this time next year?