Please Help - which school of these 2 should I choose for my 11 years old ASD son?

[greenpear]

I have a 12 year old autistic son. He has oral dyspraxia and was diagnosed with PDD at age two.

We are relocating from overseas(we are both British citizens)to the UK in October 2010.

My son has not yet been statemented and there are two schools that I am interested in enquiring about, the Broomhayes School, Devon and Radlett Lodge,Herts. Has anyone out there had any dealings(either good or bad)with either of these schools? I'd be keen to know as much as I can first hand so I can make a decision of my residence soon.
Many thanks,

I have heard good things about Radlett Lodge. I don't know much about Broomhayes but NAS schools generally have a good reputation.

They seem to aim for very different types of pupils, however - RL seems take more high functioning pupils than Broomhayes, and there are more day pupils at RL. It very much depends on the needs of your child and what you want them to gain from their school experience (academic qualifications, independence skills, social skills?).

NAS schools are independent special schools so although you might get a statement for your child, the local authority may not necessarily want to fund a place at the school of your choice. You'd have the right of appeal if that happens, but it can be a long fight.

Have you looked into schools run by other specialist companies - e.g. Cambian, Priory, Witherslack Hall, SENAD? You may also want to look at local authority (state) special schools - if the LA thinks that your child's needs can be met in their own school, they will not fund an independent special school place.

I've heard radlett lodge is good, also hillingdon manor, but as the OP says, there's a wide range of schools and the trick is to find he best match for your childs particular needs.

LAs are very variable in what they will provide and pay for. It's likely they will try to get your child into a cheaper school than those you mention. So if you have a choice of where to live, don't choose a borough/ county where people routinely have to fight their way through years of tribunals and court cases to get proper provision. Sadly, there are plenty of these.

Have a look on the main SN board for some organisations like sendist and oasis who have helplines dealing with educational issues. I wonder if it's easier to get specialist provision if you're from a small island community, where they can't pretend services are already available (Tongue firmly in cheek)