Statements and Special Schools/Units

[Oakmaiden]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any advice they could offer me. My son has diagnoses of Asperger syndrome, ADHD and Tourettes, with significant fine motor difficulties but IQ measured in the 95th centile (so fairly bright!), and was diagnosed at various times with the various labels, but initially around the age of 5. He is now 12, and has just started senior school. Whilst at Primary School he kindof muddled along - he didn't do well, and his teachers couldn't understand why he didn't get any help, but the sencos in the schools he attended insisted his needs were not that great.

Anyway, as I say he has just started senior school, and they disagree very strongly! I have just had a meeting with the Senior School senco and she said that they want to apply for a Statement for him, and also suggested that mainstream school was probably not the best place for him, and that the LEA may well want to place him in a special school or a ASD unit. Now obviously I would be delighted if the LEA decide that A will get the support he needs and deserves, but I am a bit dubious about special school: predominately because I have a perception that whilst they undoubtedly could meet his ASD/social skill needs, I am worried that his academic needs will not be met.

However, I am not unmoveable on this, as really I just want what is best for A and (foolish though this may be) I do sort of trust that they wouldn't offer him an expensive place at a specialist unit unless they felt it was truly in his best interests. That said, I am also aware I can refuse a placement for him if I do not feel it is appropriate. So this is where I would really like some help: at what point of the statementing process will I need to know where I want him to go? Obviously I will want to visit the various options before I agree to it, but bearing in mind there is not guarantee he will get the statement (although the school seem pretty certain) at what point in the whole procedure will I be asked WHERE I want him to go?

Thanks for reading - sorry this got a bit long winded!

I think the short answer is, you don't have to fill in the section of the statement where you name the school, until the statement is about to be finalized - so not until the final stages.
I think if you get a statement, and the provisions they outline are something that the MS school can provide, then you'd have a good case to keep him in the school.

Have you any idea yet what they mean by a unit? We are lucky enough to have a specialist Aspergers unit attached to a good mainstream secondary, and for our son it's definitely the best of both worlds

Sorry, posted too soon! I meant to say, access to the unit is only for children with not just a statement but full-time support, and most statements don't offer this level of support. Going straight from zero support to full-time hours seems a bit unlikely I'm wondering why the secondary aren't suggesting using the support within their own school.

I will eat my hat if the LEA WANT to place your child in a special unit. Relucantly dragging out the process until forced to admit that a child needs the support is more the way it tends to go.

Oh, and if you want him to stay in mainstream, you get to say so. But if you do have the chance, and your LEA actually has any (ours has room for, ooh, 8 children, and admits to having a need for around 250 places at present) have a look at an ASD unit.

My son tells me the only problem with his is that there are some 'really weird kids there, Mum'. Ideally he'd like to have it to himself...

Hi OakMaiden. I would start by doing some research into schools in or around your area that have attached units, and also into special needs schools. Ideally you should have a look round at the different types of provision that are available. Most schools will be willing to show you around if you make an apointment. You know your son best and what would suit him.

My 12 year old daughter has autism and is in a specialist school for ASDs. For her level of needs and with her severe learning disabilities, this is far and away the best provision for her. But there are quite a lot of kids at the school with AS and high functioning ASD. Most are very, very able intellectually and follow the standard curriculum, write exams and so on, by being given the support that they need to meet their academic potential. In my daughter's school, the children are grouped by ability and the classes are so small (around 5 children with 1 teacher, and 2 teaching assistants) that each child has an individual educational program developed for them. They also have access to speech and occupational therapy in school.

Your DS has multiple difficulties, as do many on the spectrum, so perhaps a special school might be the best route. But if he is quite social and enjoys being around his peers, doesn't have a problem making friends and so on, then maybe the MS school with an attached unit would suit him better emotionally. A lot of the higher-functioning kids at my daughter's school started of in MS but it doesn't always work. I just wanted to put forward the advantages of a special needs school because a lot of parents are put off at the thought of it. Your LEA will even provide transport if the school is outside of your local area.

Yes, sorry, I didn't mean to dismiss the idea of special school rather than unit, but I'm familiar with the unit set up because that's what we have.

One good thing about either set up is that you can get to meet other parents of children with similar SEN -- a sort of Mumsnet with real coffee and biscuits.

Hi, thanks for your thoughts. Frankly I would be stunned if he even ends up with a statement, but we have just moved LEA so maybe the criteria here are different to where we were before. The school seem convinced they can get one for him, and also seemed very clear on the fact they felt it was likely that the Ed Psych would identify needs which they say could not be met in mainstream (for example they think he needs voice recognition software as he struggles to write legibly and often just won't do it; laptops have been tried, but again he doesn't really produce much work on them - and in Year 8 he is expected to be getting on with things).

Anyway, thank you for replying to me - I was having quite a flappy moment, as although I would be delighted for A to get help in school, I guess the suggestion that he might not cope at all in mainstream at senior school level had upset me a fair bit....

If he's had so very little help so far, no wonder you're getting the doom and gloom scenario from the new school.

If I've got this right, he's battling:
--previous total lack of support
--current lack of funds for support
--new school
--unfamiliar teachers
--new kids
--and a new term?

Good grief, no wonder his difficulties are a bit more noticeable just now. My son wouldn't be able to set foot in the place under those circs -- he'd be curled into a ball with his hands over his face, never mind struggling with writing fast enough. DS had a two-month staged introduction to his new school (but maybe your son is made of tougher stuff?)

Well, we moved at half term last term, so he has been there a little time, but mostly yes, it has been huge for him.

That said all the teachers at his old school felt he needed a statement, and I know at least 2 of them WROTE to the SENCO to say that, but she refused to do anything about it. Although she DID at that point tell all members of staff that they were not to speak to me about my son unless she was present. Apparently the fact he spent lessons under the desk or rolling on the floor (in Year 5) was unimportant as long as he wasn't throwing chairs or hitting people. Funnily enough I saw the letters that were written, as they were put in his file - but were removed before they gave the file to me to give to his new school.

You must be fuming. Why do we seem to have to climb OVER people who are supposed to be there to help our children get what they need?

However. Sounds like you did the right thing in moving him, and if he's hit something of a low point from lack of support, that might mean he gets MORE support offreed than he would have otherwise (optimist, me?).

The rolling on the floor under the desk sounds sooo familiar. Must ask DS why he used to do that, as he can often explain it with a wry amusement at his younger self (but not today, as he isn't very well and has come over all autistic again. Inclduing, come to think of it, rolling on the floor when he should have been getting ready for school)

Oakmaiden, your poor son . Sounds like his previous schools/LA have failed him terribly, the behaviour from the previous SENCOs sound shocking (and illegal). Well done for moving him and it's great that the new school are being much more supportive.

As a parent you have the right to apply for the statement yourself rather than waiting for the school: this will put you in control of the process, although if the school are supportive it may be worth waiting for them to do it.

Statementing follows a statutory timescale and it should take around 26 weeks to complete. By week 18 you should receive a proposed statement which will be blank in part 4 (where a placement is named). This is when you will be asked your views on how the statement is written and also to name a school.

I would recommend starting to look at schools at this stage, looking at prospectuses, Ofsteds and local groups for an idea of what might be suitable. It can take time to arrange visits, especially if you want to speak to the HT/SENCO so it's best to start as early as you can. Don't limit yourself to your own LA, you can look further afield as transport should be available to the nearest suitable school. You can also look at independent/non maintained special schools as well as the LA schools. The NAS website lists schools with autism units and special schools (both LA and independent) by area.