help from all you knowledgeable people!

[Bonkerz]

please......have had a call from a friend about a friend and they have asked for help!

She has a 8 year old son with autism and is trying to find after school care. The local after school club has blatently refused to take him unless she pays for 1:1 support which will make working pointless and all childminders are surprisingly full once she mentions ASD!

She wants to fight this but doesnt know how!

how can i advise her???????

I don't know what the answer is, Bonkerz. I have to say that despite what 'should' be, I totally expect and understand that no childminder would take DD1 on, because it would financially ruin them. They would need to provide such care that they couldn't have her just taking up one slot.

There used to be aiming higher funding. But that is gone.

What about asking SS for an assessment? They have a duty to enable a carer to return to work if they want to.

Could you suggest she contacts partnership with parents - they may be able to advise. On partnership with parents website there are links to aiming high for disabled children playschemes etc. It's possible that the lea have an inclusion officer who will have details of play-schemes or child minders who cater specifically for children with special needs.

Having read lougle's post about ahdc funding coming to an end, I have just checked if links are still there on pwp. I think that some schemes which had supportive funding from ahdc will continue to run - eg our local ymca has a sn specific weekly club which is scheduled to continue post adhd funding ending presumably with funding from elsewhere.

I'm sure there was an earlier post about after-school clubs and disability discrimination act a week or so ago - there may be more advise there if you can find the thread.

On what basis does the afterschool club asks for 1:1? Does he have a statement with 1:1? If not they are just discriminating based on assumptions.