Mainstream or Special School?

[Greenunistu]

I have posted this elsewhere but have only had 2 replies.
I work with an ASD child and I am also training to be a special needs teacher, for my final research project I am trying to find people to answer 8 questions anonymously about their choices of primary school for statemented children.
Please mumsnet help me out!!

I am looking into this choice at the moment. What do you mean by you are training to be a special needs teacher - what qualification are you doing?(nosy)

Hi, I am currently doing a diploma in educations studies then in September will be full time teacher training with a specialism in Special educational needs. I have worked with ASD children for the last seven years, now at the age of 33 its time to do what I really enjoy. My research project is basically comparing the number of special schools compared to statemented children and which settings parents pefer. Whether it is down to choice or neccesity. If you are willing to answer my simple questions that would be fab.

I have a statemented child in a mainstream grammar school and when I made this choice all the teachers and parents looked at me as at a misguided slave driver. Life proved them wrong. Parents always know best in my opinion.

My answer to your question would be:
-It depends on the mix of the hild's needs and
-How effective and determined parents are at working the system to get what they need. The latter might depends on parents experience, education and even money. You need the luxury of time and money to win all those tribunals, sadly...

Because you limited your questions to children in primary school, your results would be skewed towards children diagnosed early and thus being very typical obvious ASD cases, also less functional. The results wouldn't necessarily be extrapolatable to all children on the spectrum. The types of questions you ask are perfectly validated for market research predicting how people buy shampoo. It is easy to say how satisfied you are - you can buy 3 different bottles and change the brand next time you go to the supermarket. The choice of school for SN child is infinitely more complex.
If you narrowly focus on severe autism rather than the broader autistic spectrum, than I would argue that your view limits the prognosis and aspirations of ASD children. Why do parents go to desperate measures and expense to get ABA and to get their ASD children to be "cured" to the level of high functioning AS? What next then?
For me the spectrum is like a ladder. Children can climb up with the right support and education. But they should be getting onto another ladder at the top, not falling off the cliff. The research and specialists theories should take account of this dynamic and the long term perspective.

Thank you for your comments, the questions are not specifically aimed at those with chldren who have ASD, they just happen to be the majority of people who have replied.
My research project is just focusing on Primary aged children as that is the area I myself intend to work in.
T

I have posted the questions on another area of talk and most of the people who have replied there have ASD children. Apologies.

This is probably too late as your post is quite old, did youo consider a dual placement as a choice?