autism specific units

[pippapod]

hi i'm new here and wondered if anyone could give any advice on how to get my child into an autism special unit.dd has just started in reception in mainstream and we feel she is regressing and not fitting in. spoke to school senco who said she will look into this for me.but with half term coming up we will not get any info from her yet.feel that the funding we have got is not adequate, so will probably have to go through the statementing process, but would really like her to be with pupils who are like her rather than upping the support in mainstream. Anyone got any advice?anyone got kids in these units?Many thanks

Hi,

Am sorry to read your dd is not fitting in.

Have you spoken to her class teacher?. How does
she feel your DD is getting on?.

Is she on any school program like School Action or School Action Plus currently?. If she is this may not be enough for her, such programs do not give much support anyway.

I would strongly suggest you start the statementing process as soon as possible. You must be aware though that a statement, if granted, can take six months to set up fully.

Would also suggest you have a look at IPSEA's (www.ipsea.org.uk) website for advice regarding applying for a statement. As the parents you're going to have to do all the work regarding this - do not yourself rely on the school to ask the LEA for a statement.

No statement to my mind equals no support. You may well find you need a statement anyway to get your DD into such a unit (and from what I've seen on here such places can be difficult to come by).

I wish you all well.

100% agree with what meerkats has said.

Agree- write your statement request ASAP- IPSEA show you how to do it on their website. You do not need to go through school. I would do it now, then just inform the school that you have done that.

Bear in mind that specialist places are getting harder to come by- so units- that a few years ago were for children with AS/HFA are now for children who are further along the spectrum. I know that locally there is no choice except mainstream (or EBD- which isn't usually suitable at all) for children with HFA or AS. Definitely worth contacting parent partnership and talking to other parents locally to find out what is on offer, but if you dd is HFA then bear in mind it may be mainstream of home ed.

Check too see if you have any such suitable units first.

As Bakabat says they are getiing much harder to come by. Where I live there is one HFA unit but it is also EBD.

My autistic son is in an SLD unit which my LEA claims can meet the needs of any child whose needs cannot be met in mainstream.

My son does not have severe learning difficulties, or EBD and is really suffering from being in the wrong setting.

Get the statementing process started and look very carefully at what is on offer.

thanks for the advice everyone, we are going to start the statementing right away ourselves as we feel school has let us down by not getting us statement in the first place. taught us a big lesson this, unfortunately

Unfortunately the onus on getting a Statement of Special Needs document has to come from you the parents. You have the right to appeal the decision if the LEA in question decide not to assess, the school does not.

I wish you well with your statementing request, it can be emotionally draining to deal with LEA's.

Would strongly suggest you look at IPSEA's website and talk to them in the event that the LEA refuse to assess your daughter.

Also advise you contact the NAS Advocacy helpline.