Have I messed up chance of getting transport?

[nothinginthefridge]

Hi everyone

I am just nearing the end of the statementing process. I have chosen a school for DS2 that has a Speech and Language provision about 40 mins drive away. As I have told the LA that I would prefer DS to go to this school will I now struggle to get him transport? Should I have proved that the school he is at now, is not meeting his needs first, and then request the new school? What should I do? The case officer doesn't think there will be a problem, but I am worrying as if I don't get transport, then I will have to give up work and then I'll be in big trouble financially. Thanks in advance

Don't know if things vary from county to county,but the school my DS attends isn't the closest and we get transport.

I think, if there's no other establishment closer to you with a speech and language provision, then they must provide transport. My ds is to attend a mainstream school WITH AUTISM PROVISION UNIT ATTACHED. It is a 40 min drive away. We qualify for transport as there is nowhere nearer, that can offer this secondary education setting.

Hopefully it will be OK then. It really is stressful each step of the way isn't it!

Make sure in the statement it quantifies how much SALT he will receive and that the school you want can provide this and the school he is currently at cannot. The Lea has a legal obligation to send him to this school and should provide transport.

Do be careful in what you say, the Lea we are in is currently doing a transport review and if it is the parental choice of school and another closer school can meet the needs of the child they will not provide transport.

hhmmm. Need to be careful then. Case officer thought that as he has dyspraxia and has no sense of danger (DS told me yesterday that lollipop man shouts at him for not crossing when he says) and is also under CAMHS, that the case for transport is quite good.

DS working memory is very poor (1st centile) it's recorded by the Ed Psych that he cannot recall 3 numbers given to him, so how he would go on remembering the buses (2) that he would need to get, I don't know. He would get it eventually I guess, but it would throw him if anything went wrong. He would lose his bus pass, probably on a weekly basis!

I think I can prove quite easily that his present school cannot meet his needs, but I'm worried that I've done all this the wrong way around.