Has anyone experience of ASD transition funding primary to secondary - and more the point asking for 1:1 support for Y7 when we haven't had any before?

[MrsShrekTheThird]

DS1 has ASC, is in Y6 in mainstream primary with no support [official, that is] but plenty classroom support and is on SA+. How this adds up with only the "under 15 hours" I'll never know, but that's not the point for now. He is getting support for transition, apparently - and now I honestly think he needs support of his own for more than the half term that's likely to be offered in high school, mainly due to his organisational skills being nonexistent and he will need to move around in every lesson, and take group instruction/class teaching when the best he can really deal with is small group stuff

My twins have found Secondary really hard this year (yr 7). DD has 30 hours support as she is dead, but still struggles with the moving from class to class. Their new school is huge, and she is the size of an 8 yr old. She worries me there. But her twin worries me more.
He has AS, and I suspect some odd form of dyslexia which the school say that the LA will no longer test for (still not sure about that, just haven't had the time to chase that up!) and his organisation skills are shocking.
We discovered that he was lying about homework not being given done, because they dictate the hw for the kids to write down. His writing is so abysmal that he gave up. As he shares some classes with his sister we asked that the TA or teacher make sure that hw is written in his planner - yes they said, and after two weeks it's stopped. He is on SA+ as I wanted the new school to have time to assess him after all the support he had been given at his cosy primary school. I have a meeting booked second day back with deputy senco and deputy head to push for SA. If they don't accept that he is struggling then I am doing it myself. He is very intelligent and soaks up information like a sponge but he can't write and can't organise himself. I am powerless to help him, as I've never been past the receptionist's desk!!
So in answer to your question. If you think he is going to fail, get the SA done to give him TA support at school. Don't do what we did and suck it and see.

My DS2 started secondary school with no support and unfortunately the experience was not good.

Despite me providing the school with a mountain on reports - highlighting the important areas of concern, so at least if they didn't read it all, they might read that.

My son's primary yr6 and SENCO met with the secondary school before he started and outlined his areas of difficulty, I was at the meeting and the primary school did this very, very well.

The outcome? Secondary school devised an IEP which the teachers on the whole ignored.

Some of the things stated in the IEP were not difficult - please ensure DS2 has recorded his homework, if he is unable, please write it in his planner for him. Did they? no, not only did they not ensure it was written in, they had the cheek to continue to give him detentions for not doing said homework

Please give him homework in manageable chunks. Did they? no to that as well. Just got the usual printed, we don't need to think if we had this out every year, extended homework, which he had to work on over a period of weeks.

They promised the earth and delivered nothing. On the league tables, they are the highest in the league, apart from the selective grammar schools.

Primary had applied for a statement before he left, it was refused, so secondary had to ask for it to be reconsidered. All SENCO did was re-hash some of the reports I'd given her into a letter. Fortunately the Ed Psych did an excellent job of convincing them to reconsider and DS2 was awarded 20 hours support.

We decided to change schools to one with a specialist resource unit. Best thing we ever did. it's not been plain sailing, but on the whole it has been much, much better. Don't be afraid to move schools if you are finding that your local one does not come up to scratch. My DH said he felt that there was a 'constructive dismissal' type thing going on at the first school. My DS2 would have lowered their fantastic achievements. Who knows.

Sorry this is not very positive, but please be prepared for a battle, and if you don't need one, all well and good.

Thank you - and I really hope you make progress with your dcs after your experiences. You both have given a really clear picture and the wisest words I've ever heard. We were going to go the suck-it-and-see route ...but not now.
A huge thank you, for sharing your experiences and for all the advice; will definitely look into the statutory support. There IS an educational need as he's severely dyslexic as well as ASC. no point taking chances.

Wise words, I keep seeing the secondary threads on here.

Dd3 is only in y4 but i have a feeling the move to secondary is going to be uncomfortabe for all involved.

Will watch with interest.

Good luck mrs shrek.

Well... In contrast to some experiences. I have only wonderful things to say about ds's secondary school and his transition to it from primary.
It is ( in terms of gcse results) the worst performing mainstream school in our town . It is on a campus which includes a college and a school for children with special needs which partly share the schools facilities.
Ds has a dx of hfa/aspergers and also dyspraxia. He is nearly 15. He does not have a statement.

Primary was a miserable ,miserable time for us all. I was worried sick about secondary. He got transition help through camhs who ran a course at the end of year 6 and through the summer holidays into year 7
The Senco of his secondary also asked him to come in for 2 full days before the end of term to follow a dummy timetable and deal with lunchtimes and meet some of his teachers. They also colour coded all his subjects for him . These coincide with books and colours on walls outside classrooms. Then in the holidays his secondary did 2 open days for kids with sn and their parents.
He has funding for 15 hours at level 2c... This was sorted out before he started .But in reality , they work it so that he has a TA in every subject apart from French ( not sure why French has to suffer !)

They are so good...so on the ball. The senco has written all sorts of strategies into his plan for his TAs . They also making a point of asking what works with your boy and passing that on. His planner is a real working tool between home and school.
And the best thing? He is valued there.

Wow! That is brilliant troutpout. I had hoped the same for our Secondary School as there is an ASD/AS school next door where they do some shared things. I think that hopefully my school will see this meeting that we are having with them as a timely kick up the arse. Then we may start to see some action.

Thankfully DS doesn't walk out with the world on his shoulders as he did with one year 3 teacher at Primary School.

Not personal experience (yet) but I know two lads having had minimal 'official' support right through to year 5 in primary, one then got a tribunal statement in year 6 and ended up in an ASD unit; the other transferred to a mainstream high who immediately gave him 1-1 support and then sorted out a statement.

Trout, that's awesome

And fingers crossed for Sallybear. Thais Maria too, another positive story is a help, just what we need to hear ATM