What to ask on special school visit???

[SarahEng]

I have been advised by my sons school, that they think he would be better suited to a special school. I have arranged to visit some possible special schools, but would really appreciate any advice on what I should be asking.

My son is autistic and currently receives 20 hours support. He is very bright, but has great difficulty concentrating and unless supported, he goes into a world of his own, and he is way behind children of his age.

We really wanted to keep him in mainstream school, but can see how he would be better placed in a special school...we are just worried about making the wrong decision, as it is obviously extremely important that he is in the best place for his needs.

Apart from having a good look round these schools and asking the obvious, I'm really worried that I'll forget to ask some thing important, so would really be grateful for your help....please!

Thanks, sarah

With any school visit it is so important to get a 'feel' for the place. You know your DS so well and how you feel about the school is crucial.

I am struggling to think about questions but I would ask about how they group the children - in age, by need, a mix of both.

You could look at if they have any links with mainstream schools.

How old is your DS?

I am sure there are loads more things and you probably have thought of most of them.

The school will have a good idea what class he will be going into. When you go to it look at the other children to see what they are doing, and how they interact with the staff. look at the walls to see what is displayed,some classes dont always have too much if there is ASD children in it but it doesnt mean they dont do it. Find out the staff to children ratio If there is outings. Discipline and bullying policies. How many children are in a class.

I work in a SS and this is what I notice parents coming in like to find out.

Hope your son enjoys his new school

Thanks for your very helpful information.

My son is 6 years old, and most of the time appears like a normal little boy, so I am worried that he will fit in, or wonder why he is being sent there!...although I have been assured that the other children at the schools in which he would be placed, will be of a similar level of disability.

Thanks again

Sarah

I visited two options for DS - one was a large specail needs unit attached to a primary school the other was a stand alone special school. The main difference that I noticed was in the way the staff interacted with the children - I couldn't see ds fiting in at all in the unit but instantly felt he would fit staight in at the school. There was something different about the atmosphere in the school, the way the staff were interacting with the children and each other was so loving - it felt like a big happy family!

Ask about communication between home and school and how often parent meetings are arranged. Some schools have support groups for parents.

Good luck with the visits, you will know when you find the right place! DS has now been at his ss since september, has made wonderful progress and is so happy to go.

Ask if he will be in an ASD specific class or a general LD class. Ask what sort of teaching approach they take. Then just enjoy looking around.

It's daunting at first, but 2 years in, I shudder at the thought of DD1 being in MS.

Thanks again everyone for your help...

I had a look round one of the schools today. It wasn't what I was expecting, and that made me feel a bit better...but im still really worried about doing the wrong thing for my son.

I go and see another on Monday, and feel a bit more confident in asking the right questions, after having come away from the last school and realizing that there were things I hadn't asked that I wanted to know!!!

Wright a list of the things you want to know but didn't ask, then phone the school and. They should be more than happy to answer your questions and it would be a warning sign for me if they didn't.