They listened - statement changed to special school provision!

[Gottalovecosta]

I posted on here asking for help and support - our proposed statement arrived in July giving our son 17hrs 1:1 in mainstream school - since he hasn't managed more than 15 hours a week in school since starting reception last September and isn't coping then even with 1:1 in place we knew it wouldn't work.
We appealed and heard today that the panel met to discuss his case and have agreed he needs to attend a special needs school for children with behavioural and emotional difficulties (he is in process of ASD/ADHD diagnosis) - the special school is having a meeting to discuss him and 2 other children on the 13th September with a view to giving him a start date.

Funny thing to be over the moon about, but I know it's in his best interests. Time for a friday night glass of wine!

Do YOU think he needs to be in an EBD school? Does he HAVE EBD?

Are you sure the statement doesn't need to state asd? I have a dd with asd and an ebd statement, I'm gathering myself to get this changed.

I agree with Star. I have thought hard before posting this, and thought I ought to share it with you.

A friend of mine has a son who was excluded from school a few times in reception before he was dx with PDA/ADHD. They made a parental application for a statement, and after some negotiation was placed in a BESD special school from Year 1.

Fast forward to Year 4, this friend realises this was not the right
placement as he has only been contained but not taught the right strategies to cope with his particular needs. Her ds struggled through the last year and now she faces the fight to move him to a more appropriate placement.

I'm not aware of your story and am not saying this will happen. Have you accepted?

He has extremely challenging behaviours, hitting, kicking, screaming, head butting, verbally abusing. Locally, I just don't know where else he would go, it's taken us literally months upon months of visiting different settings to find the right one for him. There isn't an asd specialist school or add on to a mainstream school, it's this school, or a special school for children with learning difficulties which he doesn't display.

Ice flower can I ask what he more appropriate placement will be? We haven't accepted yet but we do believe, through the research we've done, that it will be the best school for him. I'm worried now, we've agonised over this so much, the last thing I want is to move him and when I originally posted about this I had nothing but support and encouragement to go for it?

Have you looked at any of the independants re the priory group or witherslack group?

My solicitor told me to avoid an EBD school like the plague when we were looking for a schoolfor DS who has ASD.

ASD children learn by mimic -ing. The last thing you want is themto copy EBD behaviour.

Have you asked what experience those staff at the school have with ASD?

There should be at least one school in your area that has an ASD unit / base / resource attached to a mianstream school.

If he needs more help than that, have you looked at ASD specific independent provision?

You're right to 'go for it' in terms of getting him help - you just need to make sure you're going in the right direction.

It isn't necessarily the wrong place. I suppose I was just making sure you hadn't agreed to something out of relief about leaving somewhere else. Yes you need to leave, but you need to get the most appropriate placement available. That might be the EBD place, but there may also be other options.

Thanks for the heads up, I feel that we've been so unsupported. I looked into independent schools but could only find residential locally which is not right. We live in Staffordshire so if anyone knows differently, please let me know.

I just don't knw who to turn to for help, I feel like I don't know what to do now, I'm so scared we'll get it wrong which is why we've spent so long looking round different schools.

Starlight- no, we asked for this school, it wasn't forced on us. We've been several times to look round, spoken to staff and other parents etc. right now he's not at school at all, we're home educating him and I can't see an end to that without the correct school.

There's no harm in trying the new school. To get an independent school specialising in ASD you'd have to prove that local provision couldn't meet his needs. With him at this new school you'll have first-hand experience to use - it will either meet his needs or provide the ammo you need to force the LA to look at independent provision.

Just be very vigilant and keep notes.

Ive just done an ousted search locally an there isn't an independant school within travelling distance anyway. The other special school is for children with severe learning difficulties, or this besd school which really impressed me and does have a number of asd children there, possibly because there is nowhere else locally.

I'm finding this all so stressful and sort of making me feel the heartache of his problems all over again. I think it's too late for me to be trying to think now lol.

Wet is a wise woman :)

I'm sorry to have unsettled you. My friend did she same things as you; she visited other mainstream schools, schools with asd units, asd schools which he was too HF for. She then visited an EBD school which she had good vibes about.

If you feel good about the school you have asked for, your instincts are probably right.

My friend on the whole does not regret sending her ds to an EBD school in Y1: he had learned some violent avoidant behaviour during Reception before being excluded. While at home he sunk into depression and became almost agoraphobic. He was on meds for depression, ADHD and insomnia.

When he started at his new school, he hated schools. His school managed to control his outbursts and he started settling down. After a year, he actually liked school, and stayed for after school clubs and went for weekend activities!

The staff are great, but as the children get older, staff have expectations that they have learned certain behaviours. They are not making allowances for his PDA, and even with an official dx say "some doctors" believe it exists. Eg they believe if you are given a task, you must finish it. For a child with PDA, such a demand would create unbearable anxiety.

My friend is struggling to find another placement, and there are few at primary level which would be suitable, and far away. A specialist residential would probably be the only real option.

I think you need to go with your gut feelings. You clearly felt the school you asked for could work. As it appears to be the only choice, it may well be worth taking up; but as [Wet] said, watch, monitor and record.

Best of luck

What is an EBD school?
what's the concerns surrounding this sort of provision...sorry just need to know what EBD is???

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

ah right!....I would be think asd first then...the behavioural and emotional difficulties stem from asd so that is the best provision surely?

If the asd is supported well in a specialist provision then the emotional and behavioural issues would very likely subside given time and work...no?

I think it can depend on the level of aggression towards others though...it seems this can be a stumbling block to admission to asd provisions...

It really depends on the unit. If the only placement it is quite likely full of children like the OPs DC and quite possibly the teachers have had plenty of ASD training.

But, as a 'general' rule, EBD units are 'usually' not appropriate for long term placement of ASD children.

Wot star says. My friend worked in a small one and all the dc he taught were v similar to ds (asd and ADHD). But I've heard of others which are more like daytime young offenders institutions.

Its very much full of children who are similar to DS - ASD/ADHD, because there are no ASD provisions within a reasonable (under 20 mile) distance. I wouldn't consider residential.

PipinJo - I looked at your links to the 3 schools but unfortunatly it wouldn't let me see them, could you tell me their names? Thanks!

I think it's important to remember that all children are different. Gotta's DS may thrive in the SS, he may not. But please let's be careful about how we post on these types of things.

Having just changed DS2 from MS to SS, we were particularly vulnerable to the second guessing and stress over this decision. We firmly believe the SS is his best option at this time. He simply could not function in MS even with FT 1:1. But even though we were both decided on this move, a number of people attempted to change our minds, and it caused a lot of heartache and stress over the decision.

We want to be helpful here, and I think that also means we need to be careful not to throw blanket statements out there (especially to parents who are in the midst of the situation) about particular types of school always being bad for children with ASD and inflict panic and worry on already stressed parents. It just isn't a "one size fits all" situation - sometimes it can be for the best.

very good post Triggles , being in this current position myself I really appreciate your wisdom with this.
It's never going to be easy and our decisions about such important matters are not realised until we go forward with them, but each person can only do as much as they can and hope that it is right for their child. It is of no help for other peoples speculations to cloud our thoughts and confuse further.

A parents instinct for their child is the best measure....OP you must go with what feels right for your child...with faith and hope xx