Borderline Special/Mainstream Secondary School

[Bollywould]

Hi. My DS is 10, has a 20 hr statement for Moderate Learning Difficulties. He is really in between Special and Mainstream School. He socialises quite well but he can't read well enough to access curriculum. Fell very torn about whether to persist with mainstream or put him in special school. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Hi bollywould.

My dd asd is 13 and has just started special school. It was hard to find provision for her as on paper mainstream shoukd accommodate her as she's quite academic. However the social demand, environment, independence skills etc were too much for her to manage and were beginning to impact on her learning so we and the lea decided that special school was the only real option.

hi we in same position only my daughter is only 5 but as medical needs and now showing educational as well now and i don't want her slipping to far behind if we can help her now

Yes. My DS2 has moderate LDs and ASD and goes to a special school. He's 15 now, and while he is relatively able academically for the special school (it has children with profound disabilities up to MLD) he has benefitted MASSIVELY from being in a small class, lots of staff, lots of support etc etc. He has made friendships and is happy and confident. He now also integrates into the local mainstream 'unit' (the schools share grounds so it's easy to do) for a few things, supported by his TA.

The hardest bit as they get older isn't the academics IMO, tho that is bad enough, but the social complexity of the teenage groups etc. My son is very sociable in his own way but he, and the mainstream children with learning diffs ARE excluded.. not deliberately but just because teens clump together and are terrified of being seen as different, and we have found it much safer and happier for DS2 to have his SS friends who are all different and all accepting ! (and frankly nicer, kinder.. !) We have never regretted going down the SS route:)

Hi, thanks very much Sazale and Medusa. Your comments really helped. We've decided to put DS in a special school within a mainstream school which sounds a bit like yours Medusa. Reading these has made me feel much better about it. Good Luck trace2. My experience has been that DS was ok in mainstream primary with TA support but as he's got older the gap has got wider between him and his peers. You're right that if you can get the support in early you can give your DD beat possible chance.

Sorry meant Special School Unit on same site as Mainstream School :)