How does ASD son catch up at school.

[2006hildy]

How do ASD children actually catch up. I feel I have been told a load of old flannel as usual.

DS on P3 level and should be on Level 1 I feel the gap is getting wider and wider as time goes on. Herts "no statement" says it all!

I keep on being told he is making good progress and that he has a "spikey profile". Meaning that he is good at some things and not so good at others and eventually things will even out and end up where they should be at around age 9 but nothing is definite and they can't tell. I say well he is nowhere near National Average and TAF say well what do you expect he is ASD. Which I thought they may say. Grrrr.

I know he has a high IQ as noted by HV as he is an escapologist and other ways he demonstrates it. Developmentally a lot of the tests they need to do to assess him only start when he is at around level 2 which he isn't yet. So I can't prove he is dyslexic, his IQ and his Irlens Syndrome and a whole host of other things probably.

Herts TAF still maintain he does not need a Special School because he would still be at P3 at age 9.

uhh yours frustrated with the system

I'm sorry but (as you have already guessed) the system is trying to screw you over. P3- level 1 NC is a big gap already.. and he is very likely to need special education sooner rather than later unless they and he make significant progress.

'WHat do you expect he has ASD"? WTF? That is awful!! Spiky profile and diagnosis does NOT been saying 'what do you expect' it means saying 'how can we best help this child whatever his potential.

Apply for a Statement yourself NOW. Keep a paper trail. What are his IEP targets.. has he achieved them? Has he made measurable progress since his las IEP review? Are the targets SMART?!

He might have the IQ of Einstein but if he hasn't making progress then his educational setting is failing him.

Incidentally I hate to say it, but someone saying he has a high IQ because he escapes (without someone actually testing him and actually assessing him using known proven methods by a ed psych) is absolutely daft.

The special school in which I work has a very significant number of autistic escapologists... highly skilled ones at that.. who nevertheless have severe learning difficulties... I have one child in my class who is 6..can use an iphone, escape from just about anywhere and anything, sharp as a tack in SOME ways.. but her Autism and other learning difficulties mean that her overall ability to learn conventionally is severely impaired.

Start fighting for a Statement.. I think you are going to need it.

DS is year 1, so should be level 1c. He's currently around P5-6, but reading age nearly a year ahead, comprehension he can't even score as a 3 year old (although I suspect thats partly because SALT is not good at getting him to engage with the questions). He has a full statement 35 hours per week, 48 weeks a year of ABA, partly in mainstream. He is bright and can learn what he chooses easily by rote learning but his functional use of what he learns is really poor. He can't apply it to typical, useful things. All his learning is achieved by ABA - mainstream teachers don't have much of a clue and he is not great at learning in a group yet - except when its phonics / letters.
If my child is entitled to autism specific specialist education then so is yours. Apply for a statement. At least where you are you have a lot of choice. We're up north and options are very limited.

Yes I have glass of wine and feeling utterly miserable here writing my post.

Are there methods of assessing him at P3 level? Developmentally he is not there yet.

I'm thinking not "if" but "when" will he need special education (school). TAF are saying he is receiving highly diversified individual special education in mainstream setting. They say he needs mainstream setting to have NT role models. He seems happy enough apart from the sensory overload sometimes.

They say he is making progress in the TAF but with no written evidence or proof. No showing if it was measurable progress.

I do believe his ability to learn conventionally is impaired.

How old is he?

Six

He is in Y2 now.
Yes so I wouldn't be applying for a SA for academic progress, it would be for support with social interaction and social communication.
DS is not doing well socially he is developmentally a two year old for social interaction. Still learning to share and take turns. He does not realise what he has to do in a group situation. He sometimes takes his cues by people watching and being fiercely independent.
Social communication he is developmentally a three year old knows vocabulary but cannot string sentences together. He utters single words or learned phrases only and then expects you to guess what he is telling you.
I agree DS is causing them no problems, not that DS has no problems only a few minor behavioural ones.
He does need extra support during unstructured times ie break and lunchtime.
He has 1:1 support for mornings only.
He does not attend a SULP (Social Use of Language Programe) group developmentally I don?t think he is there yet.
I don?t think he has MLD
Yes talking about P scales used in national curriculum levels.
Thank-you