Need advice on best school setting for my child who has language disorder

[sleepyhorse]

Hi really need some advice....

my son who is 4 has a severe speech and language disorder (and also sensory probs - struggles with proprioception and vestibular) He currently goes to a mainstream with a language unit where he has been receiving support since September with speech therapy and some OT. We also do VBA at home a few times a week where a fantastic tutor comes to deliver the sessions and i must say he has made so much progress. Its the best thing that has happened to him!

In his recent annual review at school, it was felt that whilst he has made good progress since starting school, his language is so disordered that they are worried that come next Sep when the kids access the national curriculum that they won't be able to meet his needs and said he would benefit from going to Meath school (a language specialist school in Surrey). We went to have a look at this school which is lovely and has great facilities and staff (they have 10 kids per class and a speech therapist and LSA in each class plus they all get OT) But I'm just not sure.

My concerns are firstly it's nearly an hours drive to get there, I know that LA would provide transport but its still 2 hours in a car every day. Also I'm just concerned that he's not going to have the right role models to help develop his social skills (especially as he is a child who copies his peers) as all the kids have significant language difficulties. And finally I have heard its difficult to go back into mainstream should we decide to do so in a couple of years.

I guess my other option is to send him to a local mainstream and fight to get him full time VBA support. As he would then get the best of both worlds.

But just confused and overwhelmed. Such a big responsibility trying to decide what type of school is best for him.

I just wondered if anyone has any good advice having had a similar experience?? What are pro's and cons of both?

Thanks for reading

They want to give Meath without a fight? Really? Wow.

Hi if you are being offered specialist provision I would think seriously about taking it. I have heard quite a few stories lately of people wanting to get their kids into special school when they are older and struggling to get a place. I suspect it's easier to move out of special to ms than the other way round. We are awaiting a statement at the mo and I have very similar concerns to you about making the right choice but me and hub have already agreed if we are offered special we will take it.

They are offering MEATH?

Seriously?

Wow.

It isn't impossible to go from SS to MS.

In fact, it is probably an easier path to MS with VB to have gone from a more expensive SS.

oh why, is it known for being really difficult to get in?

Really? Is that a good thing LOL :)
TBH I don't know that much about Meath other than his current school want to send him there (and in the past they have done so with kids whose language has been as bad as my son's and our county fund the fees) - as I say I went to look around the school and its lovely and very calm as its small classes but just don't know if he will thrive by going there (on a social level)

I know nothing about Meath and how good it is, but I did take the decision to send my DC4 to mainstream rather than the special school we'd been offered, and he went with a 20 hours 1-1 statement (verbal Dyspraxia - lots of "language" but completely unintelligible). The quality of the LSAs he had was patchy - some were amazing, others just not equipped - but that, coupled with good weekly SALT input, meant that he came on in leaps and bounds and now, at 10, he's nearly always intelligible and has no need for any outside support.

Well his lang probs are pretty severe, he's almost 5 yrs old but his Lang level is that of a 3 year old. He struggles with auditory processing but he is making progress in area area which makes me reluctant to send him to Meath

Zzzz - so mainstream didn't work out then? How come you decided on HE then and not sending him to a specialist school?

I would grab any offer of a specialist school with both hands.

We are in a mess already and DS is only in reception with no prospect of ever having any choice other than mainstream as there are no alternatives in our area. We dont even have a language unit attached to any school and my area doesnt even have a single S&lt going into the schools atm as ours is on long term sick and no cover has been found for her caseload.

I fear we will end up in the same position as zzzzz and withdrawing DS when it gets too much for him.

I beginning to think we need to move area.

Hi,
I am living in Ireland so it is a different system here but my son was severely language disordered last year age 4 he started school in a language class aged 5. This is a special unit within a mainstream school where a speech and language works for three full days with the class of 7 children. All of whom have significant language difficulty. The CELF score has to be under 70 but also to have normal non verbal iq.
He has made fantastic progress in a year all his language scores are within average range after one year. He has been offered a second year as he is unable to sustain social interaction ( I think he has aspergers) and I am delighted with hs progress. I do agree you should take the Meath school. There were kids this year beng taxied for an hour each way to this class and they managed fine. It is like a lottery win to get a place in this class so I am very grateful.

lMeath is a (specialist) special school so what Im saying is whilst its great on the language side of things, there are no role mod els as all the kids are in the same boat. Where he currently goes now is a mainstream with a language unit which is why Im reluctant to take him out as hes getting the best of both worlds. But now his school are suggesting he might be better at Meath. But as parents we're just not sure as we would rather keep him in mainstream even if it means taking him out of this one and getting him ABA/VBA full time support in school (as this is something we do at home and has proved to be fantastic for him)

Honestly, if I had the choice, I would do MS with VB.

BUT, MS with VB is a bloody nightmare to get and police and the quality may never get to the standard you hoped, not because of the VB but because of the culture in state education and the sheer number of YEARS it can take to get a school or member of staff even half-heartedly on board.

However, as 'pure' models of provision, I believe MS with VB is the better option.

sorry ignore last message as lots of typos.....Meath is a (specialist) special school so what Im saying is whilst its great on the language side of things, there are no role models as all the kids are in the same boat. Where he currently goes now is a mainstream with a language unit which is why Im reluctant to take him out as hes getting the best of both worlds. But now his school are suggesting he might be better at Meath. But as parents we're just not sure as we would rather keep him in mainstream even if it means taking him out of this one and getting him ABA/VBA full time support in a different mainstream school (as this is something we do at home and has proved to be fantastic for him)

Go to Meath. Dont' worry about the taxi ride too much. School will compensate for the fact that he will be tired from this. Don't worry about the social skills either, being able to communicate on a level with other children of similar abilities is very important, especially as he gets older.

While he is still young, communication is play based. As he gets older (my DS is 12) the language difficulties become much more apparent. My DS is in a language unit in MS. We have just moved him back down to the additional needs group and he is much happier as he can communicate effectively with all the children there - and the language is much more tailored to his abilities.

Ds took a maths test in his MS class - scored 21. Moved him down to AN class and he took a similar test (past papers) - he scored 46. I am convinced that it was the way the AN class taught him, taking into account his language difficulties, rather than in MS class where TA's had to 'translate' for him.

I think you have to view a language difficulty as like a child living in a foreign country where everyone speaks a different language to him - a language unit is like teaching him in his own language iyswim.

TBH I wouldn't worry too much about the role model side of things.

Because simply BEING in a MS classroom doesn't teach a child social skills. Being where the specialist teaching is does.

If that is IN the MS then all very well and good, but usually it isn't.

Just to add, ds1 has had a 1 hour journey each way to school since he was 4.5 years and although I was v apprehensive beforehand it's been absolutely fine (and was from day one). In fact he loves his escort and driver and on the way home it's v useful down time for him after a busy day.

If the school is the right one, the transport is no biggie at all. Children adapt to new routines incredibly quickly