Portageworker changed her mind now saying dd should go to unit not ss

[autumnsmum]

Hello everyone need some advice my dd who is 3.5 and autistic has been seen by the ed psych who recommended ss .I visited one with her and she liked it .portage worker visited yesterday and said she's changed her mind and she thinks dd should go to unit.i am totally stressed as I thought we had a school placement agreed .i asked her if ed psych could go and observe dd at pre school to get this sorted out once and for all.

I agree with Justa. The Portage Worker opinion doesn't carry any weight.

"portage worker visited yesterday and said she's changed her mind and she thinks dd should go to unit"

"portage worker visited yesterday and said she's changed her mind and she thinks dd should go to unit"

That's nice for her Meanwhile, you are her parent and you are entitled to have your opinion given equal weight to anyone else.

-DD1's portage worker thought she'd go to MS with 1:1 support.
-The Ed Psych thought she'd be ok at MS with 20 hours 1:1 support, until I pointed out that there was no safe time to be without support.
-DD1's Paed wrote in a clinic letter 'I expect DD1 will go to MS school with support from her Statement.'
-The Area Inclusion Officer thought she'd go to MS with support.

When I received the proposed Statement the wording was odd. I phoned the Statementing Officer and said 'are you suggesting Special School??' She confirmed that she was. I asked her 'are you sure about this?' and she said 'Never been so sure in my life.' I said 'but the lists get really full!' and she said 'Yes, and I control the list. If I say DD gets a place, she gets a place.'

Don't be swayed by a portage worker. What's your instinct?

thank you for all the replies, as I have posted previously this issue has caused huge disagreements with myself and my partner.i want my dd to go to ss she is verbal but has v limited understanding and no concentration . I feel the input she would get in a ss would help her tremendously , she was verbally offered a place by a member of ss staff . To be honest the fact that my ds 8 who also has autism is struggling hugely in mainstream is probably influencing my view

Well to be fair, the member of SS staff can only say that should the LA place her there, they feel it would be an appropriate setting. They can't offer her a place - that's the job of the LA.

Why does your partner feel SS isn't suitable?

Is your partner aware that SS doesn't have to be her placement for her entire school career? My best friend was at a SS till he was 8 & then went to mainstream successfully and has done very well in life. My sibling also spent a few years in hospital school & then SS but is now a Uni graduate.

Far better to start with specialist help while young and make great progress than to take the route my poor lad has. MS in KS1 was such a disaster (total write off!) that despite everyone's best efforts over the last year or so I'm now looking at SS or HE for secondary. He was too late diagnosed for there to be any other way for his tale to end, BUT it's really upsetting for me to know just how much time has been lost. It's also damaged his self-esteem hugely, as an ASD child in mainstream without adequate support is an unmitigated disaster.

Early diagnosis, followed by intensive specialist early intervention is almost always gonna have the best long term outcome.

There is also the space factor - there may not be any room in the SS later on in your child's school career as later diagnosed children fight HARD to get in. (I'm gearing myself up for one helluva battle ). If you have the opportunity now to get a place, take it. Hopefully your child will bloom and be able to make the move to a smooth mainstream experience later.