ASD DS to be permanently excluded or sent to a CSS.

[Sahkoora]

Don't know if you have read my other threads this week about DS being pressured when he gets to school.

I had the meeting with the HT today and basically, they have said that DS is a danger to himself and others and that they are going to do a positive referral to a CSS or they are going to permanently exclude him.

I have heard several times that the CSS is not a suitable place for a 5 year old, and the LA are standing with the school.

Both LA and school think it unlikely DS would get another place at a mainstream school, but are also won't say that a special school is the answer, as he doesn't yet have a statement.

In shock, don't know what to do. REALLY don't want to send DS to the CSS, but there doesn't seem as though we have any other options now. Should I pull DS out and homeschool him until we can get an ss place?

Sorry if this is a bit spacy, I feel weird right now.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/1871531-Think-Im-at-the-end-of-the-line-with-school-please-tell-me-I-am-doing-the-right-thing

Sorry, meant to put a link to the other thread with the full story of what happened this week. I am glad that DS doesn't have to go back to school there, but pissed off that he has basically been expelled for being autistic.

With a statement int he works, what will happen if I pull him out? Will it not be granted if he's being homeschooled? How would I then apply for a place at a special school later?

Sixes and sevens ... sorry for being weird.

That is atrocious and I say that as a mum whose child was also excluded to all intents and purposes for being autistic. Surely, you have shown that with reasonable adjustment your child can survive in mainstream. I don't know what a CSS is so can't comment on that but is the statement applied for and underway? I pulled ds2 out of school whilst statementing was taking place and it still continued. He is now in an ARP - is that a possibility? Have you spoken to the SEN team at the LEA and what do they suggest. I would also try and contact IPSEA for legal advice.

I am so sorry that you and your DS are going through this. I'm afraid I don't have any advice to offer but wanted to let you know I am thinking of you. Please don not appologise for being weird - you are not! You are rightfully shocked and upset, especially after the emotional upheaval you have had to deal with this week. At least this school can no longer abuse your DS in the way they were before, which in itself is a blessing for both of you.

and

They can't permanently exclude him for being autistic: please point out to them that it's totally unlawful and, apart from anything else, would give you a cast iron disability discrimination claim.

What they can do is say they are not able to meet his needs (and they bloody should have done that in the first place) and work with you and the LA to support him till an appropriate placement is found.

Is the CSS something like Community Special School? If they don't have other 5 year olds there then it sounds like it certainly wouldn't be suitable. The LA should be helping you to explore all options. Do they have any mainstream schools with ASD units? Are there any independent special schools in your area?

Definitely talk to IPSEA or SOS SEN.

They can't exclude for not meeting needs though, can they? Have they undertaken risk assessments if he's a danger?

Refuse to pull him out. Insist on a statement. In emergencies they can be drawn up in days. If he gets a formal exclusion you have an even better case for getting what he needs. Don't be afraid if that.

It is a crap school that excludes a 5 year old.

It is a crap school that excludes a 5 year old.

This!

School are being utter arseholes (though it sounds like his 1:1 is trying to reach him and help him, but is being undermined)

One what grounds are they planning to exclude him, by the way. Ask them to put it in writing. To be honest, it sounds like they're doing you a favour (but not if you live somewhere
with no other schools, nearby). Having it in writing will help when you hand their arses back to them for completely ignoring the Equality Act, though.

And, I see from your other thread that you're expecting a statement for him, shortly. If you have no other school options, you need to make sure it's watertight, with this one.

Thanks everyone. I spoke to the woman in charge of DS's statement yesterday, she was quite unhelpful and backed the head completely, saying that he's totally within his rights and there is nothing we can do.

Sorry, I assumed that a CSS was a country-wide thing, perhaps not. It's basically a centre where they send kids on their last chance before exclusion, so totally not a suitable place for a 5yr old.

If we did take that option, DS would remain on the school's roster, and the HT said that in a term, DS could come back to school "if things improved". I asked him what "improvement" would be, and he said in his behaviour. I pointed out that DS's bad behaviour was a result of his ASD and was unlikely to change in a single term, but it made no difference.

The HT also effectively cut off any other chance of DS going to another mainstream school (and the LA backed him on this) as he said that they would call him and he could not recommend to his colleagues that they take DS on.

The HT has done it at the perfect time to really screw us too, as we don't yet have a statement saying what DS's needs are, so it would be hard to get another school to take him on.

I would like to know what difference a permanent exclusion will make to DS. I am quite tempted to be bloody minded as I know the HT will have to take it before the governors if he excludes DS, whereas if he goes to the CSS, the HT alone makes that decision.

Both the HT and the LA said that we want to avoid permanent exclusion at all costs. Why is that?

Sorry, meant to add that DS is being excluded on health and safety grounds.

It looks very good for the HT as on paper, he looks as though he has done everything he can, calling in lots of professionals and paying for 1:1. The problem is that they might have implemented the procedures, but they have been wielding them heavy handedly and have not really had any compassion when dealing with DS's needs.

Just found out that a CSS is also called a Pupil Referral Unit. HTH.

PRUs are (generally) no place for children with autism.

Go and have a look around so that you can show you have fully considered it, but quite apart from anything else it is only supposed to be a temporary measure so a full-time permenant solution is required.

Make absolutely certain that you have the exclusion formally in writing. If not, send him back on Monday until you get this.

This is an extremely useful document for your battle going forward and you NEED it.

And speak to IPSEA/SOSSEN or the NAS helpline asap.

Aww your poor little boy.

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT!! That is all the school have to do.
Allowing you to take him in spend 2 mins in the library & then to eb taken to class by his TA is reasonable, especially if it means they have a calm happy child able to access the curriculum.

If you child was a wheelchair user would they ask him to walk up a flight of steps to enter school... NO, of course they wouldn't.

They are being unreasonable and I would say discriminatory in failing to make reasonable adjustments.

You can fight the school but TBH I wouldn't want my child at a school that wouldn't want him there.
Go and look at other MS schools not all share this awful cruel attitude, some really really do care.

What an awful situation for you and your DS

What can you find out about the CSS? Every area has a different scheme for dealing with kids who don’t cope with mainstream, and these schools can vary a lot. So in your area, the CSS might be able to deal with a young child who has an ASC.

If a special school is what you really want, then your DS might find it easier to get a place in a special school if you do try him at the CSS while you wait. Once you start homseschooling, the local authority may feel he is not their problem any more , whereas the CSS will (probably) want to move your DS somewhere suitable as soon as possible. He may move on to special school, or he might also move to a mainstream school with a less crap much better head and SENCO. The new school will listen to what the CSS say and not what the old head says.

Would it be worth speaking to someone at the CSS before you decide what to do next?

Honks and wishing you a calm weekend with your DS.

It's all very well the LA shrugging their shoulders and pushing your DS into PRU at 5, but what are they expecting to do long term. As you quite rightly say, he has ASD. It's not like a tummy bug. It doesn't go away. They have a duty to provide this boy with ASD an appropriate education until he is 18, whether they like it or not, and that does not mean babysitting him in a highly stressful environment, which is actually designed to help children in temporary, but some way resolvable distress access education of some form, rather than park inconveniently disabled children, indefinitely.

Do look around other mainstream schools. Your head sounds more and more like an utter bastard (wonder if he was our troll, yesterday, because he seems to have the same views?) the more i read. Not all heads are the same, and for all you know, he might not be as influential as he makes out. For all you know, he might be the object of derision, elsewhere, for his attitudes.

And look round special schools, as well, if necessary with the help of parent partnership. Some welcome direct approaches, others will completely ignore you.

The LEA have totally failed here by suggesting that you put your son into a PRU at the age 5. What are they thinking, talk about washing their hands of him and you as a family.

Such places as well are generally not suited to children on the ASD spectrum.

I would look around other schools in this LEA including special schools and seek advice from IPSEA on Monday.

We have had a good experience of a PRU but with an older child (ten when he went). The environment is a lot calmer than mainstream and the staff dealt with ds1's difficulties (AS) very well. I don't think it is worth battling with this difficult HT when he clearly does not want your child at the school but this does not mean your son could not cope with a mainstream that was prepared to make reasonable adjustments. To be honest contrary to what your headteacher thinks my understanding is that if a school has space they have to accept your child even if they have been permanently excluded (once there are two permanent exclusions then it is different but you are not in this situation yet). Certainly, ds1 had to try another mainstream when he was permanently excluded and whilst we were waiting for his statement to be completed. There are some good, inclusive schools out there. Are there any local support groups near you which might be able to give you advice on schools? In our town one is very inclusive, one tries and one is rubbish - guess where everyone is advised to go.

I have just looked into the location of the PRU and it is well out of town. Unfortunately I don't drive (currently learning) and it would take at least 3 buses to get there. DS does not do well on public transport, and DS2 would have to come in his buggy so this would be a nightmare twice a day. Nor would DS cope with going on transport alone. It's completely out of the question.

DS is being lovely this weekend. He knows nothing about this yet. I just want to cry every time I look at him, sitting on the floor playing with his trains. He is not hard to manage, he needs to be spoken to and engaged and distracted when he finds things hard to cope with.

I will definitely call IPSEA, thank you. Thank you everyone for your kind words and support, it really does make a huge difference.

If it's more than 2 miles, then I suspect that they'll have to provide transport, with an escort, since he's apparently such a health and safety risk, if they're going to insist on the PRU as his place of education.

In my area, if the local authority recommends a distant school for a child, then they will also pay for transport. For a young child or child with special needs they might arrange a taxi or escorted minibus place. The rules (and the distances) do vary from place to place.

If they insist on him attending a PRU they will also lay on a taxi so he cn get there and back. After all it's much cheaper for them to place him in a totally unsuitaable placement in a PRU than it would be to actually pay for the proper sort of support he neeeds.

You need to fight this.

They are saying that he is choosing to be naughty so they are punsiing him by putting him in a PRU until he decides to behave.

The problem is that with ASD he is not making a consious choise to misbehvae and therefpore cannot decide to change his behaviour.

At 5 years old too - quite incredible.

Challenge the exclusion.

Refuse the PRU.

Talk to IPSEA.

The PRU is well over two miles away. No way am I going to put DS in a taxi with an escort he doesn't know to go to a place he's never been with no other kids his age, I wouldn't do it for an NT 5yr old, let alone one who has problems with change. It would have a HUGE impact on his life.

They can't do it without our consent, and I absolutely won't be giving it.

I've lost faith in all the professionals who have been "helping" us. I've emailed and phoned countless people this week, hoping for some support in all this and have received precisely none, just promises of calls back, or it being raised in a meeting to see what more they can offer. I just want one person to say to me that this is an outrage, that my DS deserves to be treated kindly, and I've had nothing.

I just want to take my DS and run away right now. (Of course I won't ACTUALLY do this, so don't worry!) I'm terrified they will refuse to let me home ed him and force him to the PRU. They can do this if they don't think I can meet his needs at home, right?

Sorry, I am being an irrational idiot right now, please just ignore me. I'm typing because I need to get my fears out, I think. DH has gone out, it's his birthday tomorrow and neither of us is in the mood to enjoy it. We were going to go out but now we're just going to spend it at home with our boys and shut the rest of the horrible, unfair world out for a day.

and honks xx