Decision time

[Lesley25]

I could write a huge thread about this but i'm going to keep it short and simple and just need to make sure i haven't missed anything.

In summary, my ds's mainstream school has expressed their concerns about my ds and cannot provide a workstation/room for 1:1. The school have started to develop a reputation for not being as "inclusive: as they should be.

There are three options for my ds (Has asd currently has full 1:1 support started ms reception sept 2013)

Option 1. Stay at the ms he is in, even though head teacher is not keen 1:1 TA seems to "always" be doing other things rather then 1:1 and isnt receiving support from school re training. She often says to me "I can keep him safe, but i feel like i should be doing more for him". OT has been refused access to train TA by the ht. I suspect an effort to force my hand and take my ds out.
Pros- DS even though largely non verbal seems to like going, but he is such a placid boy i'm worried he is just being "compliant".

Option 2: A lovely MS very small village school. Experience of children on the spectrum and deemed "very inclusive". Small class sizes of 12.

Option 3 - Great ss. But we would lose a 1:1 TA . Its 1:3 and ep and speech therapist both say 1:1 is imperative.
I believe this to be true too.

I'm keen on option 2, i've visited both option 2 and 3 twice now and i have a meeting booked with my ds 's current ms to discuss next week.
Have i missed anything?

LilTreacle- i could have written this 3 months ago...
Have you been to see some special schools in your area?
Go and see as many as you can.

SS is all about building a "stand alone" curriculum for each child. Whilst a child might be cognitively able, sensory and motor skills coupled with the ADHD might make it difficult to chanel those cognitive skills. Thats where a good ss comes in, devising a curriculum for that child.

Go and see some. What i would say is if you want a ms environment- really think about what you want out of that environment. Is it nt children and social skills? if so, dig deeper and ask yourself if your dc can access that anyway. You see, when i looked at it - iuwanted that, but the reality is quite simply, my ds wouldn't know where to start to access that environment. Those social cues are missed on him.
Thats part of his ASD. That situation needs to be "created" for him with kindness and understanding and built from seconds into minutes and finally into a social interaction.

It was literally a process of elimination and whittling it right down to each point i wanted out of mainstream.
It dawned on me that a good ss will create environments to allow that to happen.
I saw some ok, bad and brilliant ss before settling on the one i wanted.

That is the dilemma.....ds is capable in theory of keeping up with peers but at the moment cannot cope in ms school due anxiety and is spending most of his time being calmed down and playing outside the classroom.
will just have to wait and see...tricky one.

didnt mean to hyjack...just interested to hear from people with children in ss already.

MOST state special schools are for children who have learning disabilities. In general the children will be 'academically stretched' but the range of academic ability will be low (with splinter skills common in some areas).

There are some state special schools that deal with specific barriers to learning (e.g schools with supporters aspergers specialisation), EBSD schools, etc.

There are also private special schools and some ms inclusive private schools which are open to take children who need small teaching environments.

Thanks for the info.....very helpful