Help please I have to find my son a new primary school for the THIRD time.

[Obstacles]

Hello I'd welcome any and all advice from this forum please.

My son is in year 2 and is a lovely boy. Has ASD plus moderate/severe learning delays. Huge sensory needs. Very verbal but doesn't always make that much sense! Highly sociable but poor social skills. Can be distractible and bouncy.

We can't see to find the right school for him and now I have to look again I'm determined to find him a place he can stay for the long term.

Short history:
Dx'd with Global delay at 3.5. By 4 SALT suggested ASD and put on assessment waiting list.

Went to local mainstream with statement and 1to1. Made v little progress. Repeated reception year and then school said they couldn't meet needs.

Started at age 6 in unit attached to mainstream for children with moderate to severe learning disabilities. Pretty good first year.

Dx'd with autism (after ridiculously long 3 year wait!) at age 7. Unit and school itself are lovely. But it is a big primary and son is struggling with inclusion due to sensory issues and progress has stalled. School say he is not coping and be best to find a new school - we agree. Local Authority have so far left it up to us to suggest a school but we have the annual review in a few weeks so they may have suggestions then. The local special school is nice but has very few verbal children. I found a state ASD school I liked but it is over subscribed and not in my borough.

So I'm doing the rounds but really struggling as places seem to be either full, not suitable or really really far away. Would an independent educational psychologist be able to actually suggest specific schools for my son or do they just identify needs? I'm in SW London/Surrey borders.

And does anyone have any tips for getting it right this time. We spent a lot of time selecting the current school and everyone - SALT, LA educational psych and teacher at unit all thought it would be perfect. Really don't want to have to move him again.

Thank you

Obstacles welcome my dd2 has autism she is 4 and attends a special school nursery .she is verbal and many of her classmates are nonverbal and her speech has really come on good luck

Thanks autumnsmum. Lovely to hear your daughter is doing so well. If everything else about the school suited then the lack of verbal peers wouldn't be a deal breaker.

I am researching educational psychologists but not sure whether to bite the bullet and spend so much now unless they can really help with the choosing process.

Hopefully someone will be along to tell you more about an ed psychs role

Just realised my comment about verbal peers sounds a bit cold and I hope I haven't offended anyone. Having a peer group is something his current school have told us is very important for him in a new setting. His p levels are very low academically and being able to communicate verbally is something we need to build on.

Honestly at dd2 s school there are verbal and no. Verbal children and there are so many well trained staff that they work on all the children's communication targets

Sounds like a great school autumnsmum. The local mld/sld Ss to me doesn't think son is suitable for them. They are over subscribed so only taking kids that closely meet their admissions criteria. I've started looking further afield at both state and independent Ss and asd Ss.

There is a mld/asd school. From what I saw son would be one of their less able. School say can differentiate but I think it is not autism specific enough for him and he would struggle to learn there.

Unsted Park School

More House

Blossom House

Limetree Kingston

Peartree, Stanley School, Richmond

Thanks starlight.

A couple of new names there that I hadn't considered so that's great.

Hi, Sorry to reactivate an old thread but am tearing my hair out trying to decide on new school for my DS aged 8 diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, visual processing disorder (you name it, everything apart from dyspraxia!) in the Surrey area. I can't decide between Unsted Park, St Dominic's and The Rise. He also has 2 day tasters coming up at Knowl Hill in Pirbright and Blossom House. Any advice/experiences gratefully received. thanks.

Hi
As far as I am aware Unsted Park is considerably more expensive. Than the other ds indies you mention and The Rise is a free school if its the one at Feltham Academy. As such you might find it easier to get some named on his ECHP than others.
I have heard good things about St Dominic's but not that academic. Blossom is primarily a salt school so do check their handling of asd. I know they have many on the spectrum but one parent told me they struggle with behavioural problems. So it depends if this is an issue for you.
There is also More House in Frensham. Primarily a sold school be defiantly have boys with asd.