Statement review and special schools

[alita7]

We have dsds (10) statement review on Thursday , we and her mother are in agreement that one particular sen school is right for her. Her current head teacher had been brilliant with giving her what she needs at mainstream primary school but is totally In support of this decision, as is her senco. The sen school also said they are hoping that she goes there.

I am just a tiny bit worried as the head teacher said that we need to be very firm and fight just in case they say no she should try mainstream school because her maths is within normal range IF someone reads the worksheet to her as she can't read beyond a 5 year olds level and by the time she's read (and not taken in the instructions as she's been sounding out each word and forgotten the sentence) the instructions she can't be bothered to do the maths...

She has brain damage and is autistic and socially could not cope in mainstream secondary school she is already starting to be ostracised by the class she is in (the year bellow her age). There are so many reasons why she couldn't go to main stream. to name a few, she has a very practical learning style and would switch off if she couldn't keep up with academia (even with a ta) she would be bullied and needs friends on her level (she tries to hug and kiss everyone :p) she can't cope with the homework she gets as it is, her primary school are struggling to adapt the curriculum to suit her as it is, she would be very vulnerable as she wants to please people all the time and she is exceptionally disorganised, she looses everything and is always forgetting to bring home jumpers, her glasses, her water bottle, she would loose all her things on day 1!!!

so what do we do if they say no? I think within a week of being at mainstream she would be refusing to go and in floods of tears constantly... even if they then agreed to send her to the sen school putting her through that experience and moving her around all over the place would be horrendous for an autistic child who struggles with change. especially as she has been through so much, moving to live with us last year after abuse at her mums...

Which year is she in?

4 but should be in 5 and the school don't know what to do with her if she doesn't to the sen school as she is nearly 2 years older than many of the kids and much taller/ stronger so is often accidentally hurting them (barging past too hard, things like that). A side from that she is becoming academically too far behind to be benefiting hugely from the lessons even with her ta. So while the secondary school worry seems premature I guess it's really the worry that if they say no now then it will be the same when it's time for secondary school.

My dd2 hoes to a sp sch for autism and in the secondary dept some pupils integrate into a mainstream secondary for one subject a week and it's often maths or it

autumn I think if it was only asd it would be ok but the brain damage at birth has just as if not more of a significant impact on her school life (she was statemented before her asd diagnosis). she has the mental age of a 6 year old in most ways, I don't think a unit would be appropriate based on what the teachers and senco have said about the local one which only opened recently so is still finding it's feet. (the senco told us not to bother looking at it).

oops autumn totally misread your post as if she was at a mainstream sen unit. sorry!

That's fine alita dd2 goes to a sch for children with autism and learning difficulties

Stand firm and it is well in your favour that her current school are supportive. We made a list of needs using ds's current statement(although ds's problems were different) and explained why the mainstream secondary would be unable to meet these. It was difficult because his mainstream primary was very supportive but we still had to make absolutely clear that they had been unable to fulfil any of his statement as his anxiety was so great. It also helped us that the secondary HT said he would be unable to cope!

Also a lot of children move to dd2 s school at secondary level as they won't cope in mainstream secondary

ok so if we write a more formal and concise list of her needs then that might help (or at least help us to articulate them). We will sit down and do that together.

I think the school have been fabulous but I think they are aware that they are now struggling to meet her needs, which is why they'd like her to go to sen school in September. We also think it would be good for her to settle into the new environment at a primary level which would be more like the way her current school is set up, rather than going to a secondary environment straight away, even though it is adjusted for children with needs like hers. I'm hoping that it will all go smoothly but it was that element of doubt that worried me, though I can't for the life of me believe that an official from the authority could make that decision without listening to the recommendations of everyone who knows the child well.