Best way to transition from ms to ss - how do I do this with ds?

[Lesley25]

My ds is 6.5 and has asd, he will be going to ss from ms in September. We've only just found out so we now have to think about transitioning my ds.
The meetings and discussions about salt and ot and work p levels etc im presuming we will have with the ss and meetings will be planned to discuss this. But.
My ds loves his ta at ms so I'm not sure the best way to do this.
Ds has started to put words together and can express himself with one words comfortably now BUT he hates change and loves his school.
Do I just wait till sept and introduce it?
Do I suggest his ta and ds go on a visit with me present too?
How did other parents do this?

Ask your school senco to liaise with the ss senco, to see if your ds can visit for a whole morning for the rest of this term with his ta.
Especially as he hates change. Maybe see if they can make a book with a picture of his new school, classroom etc.
It helped my dd having a morning each week visiting her new school, hopefully any help like this will make September so much easier.
My dd school had a coffee morning for the parents to go to.
Good luck.

Thank you. We've now arranged for ta to accompany ds every week. I'll ask about a picture book too.

Ds was a similar age when he transferred. He is the sort of child who finds change difficult so needed time to adapt. I different child might need less or more. Ds had a couple of visits organised to view the new school (we had already attended a school fair type of thing there). First official visit was with me, with a TA taking pictures, of rooms, playground, hall etc (and the trees as this was something of importance to him). They made this into a booklet with pictures of his new classmates(with christian names) and teachers/Tas. Then he had another visit with a TA from his MS school. In the holidays we walked around the new school and area (noting the things of special interest to him) drove the route, talked about the new school, looked at his booklet. Met with a TA so he (who lives a few doors up) so he would have a familiar face. He started term a couple of days after the regular children, to allow the return to school excitement from the existing classmates to settle before he was introduced.
You may also need to adapt to transport. The bus driver and the escort visited, and ds met the other bus sharers before he joined in, in the second week of term. I think I was more worried than him - he had no real concept. The bus used his own car seat for familiarity - at least at first ( he was outgrowing it so stopped using it for school).
The introductions should be organised through school, but we did some of the organisation ourselves as it was all a bit last minute (statement and change of provision was approved in July!) and we had a good idea of his needs.
Hope it all goes well.

Thank you maggiso