How many of us have chosen special school? (or mainstream!)

[Fio2]

Was just wondering....I know alot of SN childrens mums and dads are for mainstream now but was wondering how many out of our small section have chose special? Pro's and Cons sort of thing.

We were told before we moved to Kent that there were no suitable special schools for dd and there was only mainstream. But it turns out because of her statement she would qualify for the special school a drive away (transport provided) We have looked round and decided on this. She will get more specialist help there and will be slowly integrated into mainstream with a view that she will always have the special school input (does this make sense?)

We were told if we decided on mainstream she would get limited support and would most probably be ignored alot of the time as she is so well behaved. This was by education professionals who admit the special school placement is alot more expensive than a mainstream setting.

We want her to go to this special school but I feel a bit disappointed that I am not trying to push her into mainstream. This makes no sense I know, but I somehow feel like I may be holding her back even though she will get more help/support in special school.

Just wondered what other peoples views were? Theoretically she wouldnt have been offered a place here because she is 'scoring' too high on the P scale (and according to it she hasnt got learning difficulties???!!!which I find odd) but because of her statement it HAS to be provided. tell me I am lucky and to stop worrying and it sounds ideal or maybe not!

Hi fio

Until she is older and her needs to be addresses more I will opt for mainstream.

The mainstream I have chosen has a very large intake of children with SN and, according to a women I met the other day, currently has 3 children in one year in wheelchairs as well as SN not so easily detected with the naked eye!!!

Every talk I've ever been to on DS, every doctor, medical professional etc etc, all state that as far as children with DS are concerned that it has been proven that they thrive in mainstream school and it's much beter for them.

so, until Lottie is at the stage where she is preparing for GCSE's and needs more specialist help and one to one attention she'll attend mainstream.

We didn't "choose" mainstream. We were given a choice of mainstream or the autism unit attached to mainstream. The unit is understaffed and crap (ok for AS I think but not non-verbal). So we opted for mainstream as it meant ds1 could get full time one to one. It's working out well but I don't think it will be sustainable in the long term unless a miracle happens language wise. I think we may get another year out of it (but ask me after hlaf term as we have another meeting then and I wouldn't be all that surprised if the school were not keen on him staying). Unfortunately I cannot see what will happen then. There is a special school for communication disorders but very oversubscribed, and I'm, not sure he'll get one to one- he really needs that at the moment. So I may well be asking the LEA to fund ABA. They will refuse and so the school will be stuck./ Depressing isn't it?

I hope I'm not intruding but this thread seems relevant to a very moving article I've just read, about a darling little boy, Ivan Cameron . His MP father writes about the bureaucracy surrounding his son's care.

We haven't chosen anything yet. Our DS is currently being assessed for a Statement (he's been out of F/T education since end of Feb (and was out for a period last year). I'd like to think DS is able to cope with mainstream, but he can't so I think they are likely to recommend a special unit or improved home tutition for a while. My DS has ADHD with severe emotional/behavioural difficulties. I think that wherever your child gets the best support is the best place for them.

Suedonim - Thanks for that link. No wonder parents of children with SN feel so frustrated by the system. Inclusion should be about choice and not used as an excuse to save money by denying children special schools.

We've opted for mainstream school. I say 'opted' although we wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting ds1 into a special school. Ds1 has made so much progress over the last 2 years that he should be able to cope fairly well if he gets the right amount of support. He's coped brilliantly in his mainstream pre-school and (luckily for him!) didn't even need 1-1 support.

fio - I would go with whatever feels right for you and dd. If you feel she will do better in a special school then you should give it a go and not feel guilty about not opting for mainstream.

Fio2 It is about whatever you feel is the right choice for your dd. When ds3 was little everyone involved in his care reccomended a unit placement for him. I was horrified because I imagined something like an old fashioned institution and insisted he would be better mainstream. When I got offered the unit and looked at it, it was wonderful so right for him. He has made amazing progress there. The attention they pay to small details is incredible. The staff are like a family to us. I know that whre I live this kind of support would not be available mainstream. The irony is that my borough is tryng to reduce these placements.
Remember that you can ask for a review and she may move into mainstream at a later date. If it seems right for her I would take the place. I know the case of the little girl whose Dad tried to sell his kidney to get educational support for her was in Kent LEA. They were told she could mainstream but she spent all day in her wheelchair and became stiff and lost some of her mobility. She also knew she was different and found this hard to cope with and to a degree was excluded socially.
Mainstream can be great if all the right provision is made for the child. However this is not always the case.

We are planning to send ds2 to mainstream, and have stated as much to all the professionals involved in his ongoing statementing, but it really depends if they can out all the adaptions in that are necessary to enable this to happen. It's 19th century, and not disabled friendly, although they are trying to get it ready in time for when he would start (sep 05). If it wasn't looking promising I would definitely ask about a sn school .

mad isnt it? I am glad I am not only sort-of confused one. The thing is she copes at mainstream nursery atm with NO SUPPORT!! I know this is not ideal but she copes. The special school will start integrating her almost immediately with the eventual view that she will attend special school 2 days a week and mainstream 3, this is eventually though.

I must say it was quite encouraging though that the older students there (16-19) go to the nearby college. The headmaster said that after 19 they then go on to learn vocational courses and alot get jobs. He said dd was very capable and would do really well. They think with the specialist help there she will be talking and toileted within a year, this is a big reason for choosing it.

I am sorry jimjams, I do realise some people dont have a 'choice' thats why I feel I shouldnt be questioning my own judgement. I am also fully aware that if we hasdnt moved from out the area ahe certainly would NOT have got a place there. Parents round here are fighting for their kids to go there, I should be grateful, well I am really but its not knowing whether I have made the right choice or not.

Suedonim, my browser isnt working could someone type the address to the story without the link? please sue most probably knows the place my dd will going to aswell!

Just read the link. I can't believe the Cheyne is in danger of being closed! It's a fantatsic place. Bloody cost cutters.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=/education/2004/05/22/teftory22.xml&sSheet=/education/2004/05/24/ixteleft.html

thanks lou, you're a darling

I try my best .

Will email you back later.

My DS1 has mild AS and we send him to a private/independant school. Costs us a B. fortune but he copes better only having a small amount of children in his class, doesnt suffer any bulying etc( not saying that bullying happens in all mainstream)

Sorry, i hope my comment doesnt sound presumptious, i know not everyone with children with SN can afford to send them to private schools (Us included really) and it is a struggle but mainstream nursery was a nightmare and made him so uncomfortable and unconfident. This school has really helped him

also depends on the level of disability Tessiebear. i don't think there's a private school in the land that would touch my son with a barge pole

Sorry Jimjams, i have got a friend who's son was asked to leave a private school because they didnt have enough support or money to give to his particular disability. It seems a bit unfair .....

Our dd (who will be 5 in August), who has a language disorder attends a maintream school with a specialist language unit attached.
We were dead against the idea of dd going to this unit as we wanted her to be taught in the same school as her brother.
Anyway to cut a very long story short dd did start at ds school nursery last January (03) and stayed until the July. The experience was pretty horrendous from start to finish really as dd was unsupported for most of it and when she was supported it was only for 45 minutes out of 2.5hrs. When the draft statement came through the LEA suggested that we carefully considered our options, which were a. leave her in miansream with SOME support, SALT as and when they could as they are short in our area or b. send her to the SALT unit with onsite speech and language therapy, constant support in mainstream 3:1 as there are 2 other language impaired children in dd's class. They have social skills groups, fine and gross motor skill lessons and basically a great understanding of dd's problems. I eventually, after a lot of tears and upset, decided to take the unit placement. Thank goodness, we haven't looked back. We cannot believe what they have with dd after 9 months - amazing. Nothing is too much trouble and they are happy to discuss any worries that we have. I think that speaking for our family when we finally decided to send dd to the unit the hard bit was that yet again it was accepting that dd had problems and that was really hard. The thing that really made me make up my mind was that I thought to myself who has to go to school all day, not me - dd. i wanted dd somewhere that completely understood her problems and that could meet her needs, luckily for us we found it!
So yes I am going to tell you that you are lucky and do stop worrying.

Hi Fio, my daughter with DS currently goes to a mainstream nursery and also to a very good special one. She gets support (supposedly 90% of 1-2-1) at the mainstream one but to be quite honest they're not making much effort. Dd has very little speech and her understanding is poor due to hearing loss that was untreated for years, but only one of the workers there uses Makaton with her occasionally. I've seen the others holler at dd across a crowded, noisy room with telly on in the background to 'sit down on the cushion'. Yeah right - they might as well have been talking Mandarin. What I do like about the mainstream one is that she is obviously just one of the gang there and really doesn't stick out at all when they're all on an outing or playing in the playground. I get very annoyed though with the lack of initiative from the staff - they won't even put her hearing aids back in again when she takes them out.
Anyway, because her speech is just not forthcoming even now she has the hearing aids - and she does try but just about everything comes out as 'didi' or 'baba' - we have decided to have her go to the special nursery for 4 days a week after the summer, and just one morning at mainstream.
Having said all this - we have increased her time at special nursery with the hope that her speeh will improve enough for her to be ok at mainstream primary school. I just want to do what I can to give her a fighting chance of coping with some independence. We'll also hold her back a year, she's titchy anyway and has been in and out of hospital, it only seems fair.
The primary school she will go to is very good, small, and prides itself on its special needs provisions. I do worry about missing out on the expertise that is available at the special school, so maybe we'll go for a shared placement again. It sound like the kind of thing you will be going for, and I know from a few people that it seems to work well.
My dd is also well-behaved and 'no trouble at all' but no one has said she might be ignored at primary school. I think this is a bit of a problem at nursery at the moment, but I really can't see it happen at a good primary school with well-trained teachers, rather than 16-year old nursery workers.
It's one of those difficult decisions with no right or wrongs really, isn't it?!

My daugter is 3 and has hypotonia and a developmental delay. At present she attends a private special school, paid for by the local authority. It is a specialist school which uses conductive education and is really quite unique. We have already discussed her transition into our local mainstream primary school, it will be a slow process and she will be joint roles on both schools for a long time. This I feel for us is the best of both worlds and I believe all of her needs will be addressed in the most appropriate settings.
Youve got to trust your gut instinct, we are all on a massive learning curve here and only want what is best for our children. I am sure that you have made the right decision for you and your family - trust yourself.

We had choice of two mainstreams with special needs units or local mainstream with auxilliary support. Have decided on the latter as it is a very small village school and we can walk there. We can change at any time if he is struggling.

My view was the other schools were quite far away and thus meant travelling and a longer day and that he wouldn't be with his local children. Here he can sit next to our neighbours child (who is older but they have composite classes) and will get more attention due to smaller class. Downside is that the staff won't be so highly trained. However he is doing so well I feel this isn't going to be a big problem.

It is just a question of balancing and I know a difficult decision to make!

thanks everyone for your advice. thw education people have been in touch with me this morning to say that they have 'provisionally' given my daughter a place at the special school with a view to doing outreach at a local mainstream school. The mainstream school they have in mind is in the next village but they are experienced with a variety of special needs. Also my son would have an automatic place there too, and would be able to go to the pre-school unit there - which sounds nice. Just have to go and see a few more mainstream now before I make my decision.! I feel I ought to give the special school a chance though because their ofsted reort is good and they have a great reputation and know what they are doing, its the mainstream bit that worries me...okay its all of it

Hi fio, I realise now from reading a few threads how much I've missed! I'd just go with your gut instinct on this, although I know it's sometimes hard to know what that is! dd2 will almost certainly be continuing at her special school, unless some kind of miracle occurs with her development or some crazy ed psych has other ideas, which will really be no change from now except for increased sessions.

I think nothing is set in stone on this, ie mixing and matching with mainstream later on has already been mentioned to you, so hopefully she can get the best from both settings. Hope this is not too optimistic

Hi everyone
My son is 5 yrs old with global development delay, speech delay, and hypotonia. He is very sociable in small groups, but totally loses concentration in large groups. He attended mainstream for reception and half of year 1, but I had to pull him out of school in Feb, due to various horrendous reasons. We found the perfect special needs school 15 mins away from our home, but have been turned down by senaps. We were on the verge of taking them to tribunal, but have been talked into looking at another mainstream school (again 15 mins in the other direction) with a little more sn provision, and more experienced staff. I feel so confused and tearful, for fear of making the wrong decision, as I am scared that sending him to another mainstream school will bring back all of the frustration and worries he has had in the past. The school have promised me that it will be different and that he WILL get the help he needs, but I'm not sure that mainstream is right for children with SN, as most schools do not seem to have enough time or money to deal with the children in the right way. Very confused and fed up!!!!!

Hi Aaronsmum. I don't have a lot of experience of this as my dd is only 21mnths. But, am beginning to think about schooling etc. I think the mainstream/SN school thing is really difficult. I would love dd to go to a mainstream school in some ways but am concerned that she wouldn't get the support she needs there (she has learning disabilities and epilepsy). I think you have to go with your gut reaction as to whether this school will support your ds. Do you mind me asking if the problems at the old school were to do with the staff not supporting him or other kids?