Special or mainstream school? How the hell do I decide???

[Homsa]

Just wondering if anyone here is pondering the same dilemma at the moment!
My Ds (3.5) is autistic and due to enter Reception in January 08. I have just 3 weeks left to apply for a school place for him and I can't make up my mind whether to send him to the local ms school or a special school...
Our catchment school have recently had a cluster of autistic children go through the primary years and seem to be very inclusive, quite clued up about the condition and keen to have DS (possibly because they don't want to lose their TA's?). They've also expressed a willingness to cooperate with our ABA programme and let us send our own tutors to school with DS.
However, it's a big school and there would be 30 children in his Reception class. DS doesn't really have a problem with crowds or noise, but he does have tendency to wander around aimlessly. He doesn't have any major behavioural/sensory issues, his understanding is pretty good and he is just starting to talk. I think he could do quite well academically - he already knows all the numbers up to 100, can sight-read a bit and gets new concepts really fast if they are presented in the right way. I'm just not sure he would be able to keep up with his peers if he finds the environment too distracting.
I've just been to see a special school for children with communication difficulties. It's small, it's also close to our house and it's got a staffing ratio of 1:3. BUT almost all the children there are autistic. I think he would probably be happier there, but I'm not sure if he would be challenged and stretched enough to achieve his potential.
Please help me decide!

It's not an easy decision. Personally we went with where we felt DD would be happiest & best supported and that happened to be a small special school here.
Have you visited both schools? We found we just knew from the visit, a sort of gut reaction if you like even though it was 'swings and roundabouts' on paper.
Sorry, that's not much help.

Keep in mind that although his type of 'personality' probably won't change, given the right environment and confrontation with his 'problem areas' he could improve tremendously. My ds goes to mainstream, and could hardly speak age 5, but talks very well now - somewhat slowly, but meticulously. He even copes with school trips away for several nights. Schools get extra funding for special needs students so are often keen.

Would you get a special school place now anyway- usually it has to go to panel riight before they're due to go in- if so I'd apply to mainstream, then if you feel he's not ready you could decide nearer the time to apply for special school.

What I wouldn't do is send him to mainstream if he's not ready (been there done that disaster).

Also don't expect the LSA's in masintream to be as knowedgeable/experienced or as well supported as your ABA tutors.

Ds1's Reception class had about 35 children in it. It was allowed because they had extra staff. Groups of children were often taken elsewhere at various points during the day to do other activities, eg the outdoor play area, so the classroom itself was not as crowded as I'd expected it to be.

Ds1 would wander around the room if left to his own devices so it was arranged for him to have less free choice about activities than the other children. These were put on to a visual timetable for him so that he knew what was expected of him and the LSA was there to keep him focussed when he started to drift off.

A lot will depend on what the staff are prepared to do for him. A workstation for him might help to cut out some of the distractions, for example. Ds1 was allowed to sit at a table facing the wall if that was what he wanted. Gradually as he got used to it all he spent more and more time with the others.

Mainstream can be good but sadly a lot will depend on what the school is prepared to do.

Ask at the special school about doing a mixed placement? Some kids at our school do 1/2 -2 days in ms (supported byt the sn school staff).

We are slightly ahead of you in that DS2 starts in Sept. Six months ago we were having exactly the same dilemma but have now come down in favour of special school, mainly because the m/s school here, though very willing and with an inclusive ethos, just didn't have the expertise. Your m/s school sounds much more clued up. Also, your Ds's understanding and general level of ability sounds much higher than DS2's.

Ask the school to pass a message on to parents who have seen (or are seeing) similar children through the school, asking them to contact you. If the experience was a good one, they will.

Thanks guys, you've given me some really good ideas!

I will speak to our ABA consultant and get her views (don't know why I hadn't thought of that earlier, d'oh!). We're self-funded at the moment, can keep going for 2 years due to a recent inheritance, but will of course try to get funding (have just started the statementing process).

Will also contact the ms school and ask to be put in touch with other parents of autistic students, that's a very good idea. As is splitting the placement between special and ms school! I'll have to find out if they'd be willing to do that. That would also keep our options open!

I was told by the head of the special school that ds would have a very good chance of getting a place now as they have an unusually large number of students leaving (they're normally oversubscribed). Nobody's mentioned a panel to me, but I'll try to find out about that as well.

Off to make some phone calls now...

Thanks again everyone!
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