Home ed - what SEND provision do you get?

[Knickersinatwist36]

Just that really. DD2 (age 8 with ASD) hugely struggling with anxiety. School are brilliant and have done so many things to help her and once she is in she is generally ok (although I think her attendance was getting down to 65% towards the end of term) but due to staffing and funding issues she is about to go into a class with 31 (from 23this year). Several others children in the class have behavioural difficulties and need support too and the other class has 30 children including two children with ASD. Because of the budget there probably won't be a TA in the class. DD2 is going to struggle (and because we are in Scotland the structures are different and EHCPs, as I understand it, are only given to the most severe pupils who need physical adaptations within school to receive funding). I just can't see her coping this year plus they are going to be moving classrooms every day for specialist language teaching.

My expectations will be that she is able to go to school and cope but I can see that with the best will in the world home ed might be better but I don't know how to help with her specific difficulties. I suspect that she is incredibly anxious about learning or has PDA because it is really hard to get her motivated to do anything (school have made all her homework optional) apart from play on her iPad or go out on her scooter. I'm feeling a bit lost and frightened that we will end up in some kind of limbo where she isn't in school but she also isn't learning because I can't help her.

Sorry this has been a bit long and some of you are on your first weekend of your holidays! Any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

None. Probably not the answer you wanted to hear. Six months ago the LA did offer to look for a tutor (ds2 has a atatement so still theoretically under their responsibility). We are still waiting. In fairness we haven't done very much to chase up.

I thought that might be the case. I think if we get to the point of more school anxiety I will try to keep her on the school's books so with luck (and lots of reminders) she will still have access to Additional support from the council in some form. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking.

Hi You might be better starting a Scotland specific thread as our system is so different from the English one.
I can't help with the HE side of things but if you are considering taking her out of school because she isn't getting enough support there are things you can do. A co-ordinated support plan is the Scottish equilvent of an EHCP it's a legal document detailing the support needed and isn't just for physical disabilities. In fact DD has a physical disability and we were told she wouldn't be eligible but I formally asked in writing for her to be assessed and it turns out she is.

Have you spoke to or looked at the Enquire website?
enquire.org.uk/information/parents-guide/chapter-3-eligibility-for-additional-support-4

Thank you both so much this is exactly what I needed, (emotionally, when it works for you and practical advice). The Scotland thing is often a slight problem as there are so so many good tips and advice that don't apply here so I don't know what to do (also I was a teacher in the English system so understand that much better), I will go dmd look up enquire now. Thank you so much x

I'm not sure how it works in Scotland but my friend's daughter has a long list of difficulties including ASD and her daughter is now "home schooled" - as owing to anxiety.PDA etc, she was unable to find a suitable school that could meet all of her needs. The "home schooling" is not the conventional kind as on her EHCP it states Education other than at school EOTAS and she now receives a personal budget in order to fund her daughter's education. It required a day in SENDIST Tribunal - which is heavy stuff - but she is homeschooling funded by the LA including S&LT and OT. LAs actually don't know much about EOTAS and hate personal budgets but if it's what is only thing that will meet your child's needs then you should push for it.

Hi, we home ed ds (10) (sign waves at zzzz, long time no see ) and have done so for last 2 years, we have an statement (in the process of change to an EHCP) but the support he was supposed to get in school, was either used for other kids, or wasn't actually what he needed. Have to say, for us, HE has been amazing, time to concentrate on the stuff he was struggling with.
I know scotland is quite different to england, so you might get some useful info from some of the HE facebook groups, there are dealing with officialdom ones and also ones for HE with SEN, I have found lots of useful info there...

enjoy the hols zzz, what were you looking for in particular? curriculum stuff, or other ???

okey dokey, I know there were a couple, so I will look up and post, I have also found that the local HE groups have been good in general, as we seem to have lots of kids in HE who are not NT, so there is loads of stuff happening which ds can access, (lots he can't too , but I have excluded those ones from the possibles, - eg he can't do the free play ones, well not without me hovering, which kind of defeats the object and freaks out the other parents...) also I think we are lucky inthat lots of diferent parents do groups or organise things so there is lots of variety, what are the local general HE FB groups like for your area?

also might be worth pm ing streaky bacon if she is still around, as she may have useful FB/on line contacts around HE?

Sorry, went on holiday but back now. DD2 went back to school yesterday and was ok. Today she was fine till we got there then total refusal. I sat in reception with her for 2 hours as the head said i should stay and try to get her in (she was kicking, biting and hitting me the whole time and screaming she hated me). In the end two teachers she really likes came to get her to do a prearranged task and I left but only for half an hour as she said to get her as soon as she was finished and I don't want to break her trust. I was told by office staff that she was fine and I could go. I'm really upset about it all (and I can't even fathom how awful she must feel). Sorry not even an update I'm just really miserable about it.

I home Ed now.

Just posting to say I had some similar moments and it felt shit, I feel for you. We've come out the other side loads now though, so it can get better. She is starting to join groups a bit in HE and relax and learn x