School can't meet ds' needs.

[Violet44]

Had a meeting with ed psych and senco to discuss cognitive assessment, that I asked ed psych to do, I asked school to get ed psych involved. Results not good DS2 struggles academically, he is very low on non verbal reasoning and visual spatial. School have said they will apply for EHCP, but they can't meet his needs and mainstream isn't the place for him. They suggest a unit, have looked up schools but most schools with units are ASD units which he has no diagnosis of, and no one is suggesting getting one, or speech and language units. We are under speech therapist but for articulation errors, his language is fine, but he does often choose not to talk in class or to certain teachers. There are a couple with units for learning difficulties I could try. His main issues are visual processing and motor planning which means he is unable to write his name and read at all in year 1. Also seems to take time to process instructions. Don't want to keep him in mainstream if he's going to struggle to keep up, but not sure what alternative is. Should I be looking round or wait till EHCP comes

Look now! You can get a list of schools in your area. Contact your LA or SENDIS. Don't dismiss independent specialist schools, maintained special schools as well as units. They all differ in what they offer.

A diagnosis of a specific condition is useful. But a lot of special needs schools although they might be primarily for autistic (or dyslexic or whatever) children also cater for children with more general/unspecified mild or moderate learning difficulties. I am having this dilemma re my DD. She has no diagnosis (although is heading towards an ADHD one) but I like the look of a school well known for taking autistic girls. I guess we just have to ask the schools themselves ...

Thanks, Tainbri have looked up schools, but not got as far as looking round any. Should I do that now? Or wait for EHCP. Haven't looked at private schools, how does that work with funding for EHCP? My parents have offered to help fund independent school if that's what I think best. Shybut do you have EHCP? Have you looked round schools.

Diagnosis is tricky because not sure what he would get diagnosis of, possible dyslexia but too young to assess, possible add but again probably too young.

It doesn't hurt to look around although most (if not all) special schools won't take you without an EHCP. But if you know what you want and why that will help you go in all guns blazing re the part of the EHCP which specifies what kind of school he should go to. There are a few private special schools which will take you if you don't have LA funding. Of those some cost similar amounts to a mainstream private school but some are so expensive your parents will only be able to fund if they are seriously rich! I'm surprised the school is saying they can't meet needs before he's even got an EHCP. That said they must know your only realistic chance of departure depends on having one which presumably means they won't muck around getting one for him. You might still need to keep the pressure up on them though. And they have to put in quite a bit of effort to convince the local authority they can't meet needs.

To back track a bit my DS (aged 9) has autism and learning difficulties, an EHCP and is at special school. So although my DD is undiagnosed and has no EHCP (but is struggling academically) I've already seen a lot of special schools in our area from when I was looking for him. Trouble is, there is very little for girls in terms of special schools unless they are pretty severely affected. I'm aware this is probably a pretty skimpy silver lining for you!