Hi all,
DD just got an ASC diagnosis and is starting primary school in September. We thought she would continue at her private pre-school, but it only goes to 7 (so big scary transition coming down the track), and we just got offered a place in our first choice state school so now we're re-thinking.
Lots of pros and cons to both choices (state school seems more switched on to SEN and actually mentions it in first sentence of head teacher's "welcome" on website, but bigger class sizes obviously). Short run the private school is better for geography and friendship groups - but longer term the state school will be better I think (schools after 7 are likely to involve a longish bus journey if we stay private).
We need to talk to both schools about her diagnosis and what kind of support they would envisage/be able to provide. But not sure what I should be asking for or what would be reasonable? I think I'm looking for a flexible/constructive attitude as much as anything, but is that right or are there specific things I should be asking?
DD loves pre-school and seems to do fine academically (as far as you can tell with a 4 year old!) Her main issues so far seem to be social (manifests as shyness with peers, slightly inappropriate conversations with adults - e.g. wanting to tell each adult separately about something even if they were standing right next to each other and will have heard what she said). She is sometimes slow to respond to name: can get very caught up in what she is doing. But she has a good attention span, wants to join in, wants to share her enjoyment and interests. At the moment she gets SLT once a week (working on social skills, turn taking etc.) and a support worker once a week to help scaffold her play with peers in a playground setting.
Should we be asking straight away about EHCPs (for the state school at least)? I'm not sure what they should be able to do within normal budgets, and what takes us into EHCP territory? I assume as she gets older the playground support worker might start to "mark her out" more than it helps her, but I don't know if it's realistic to see if it's something that could be continued at reception at least.