ASD and school refusal at Primary

[Blossom4538]

Hi all,

Has anyone had experience of this or difficulty getting their child into school?

Thanks

Yes. My ds is in reception and has had two periods where he has refused to go in. The first period was just after Christmas and was because of a change in routine. This was quickly resolved once the routine was changed back. The second period lasted about 3 weeks just after February half term. We never did find out what the problem was, it just stopped but I am braced for it to return!

I managed to get him into school eventually each day but some days it was not until the afternoon.

Its so hard and heartbreaking! I feel as though she hates it now and has done so well (Year 3) but is struggling and getting quite down with it all. Us too!

How long has it been happening? Is she able to tell you why?

On and off for years. Worse recently. She just hates all aspects of school. They are a very good, supportive school. The impact of it all on us as a family is terrible at the minute, so stressful. I often feel at breaking point and worry constantly for my Daughter. But there is so much support from school and we are applying for an EHCP alongside them at the minute.

It is really hard. Are you working? I imagine that it’s very difficult if you are. It’s good the school are supportive, do they have many accommodations for her?

Yes our ASD son started finding school harder in the juniors. We had all sorts of behaviour issues and one morning he threw his shoes at the front door, threw himself on the floor, screaming he hated school and wasn't going.

I think that he coped better in infants as everything was much more hands on, practical and visual. As he went further up the school, teaching and learning became much more complex and abstract, and everything became so much more difficult for him.

I now realise he needed much more support than he was getting, as the behaviour issues all stopped when he went to secondary school and got virtually full time 1:1 support.

Maybe school need to review the type and level of support that is in place?

I've had 7.5 years of this. Started in reception, got worse recently in first year of secondary school. I'm so so so fed up of dealing with it.

It’s so hard and efffecting our family lives massively.

School are now applying for an EHCP and plan to try another small intervention group for the work. Yes, she is definitely struggling with the work being more abstract and swiftly paced in KS2.

It’s just awful.