Developmental Language Disorder (or SLI) - secondary schools help and advice

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Hi, My daughter attends a speech and language unit at a mainstream primary school. Her DLD is severe but she otherwise fits well enough into mainstream school life (I think!).

My question is to anyone who has a child who went to a speech and language unit at a mainstream primary school with no other behaviour issues so to speak. Where did you go for secondary? Are there any independent schools out there that will happily take a child with severe DLD? Or has 1:1 at a mainstream state secondary been fine? My concern is the larger classrooms and being taken out for small group learning, and whether that is meeting their needs? Large schools, sensory issues etc etc. Thank you to anyone who can help!

Moore House School

Blossom House

Parayway House

The Link

There's a new school in Richmond that is speech and language but I forgot the name.

Oh... all the above schools are schools for children who have speech and language needs.

Thank you for replying! Yes, I was more looking for advice on non specialist mainstream schools. Whilst my DD has severe DLD she probably doesn’t need to go to Moor House for example (she’s at a primary school with a speech and language unit). So I wondered if anyone has put their child with DLD into a mainstream independent. Or positive stories of 1:1 at a state secondary. What to look for, what to avoid. That kind of thing. Maybe it’s just a case by case kind of thing but I thought it might be worth asking. Hope that clarifies my OP.

You need to look round a few schools to get an idea of whether DD would cope or not and you need to go during the day if you can so you can see what it is really like.

Tbh if she's been in a unit in MS primary, I would have thought she would struggle in a MS secondary, even with 1:1. Secondary schools are much bigger, busier and noisier than primary schools.

Does she have an EHCP?

That’s what I thought, but not much provision for secondary here so they either go on to state secondary or the specialist schools are more geared up for autistic children or other SEN. Yes, she has an EHCP. I have heard positive things about some state secondaries with but not ones that are close by.

If there is nothing suitable in your area, you can look in neighbouring local authorities.

If it was the nearest suitable school, the LA would have to provide transport.