Any guidance for return to school meeting?

[MrsRobbieHart]

Crappy title but my brain is fuggy.

DS12 has adhd and is being assessed for autism. He had a horrible first year at secondary school due to the disruption of covid and some other things out of our control. He had a meltdown in school near the end of last term and then refused to go back to school. He has a statement of SEN and an EHCP. We have a meeting arranged with SENCO, form teacher, head of year next week to discuss what needs to be put in place for him coming back. He already has a bathroom pass and a time out pass where he can go and use the sensory room if he needs a break. The SENCO is going to go over how to use these again with him and show him the sensory room again. He has a 1:1 classroom assistant for 20 hours per week but the school are asking to have this reassessed and want him to have a full time 1:1 which I agree with. He finds noise and smell a real problem in school. I have purchased the flare audio ear pieces to help him with noise reduction and have a small fluffy sensory keyring that he can hook onto his trousers which I hope the school will agree to? Not sure anything can be done about smells (he says everyone farts in his class ) I have also started work with him about the “emotional bucket” that we all have will be sharing this with the school so we are all on the same page. I’m also going to do some social stories for him too.

Is there anything else I should expect the school to do or anything I should suggest or research ahead of this meeting?

Why does DS have a statement of SEN and an EHCP? It is one or the other. In England, statements of SEN should have been transitioned to EHCPs, no one should still have a statement of SEN. In Wales and NI where statements of SEN are still used EHCPs don't exist.

Does DS's EHCP not detail his needs and what provision needs providing? What the school should be doing should be in here.

Have you had an Early review to amend the EHCP for increased 1:1 hours?

If the school need more funding to provide more 1:1 support whilst DS's EHCP is being reviewed they can apply for high needs top up funding. If DS's needs and what provision he requires aren't understood does DS need a reassessment of needs?

Things to think about:
Placement in the classroom - front/side/back/near door/near window/on own - maybe near the window with it open.
Would moving lessons 5 mins early help?
Does DS need help with organisation?
Would using a laptop help?
Does DS have a key worker/mentor?
Are they providing social skills help?
Lunchtime group?
Have you looked at zones of regulation?
Are school helping with emotions literacy?
Can teachers give DS copies of notes prior to lessons?
Is homework online? If not, can the TA/teacher ensure they write the details down, or at least make sure DS writes more than just English homework, so he actually knows what he's supposed to be doing rather than forgetting.
Do the school have a counsellor?

Bear with me with this suggestion, a weird idea, but it may help if it isn't every smell that the problem. Would DS take a scented ball (9;(3' come in fruity smells) or a small bag of scented beads (the type you get to put in drawers). You may have to try several before finding an acceptable smell.

Sorry, that’s my fuggy brain. I meant he has an IEP, not and EHCP. I get mixed up with the terms.

Thank you for that post. I’m writing a list of things to bring with me to the meeting so will add all these. Good suggestion about the smelly ball.