Wrap around care pre-verbal autism

[SachiLars]

My son is pre-verbal autistic. He doesn’t understand instructions and it’s can make him quite unsafe. He climbs like a mountain goat, throws anything he can fit in his hand. When frustrated he bites.

He’s starting special school in September but they don’t have wrap around care. My husband and I both work so can’t do drop off / pick ups.

Is it realistic to think I can find a childminder who could cope with his needs?

What do other parents in the same situation do?

Help me out please, I’m really stuck.

Well, your chances will be higher the more you can pay. Do you claim DLA?

Yes. Thankfully. I’m just worried that when they say SEND experience they don’t mean at his level.

Will he be getting school transport? For DS, that adds about 45 minutes to the beginning and end of the day, as the mini bus goes a longe route to pick up other kids. He's actually out the house more like 8.15-4.00. If your DS has a similar journey time, could you cover it by offsetting both your hours, so one parent does morning and the ofter is back for drop off.

There’s a similar child we know he’s three and has a childminder. Don’t know what pick ups and drop offs are like but she’s definitely with him a lot.

My DD had to leave her childminder's last year (she is 3 now) as the childminder was a lone worker and simply couldn't keep DD safe and manage her other minded children, including a very small baby.

Locally we have an amazing childminder with lots of SEN experience who employs two workers to help her so that she can accommodate children with more complex SEN. She has a huge waiting list! If you can find a similar set up locally for a childminder I think you'd have more luck. The problem with lone working childminders is they have lots of children, all of whom need to be kept safe and have their needs met.

DD is now in mainstream nursery with 1:1 support but I have no idea what we will do once she goes to her specialist school as they finish for the day at 2:30 to get all the kids in their transport home.

Thanks for the advice, all. I won’t give up hope!

Have you had social care assessments? That route may enable you to receive direct payments for a PA. It’s not childcare but you could the DPs when you happened to need childcare. It wouldn’t be all the hours you need covering but it could help.

@LargeLegoHaul i never thought of that. Thank you for the suggestion.