How can I ‘get my ducks in a row’ for my 10yo with (classic) ASD?

[WellTidy]

Ds is 10yo and was diagnosed with ASD at 4y3m old. He has a full time TA at mainstream, and was held back from starting for a year, so is now going into year 5. He is working at a level way below his peer group across the board, I’d say maybe at year 2 levels in maths and English (he is spikey) but he doesn’t access large parts of the curriculum at all.

His lovely primary is happy to keep him until the end of year 6, his TA will stay with him, and we really want him to stay, so I don’t think the LA will have a problem with that. He has speech and language therapy at school every fortnight in term time, 30 minute sessions. We have asked for weekly, which he did have a few years ago, which the school backed, but the LA would not agree it and the speech and language provider would not accept direct payment from us, so fortnightly it is. He has no OT input at all.

We also run an ABA programme at home for four afternoons a week (DS leaves school after lunch) and this has been in place for 7 years now.

Now, looking on to secondary.

We would like DS to attend an ASD school. Our LA (a London borough) has two specialist secondary schools, both of which accept children with all learning disabilities. We would like an autism specific school, which there is within our borough (only four miles away), but it’s an independent school.

Should we be commissioning a private Ed psych now, at this stage, to try to help build a case for the independent school placement? Is there anything else that we should be doing at this stage, do you think, whether as a one off or in an ongoing basis?

[LargeLegoHaul]

I take it DS has an EHCP? If not, you should apply. If he does, then I would consider requesting a reassessment of needs and then request SALT and OT assessments as part of that so you have up to date reports for phase transfer.

Is the independent school you want wholly independent or a section 41 independent?

I wouldn’t commission independent assessments now because if you have to appeal the secondary placement, which is a possibility if you want an independent SS, the reports will be considered out of date. In the past reports have been considered current for up to 2 years, but in more recent times SENDIST have considered newer reports out of date. Also, unless money is no object you may find e.g. the LA’s EP is satisfactory but you need e.g. an OT assessment.

I would also start compiling reasons why MS and the other SS won’t be able to meet DS’s needs.

[WellTidy]

Thank you.

Yes, he’s had an EHCP since before he started reception. I would like to request a reassessment of needs, but the school senco says it is too early for secondary transfer as he isn’t transitioning for another two years. If I do insist on it, would a fresh LEA ed psych report be done, do you think? I would like it to be, as he has only ever had one ed psych report, and then was when he was 3.9yo and at pre school.

id also like OT reports and SALT reports as I really feel that we’ve been abandoned by the LA (and by the previous senco at school, to some extent to be honest) and I don’t really know what I’m talking about! One big disadvantage of DS being at mainstream is that we don’t really know other facilities like ours, or any children like DS, and we are not at all on top of what others are doing or what DS would otherwise be entitled to.

there are two independents that we like, the closest one to us is section 41 approved, but the other unfortunately isn’t.

[LargeLegoHaul]

If the LA agree to a reassessment of needs, and they don’t have to but you would have the right of appeal, they must seek advice from:
a) the child’s parent or the young person;
b) educational advice (usually from the head teacher or principal);
c) medical advice and information from a health care professional;
d) psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist;
e) advice and information in relation to social care;
f) advice and information from any other person the local authority thinks appropriate;
g) where the child or young person is in or beyond year 9, advice and information in relation to provision to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living; and
h) advice and information from any person the child’s parent or young person reasonably requests that the local authority seek advice from.

H can include SALT, OT, MH, physio.

It might be 2 years until DS starts secondary but a phase transfer review will be held in the autumn term of Y6, so if you want a reassessment of needs prior to then and any subsequent amendments already completed you would need to be thinking about requesting a reassessment of needs in the near future. Especially if you think the LA might refuse a reassessment of needs and you might have to appeal, appeals are taking an age at the moment.

The s.41 independent is likely to be easier to secure because if it is your preference it must be named unless:

• The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

Whereas for the wholly independent you need to prove the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure.

[WellTidy]

Thank you for much for such a detailed response. A lot for me to be getting on with. Thanks again.

[cansu]

When my dd left mainstream primary in year 3, I was facing a similar battle. The LA wanted to send her to the local special school and I wanted the independent asd school. It was v tricky. I had to prove in the end that she was more able than the level of the special school. I also needed to prove the therapeutic input she needed was not available in the local special school. I wouldn't get the reports now but I would research who you want and book well in advance as these people are often booked months and months ahead.

[Morph22010]

In our area the la would try and send your child to mainstream secondary and it would be a real battle to get anything else so I’d start now to allow time for the appeals in case your la is similar. Request a reassessment if needs, in our la this would be turned down but if he’s not been assessed since he started school you should have enough to support it’s necessary. Then even if the reassessment stated specialist was required our la would likely still try and place in ms for year 7 “just to try” so that is another tribunal. Factoring in the lead time for a tribunal is 6 or 7 months then start now