Moving towns ASD kid

[MySocksAreDotty]

Hello

We we’re planning to move from a big city to a small town for better quality of life and secondary school.

However DH has been late diagnosed ASD and we suspect our Year 5 son is also affected and will seek private diagnosis for him soon.

we are not sure whether to cancel the move since it will be a lot of upheaval and change. However we are moving due to the schools being poor in our area. Large underperforming inner city comps with poor SEN support.

The primary school don’t believe our son would get an EHCP. Yet he described himself as having 70% worry all the time yesterday. I’m desperate to be proactive but this seems like an awful choice between removing his existing network through moving house, but on the other hand trying to avoid a disastrous school.

Help! Anyone have any insights, especially those who have moved? To be clear if we move soon he will go into Year 6 primary in the new small town in September then secondary transition with anyone he meets there. His current group of friends will naturally break up as they will go to different gender and faith based schools.

Have you looked at the schools in the area you are moving to? Are they definitely any better for SEN support?

Whether you move or not you should consider requesting an EHCNA. Some schools incorrectly tell parents their DC won’t get or doesn’t need an EHCP but they go on to successfully apply themselves.

Hi @BrumToTheRescue yes definitely better for SEN. And smaller, better pastoral care. (I’m in an area with ultra-harsh ‘rules’ schools that I know will provoke anxiety in my kid). I’ve not heard of an EHCNA thanks I’ll check it out.

I would move then. Friendships often change at secondary anyway, especially when DC go to different schools.

An EHCNA is the needs assessment you first request as part of the EHCP process.