Daily Mail today...

[lottiejenkins]

www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=562909&in_page_id=1879

What a sad story,,, I can sympathise with a lot of what the parents went through but dont think her son is "in care" as such as he goes to school and comes home the same as my ds does... I certainly dont think of my ds as "in care" or have i read it wrong??

Thats what im worried about Riven...My ds can if he goes to college stay in school/college till hes 17/18.

my neighbours eldest ds (now over 21) goes daily to college during term-time.

omg it is so scarey. dd will leave school at 19 and then what.
my freind who lives in surrey is haveing problems now her dd is 19 she has no respite and has no choice but to look at residential care.
I was so glad to read the boy had settled and seemed better.

lottie - I think she describes it in care, as the school she describes does look after kids year round, and she doesn't have him for the whole summer holidays, just one week. I do hope she finds a decent placement for him post 19.

It's very sad. I could identify with some parts of the early story quite a bit - that you just never expect your baby to have autism because that sort of thing only happens to people in books and films. I still feel a bit strange when I walk past the nursery we 'chose' for DS1 which is not the one he actually goes to where he gets help with speech and communication.

I think the daily mail have once again tried to sensationalise a story forgetting it involves a family. The boy goes to a residential school (and I think I know which one aswell) Soemtimes residential school is the best solution. It is not putting a child in to 'care', its choosing what is educationally best for the child. Do people who put their NT children in private residential/boarding school class it as putting them into care?!

I could relate to the mum too but I really hate the way write these articles

This is what i felt uncomfortable about.... my son is a weekly boarder at a school for deaf children and i DEFINETLY dont think of him as "in care" He is a weekly boarder and there is a BIG difference!!

Yes - it was portrayed in the wrong way. What is wrong with boarding school if it suits the needs of the child? Is everyone at an expensive private boarding school 'in care'.

Cyberseraphim, I know what you mean about the school/nursery. When Ds1 was born we sort of took it for granted that he would go to the same primary school his dad went to, as we are only a few streets away from it. That plan went out of the window last year when it was apparent he wouldn't cope in mainstream yet.
I wouldn't class a residential school as "care" either, but this article does highlight the need for more help for families.

Yes it's strange isn't it? And it wasn't even that unexpected as my brother is HFA - but he is settled and very content so that's what I'm hoping for now for DS1. More care for families is defintely needed but the article showed how parents are put under pressure to pretend that everything is fine and that they are coping whereas parents of NT children are allowed or even encouraged to moan about their issues and problems.

am very sorry for my post about "in care". was thoughtless.

totalchaos I don think anyone was on about you! It was just the way the articlewas worded

thanks fio!

There are faciltiies that exist for disabled post 19s aren't there? where they can get 24 hour care/support/stimulation? Isn't this the case, or is it hit and miss as to where they exist?

hit and miss
I think they like tyou to sell your soul tyo the devil first, jump through hoops of fire and then maybe tout for business before they offer anything here, oh like childrens services then

There are some supported communities for adults with moderate disabilities Lottie. This worries me lots too hence looking into it now (Ds is 8 and loves trees and cooking). There is a rural Camphill community near us that looks very nice so I try not to worry! There are so few places available post 'training'!

There are some very good residential colleges too, normally for 2-3 years post 19. I know several families who have benefited from this.

As for local services, it depends where you live but I live in a small local authority which is well catered for. The options include council/private day services (including a couple of parent-led/voluntary ones which are excellent), one-to-one outreach, direct payments/ILF. There are also 24 hour supported living options, and 3 options for respite including a specialist centre for people with physical disabilities.

Near us are some bungalows, they are for adults with learning difficulties, they have a warden as well.

Riven,
People with SN even with a high level of care can apply for ILF [INDEPENDANT LIVING FUND]but think thats 18 years n over. If your teen boards at school post 16 and over and it's part funded by social services then during the week that young person becomes a 'looked after child' because technicaly [sp] speaking they are in their care during the week they are not at home. I found out in error and rang ss who explained it to me.
Hope it makes things a little clearer.

p.s. sorry ILF enables the SN person to get help in the form of carers to come to the home and take person out or look after in the home.