Bastards!

[unfitmother]

DS is 11 and has AS. he has been going to a drama club, as his school head suggested, for 4 years.
The local NAS group sec. reccomended one.
I told them he had SEN and let them know when he recieved his dx.
DS started High school this Sept and was very much looking forward to moving up to the older group. This didn't happen to we asked about it and 2 weeks ago he moved up to the older group, much to his happiness.
Yesterday the man who runs it called me and said that DS wasn't coping with older group work and he wanted to move him down a group. DS was really upset and sobbed, he said he wouldn't move down and would quit the group.
It seems so unfair, he's been with them for 4 years, couldn't they have made more of effort?

Your poor DS! Have they given you a better explanation than 'not coping'? How isn't he coping, what can they/you do to help him?

Are they covered by the disability discrimination act, ie making reasonable adjustments to avoid treating your DS less favourably than the other children?

I should have been more stroppy shouldn't I?
They just said that both teachers said he was 'struggling' with the more advanced work in the older group but had been fine in the younger group.
Try telling that to an 11yr old who doesn't want to be in a group with 6 and 7yr olds.

agree with sarah, and you, they should have made more of an effort with him and to explain to you what the problem is.

I gone from upset to angry, I cried when I went to tell them DS wouldn't be coming back and to ask for his fees to be refunded.
FFS how could they be so mean?

If it's a drama group that is open to the general public to join, rather than one that has a 'members list' and is run as a private club, I think they have to obey the disability laws. They certainly should, since this is a child. They should have asked for a full meeting with you and your son, and for a professional assessment to help him, and worked with him for a while to see if that helped, not just bung him down a group. You have every right to be cross. And upset too. And so does he.

It's open to anyone. What should I do next anyone?

as sarah said lower down the thread, if you feel up to it, you could write and say that you don't feel they made reasonable adjustments to their workshops pursuant to their duty under the disability discrimination act?

They haven't sent my money back either!
Part of me wants to just leave it but it's a lot of money.