school terminated inreach communications classes - what is the next step

[keepyourmouthshutox]

Hi. This is my first post. Sorry it is quite long. Please can anyone suggest what to do next?

L, my son is 8 and in mainstream school. He goes to a special school for communication classes 2 mornings a week. On Tuesday, his teacher told my dp that they will no longer be taking him and his TA will do all the activities during the day. Apparently, L has hit another boy twice. The boy was understandly distressed. According to his teacher 'L then chose to sit behind the screen where he continued to make loud noises and causing disruption, so did not take part in any activities'. HT and teacher has decided that it is no longer beneficial or appropriate to send him to communication classes and in fact the sessions could actually be having a detrimental effect on his behaviour.

The thing is that we feel that the communication classes has helped him a lot. He works with a group of his peers with roughly similar abilities. The classes were one of the reasons we felt more comfortable with mainstream school.

L's statement states - Support and advice from XXX and to utilize inreach opportunites as appropriate. Support to be regularly monitored in liaison with parents.

In the past few months L has been physically aggressive towards other children and staff. 3 times last term we have been asked if we could take him home from school - we refused and supported him in school instead. Once was because he was shouting and disrupting the class.

I think school is struggling to cope and his TA does not want to take him to XXX.

L'x statement is not due for review until next April.

What should I do as I am unhappy with the unilateral decision taken by the school?

You could contact the school in writing and ask for their plans to ensure that your DS's statement is adhered to, and what supportive measures they are going to implement in the light of his latest behaviours.

You could contact the LA SEN team and ask for an emergency review of his statement, citing the withdrawl from classes and his new aggressive behaviour, stating that you feel he is at risk of formal exclusions.

sorry, i'm a bit slow tonight, but i wanted to check a few things before i replied. is it the mainstream school that has taken the decision? did the hitting occur in the mainstream school? have you spoken to the special school about their views on ds's progress?

sorry if i have misunderstood what has happened, but it sounds as though the school has taken a very abrupt and extreme decision without consulting all the people involved.

at the very least, i should think a meeting should be called to establish the next steps. if you and the special school feel that ds is making progress with communication classes, then i think the mainstream school has to establish if something else is triggering ds's behaviour in their establishment and take steps to support him there rather than immediately blaming the split placement which you see as beneficial.

again, sorry if i have got this all wrong!

Lou, yes I shall write to the school and contact LA SEN team.

RR - the hitting occured in the special school but he has also been hitting in mainstream school. You have not misunderstood the situation - school did take a very abrupt decision without any consultation with anyone. I emailed the special school and they stated that they did not know of any plans to terminate communication classes. They said that although ds is sometimes disruptive, he has made good progress with both his listening and speaking skills and they will try to arrange a meeting with mainstream school next week.

Thanks for the helpful replies. Saw ds's psychologist today who thinks it might be time to ask for a transfer to a school with an ASD unit.