Statement due any day and having a complete wobble about schools

[NanKid]

DS's (5 yrs old, AS) statement is due before the end of the month. Have been told verbally he will be offered 'the same as what he is getting now' - which is full time 1-2-1 in a MS primary school (at the moment it is being funded by some contingency money and the LSA is from an agency, so the statement would effectively make this arangement a more stable, longer term one and the school would be able to fund employing someone full time for my son).

All well and good. He has had the dedicated 1-2-1 for about a month now and there has been some improvement in his behaviour at school.

However, we have recently looked at a couple of local state schools with dedicated ASD provision. One of the schools really turned my head. It is a bog standard primary school, so-so Oftsed, ramshackle old Victorian building, but the manager of thr resourced provison was fantastic - so knowledgable, understanding and just seemed to totally 'get' our situation. We met the children and teacher s- all very open and welcoming - and it just seemed SO relaxed and happy. Asked how they would deal with extremely challenging behaviour / exclusions etc (DS has been excluded countless times this term) and she said they have NEVER excluded a child in her 15 years of working at the school, and they have had 'extremely challenging children'. I felt like crying. The whole environemt just seemed totally geared towards supporting children like my son, rather than 'managing them' as a problem.

So, if we decided we wanted a place at this provision for my son we would be looking at a proper fight with the LEA, probably getting a solicitor in etc. Fair enough - ready for that.

But I just don't know how I can ever know if I ma doing the right thing by taking him out of maintream. OK, this other school IS mainstream, and the goal of the ASD unit is to integrate each child at their own pace into mainstream education. I have spoken to parents locally who have sent their children there and they have a very high 'success rate'.

But it seems such a big decision - to effectively take him out of mainstream full time. And I am trying tow eigh up what is best - stay at his local primary and have a dedicated 1-2-1, or be in an ASD unit with a very high adult-child ratio (12 kids, 2 teachers and SIX TAs!).

Sorry for rambling. How do you make these decisions? feeling really nervy.

I personally very much like the sound of the school your visited with its dedicated ASD provision. Has your son seen this place yet?. You could likely name this school on the Statement (part 4 where the school is named is left blank for you to do that bit).

His current school would probably just want to continue to "manage" him rather than see him as a person in his own right.

With regards to the Statement I would seek independent advice on parts 2 and 3 contained within it to ensure what is said is actually up to scratch. Provision needs to be both specified and quantified as in law. If it is not, reject it. You can always ask on here as well as looking to IPSEA (website is www.ipsea.org.uk) and SOS;SEN as they can give good information too.

agree with Attila. The school with unit sound like it has a good attitude. Current school sounds like its heart is mostly in the right place, but given the exclusions, sounds like things aren't working for your DS as well as they might. Rather than seeing it as a big step taking him out of m/s, see it more as putting in early intervention to give him the best shot he can have at doing well in m/s a few years down the line.

My son is in Reception and in a mainstream school with a unit. He has a physical disability with no real congitive delays but social and emotional delays, the unit takes a mix of Physical disabilities and ASD. It works very well. We are after a gentle introduction to mainstream for our DS as I know he will end up there but felt that it would be too much for him to start straight in. So far it is working very, very well. It has given DS time to get used to the whole 'school' thing. He has a place to retreat back to (the unit) when he is overwhelmed by mainstream. There are lots of teachers and TA's and a big thing for him is that because his language is better than most of the others in his class he has an opportunity to be top dog at something - this will never happen in mainstream.

This school is only an infants so he will have to move for Y3 anyway but I am so so pleased we asked for this school and went to panel. I'm sure it has meant the difference between survival and thriving for my DS.
I would say go for it... It's always easier to reintegrate back into mainstream than to go to any form of special provision!

NanKid,

How do you know that you are making the right decision? I'd say because your OP makes it quite clear what you feel is right and the way you describe it I am inclined to agree.

Look, if this one is harder to get and you'll have to fight tooth and nail, then in the unlikely event it is the wrong decision, you'll have full backing and support for going back to your original plan by the LA won't you. I doubt you'll be able to go the other way!

Thanks for all your input.

I think deep down I know that this provision is better suited to my child.

The attitude at this unit seemed to be one of complete understanding and willingness to support each child at their own pace. It felt relaxing. At my son's school (as good as they have been, because they haven't been terrible at all), it is all about getting him to 'behave himself'. Everything seems to phrased so negatively and the tension for my son is palpable.

I guess I am just anxious about wrenching him from a local school that he is attached to (has been there since nursery, so nearly 2 years), and sending him to a school much further away, having to settle him in and deal with all the inevitable anxiety it will cause. I suppose it is a case of upsetting the apple cart now for my son's own good in the longer term. Very nerve wracking!

And then there is the fight we will have on our hands. We're going to have to fight not only for a place, but for transport. IO can feel it is going to be messy...

Hi
probably a bit late contributing to this but here goes. My son went to a unit which sounds just like this one. After having been excluded from 5 mainstream childcare settings - the last one hung to him by the skin of their teeth, it was such a relief to send him to a place that did not view him as a problem but as a little boy.

It is a wonderful place, with wonderful staff who never ever give up on a child - and believe me he has pushed them to their limits at times! I can now only mourn the fact that he is only there for one more year before he has to move on.

Like you I was worried about taking him out of mainstream - although he was being quite adept at taking that decision out of my hands! But it was the best thing ever for him - literally it was a life saver for me and for a lot of other parents.

Just hoping a positive story may allay some fears?