My Autistic Son - Help!

funphil10

It definatley helped his case. The teachers that come to your house are trained to teach children off school with medical illness not autism so they sent reports to the LA saying it wasnt working and they could not motivate him. The senco from his school supported him as he had been horrifically bullied at school and was put on anti deppressents and sleeping tablets by a psychiatrist from adolescent mental health authority as school and bullying sent him into a deppressive state. He has not been to school since last July but now starts a wonderful school on monday where he will be able to achieve academically and also be taught life skills.

Indie_Kid

is your son in a mainstream or school for children with disabilities? My brother has been to both and the latter had around 6 pupils per class. He found it was so much easier to cope with.

rbbadger

There are a few considerations here.

IPSEA are great but it can be a nigthmare to get through - keep persevering.

Parent partnership have been suggested - I must admit to not getting very far with them but maybe I was unlucky.

Contact a Family are a great source of information and support.

Statutory assessment can take a long time but it used to be the case that emergency hours can be given - it may be worth enquiring.

Feel free to PM me. Good luck and I hope that things soon improve for you and your son.

Dazi

My DD was signed off from school with stress due to bullying, so guess its a case if you have a sympathetic GP. Ours was lovely.

My advice would be to see your GP, explain it all, hope they can sign him off and then explore the other routes that people have suggested. I do not have any experience that you are facing with your son, only on the signing off from school. I wish you the best and hope you can find something that helps your son x

Dainty1976

THanks again to everyone who has replied so far - been plugging away all day trying to get some advice!

I finally got through to IPSEA (yes they are a nightmare to get through to lol) spoke to a lovely lady who covered all the options with me. She suggested contacting the local Director of SEN at the council if the school wont consider a reduced timetable. I've decided I'm going in with that as a first instance request on Thursday. Going to ask for mornings only. I asked her about rushing through the statement because of the exceptional circumstances and she said it would be possible but again I'd have to address the Dir. of SEN to try and see if they can. She gave me lots of other info too including the possibility of an assessment place at the school where I want him to go (and I know they would be happy to have him anytime as he's been there for a visit already and they have unofficially underscored a place for him this coming September once statement is awarded - Wonderful school!!!!) but did explain that since the school I want him to go to is out of borough (by about 500 yards would you believe!) it would probably be harder to get him an assessment place there.

I have an advocate from PIP who attended the last MA meeting with me and she is great but I honestly dont think she gets Autism and the immediate need - either that or she is just overly realistic as her response to my questions is always pessimistic when it comes to timeframes and immediate options - but then she does know how notoriously difficult my local council is (all other parents I know with SEN kids in the borough have/had a massive battle to get help here)

Havent tried contact a parent though - never heard of them.

The IPSEA lady thought it was disgraceful the the EP hasnt been in contact with me at all since the last MA meeting in October last year and that the school have blocked my attempts to get her contact details.

I do feel as though I'm banging my head against a brick wall where the school are concerned! I'm hoping that the Clin Psych will expose their ineptitude in Thursdays meeting but we'll have to wait and see!

Thank you for your kind advice so far! Please keep any suggestions coming - if anyone has a magic wand out there let me know - maybe you can post it to me in time for Thursday! lol.

BTW today was no better behaviour-wise at school. More hitting out at staff and kids. H he ended up running up and down the school corridors again shrieking and grunting for all his might - he is regressing lately becoming more and more non-verbal! When I turned up to pick him up he was trying to abscond from school and they had him cornered in the gym climbing ontop of gym boxes and benches to get away fro the Headteacher who for some reason was chasing him and shouting after him about "good manners"! I ended up grabbing him, flinging him over my shoulder a-la firemans lift (which with my mobility problems, was excrutiatingly painful) and hot footing it out of there with him babbling and screaming all the way to the car and my 2 year old running after us crying! My poor babies!

Dainty1976

Hi all - MA mtg this morning!

STRESS!!!! but SUCCESS!

We have unfortunatley missed the panel for assessment for Feb but SENCO is going to try and make it for March's panel. Slower than I would like but hey - its happening at last! EP is going to recommend special provision alongside it!

Also, we are enlisting the help of the local PRU outreach support programme and getting a Behaviour Modification Therapist into school to work on the violent behaviour and agression.



and last but not least - APPROVAL FOR FLEXI-SCHOOLING!!!!!!!!! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! Will start in a couple of weeks I think as we've got to hash out a timetable together but it looks like half time school/Half time home ed!

Fingers crossed it takes some of the anxiety away from my little one and life may improve for the better (even if marginally it would be fantastic) until we get him fully sorted into an SN school!

Thank you for your kind support and points in the right direction - I'm so very grateful to all those who commented on my rather deperate plea for help!

Now..... to start a thread on Flexi-schooling..... lol!