mild autistic 6 year old.x

raq

Hi all,

My ds who is 6 years old is has very mild autism. His CARS report that was tested on him in july 2011 came to 29.!!! Told me at the children,s hospital that they are stating mild autism as they are aware this is a label but will get him the help the needs at his local school. This was the only way... ( statemented ) and in mainstream school. He is doing really really well. Has a full time one to one in school. Does everything they ask him too, doing really well with speach and language. Tell me on a daily bassis how adorable he is. ( Yeap we know, he,s our world ). He is slow, yes, not up to the standard of a 6 year old but as they keep telling me he is "Learning". Anyway, got a school meeting on wednesday with the teachers and head teacher to see how ds is getting on. This is ready for februarys yearly report.

I am really beating myself up thinking, no mention of this at all, that the school might say he needs to go to a "UNIT" at another school . I haven,t been sleeping thinking about it. I personally don,t want him too.

QUestion is: Can our local school do this to us??? What rights as parents do we have to keep ds at his school??

If it happens, can I get in touch with learning education??

Just want to be ready for next week as I know they will fire questions at us.

Thanks guys

daska

In theory YOU have the choice of school and they have to accommodate him unless his presence impacts on the learning of other pupils (which is exactly the situation DS2 (year 1) is causing at the moment so this subject is close to my heart ). Thankfully I've already had this conversation and been assured that even if the LA don't come through with the support DS2 needs he's not currently at risk of expulsion.

Have you got Parent Partnership involved, why not ask them to come with you? And a call to IPSEA might be useful as well.

(((HUGS)))

raq

daska wrote: »

In theory YOU have the choice of school and they have to accommodate him unless his presence impacts on the learning of other pupils (which is exactly the situation DS2 (year 1) is causing at the moment so this subject is close to my heart ). Thankfully I've already had this conversation and been assured that even if the LA don't come through with the support DS2 needs he's not currently at risk of expulsion.

Have you got Parent Partnership involved, why not ask them to come with you? And a call to IPSEA might be useful as well.

(((HUGS)))

thanks for the kind message. Yes we are also year 1. DS has never been a danger to anybody else , also they informed me he listens much better than the other children.

sorry to sound daft but , what is Parent partnership?? IPSEA what is this also??
xx

Nicki

What has changed to make you think he is about to be forced out? If the school are telling you they are happy with his behaviour and progress and he still has a statement to fund the extra help he needs, why would the school want to lose him?

Are you panicking just because a meeting has been called? Is this his Annual Review meeting? All children with statements must have an Annual Review every year by law to ensure the statement is still required and the school is still able to meet their needs. It doesn't mean that the school will throw them out, and in fact they are probably glad of the extra money and manpower his statement brings. Whilst schools never admit this to parents, most schools do get the LSA paid for by the statemented children to offer a bit of support to other kids in the class who are also struggling now and again.

daska

Does he not have a statement? I assumed from your post that he does but usually you'll have been informed about PP during that process. Local Authorities are obliged to provide independent advice/support for parents of children with SEN - PP does this. Find your local office here http://www.parentpartnership.org.uk/find-your-pps

IPSEA are a charity that specialise in SEN law. http://www.ipsea.org.uk/ There's a lot of good advice and information on their website and the helpline is very good (though also very busy so you do have to keep trying.

raq

hi again guys

Sorry for the delay, middle son was sick yesterday evening.

Okay, yes 6 year old son is statemented. He has 25 hours a week one to one.

The school hasn,t said anything just am panicking, as I do. They are calling this meeting early to get paperwork ready for the february 2013 yearly review.

I just go into over-drive and my husband have said , am gonna make myself ill and too calm down. Just can,t help it. Sometimes feel do the school do things behind parents back. Sorry am rambling now.

Only downside is that ds hasn,t had the specialist asd speech and language lady in since July 2012. I have made endless calls and now the lady in question is seeing ds end of next week. That is the only thing I am not happy with. DS statement states " every 6 weeks"..

xx

MrsDrink

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the Annual Review process (the meeting you are referring to in February) is to gather your views as his parent on how you feel he is doing in school (as well as his views). School should arrange the Annual Review on a date and time that is convenient to you (not just one that's convenient to them). This pre-meeting could possibly be to a) set a date and time with you so they can then write letters to all outside agencies involved and invite them to attend and/or provide a report and b) to gather your views.

morocha

I do not know much about this but i am sure you can choose where to send your child. My nephew is severely autistic yet he attents the same school as his sister, who is not, because the parents do not want to send him to a special schoool.

SingleSue

Being sent to a different unit is not the end of the world. Middle son (aspergers plus other things) was permanently excluded from his primary school when he was 7, spent time with private tutors and then went to a PRU, returning to mainstream education for year 6.

He is now 16, one of the top students at his high school, doing a full programme of GCSEs and has been of the success stories. Ok, I fought against everyone when they said he had to go to a residential school (I won) but the private tutors and PRU was the best way for him to go as he could learn at his pace (which for him, was in advance of his peers) and they kept his mind busy which is very very important for him to remain calm.

Youngest (complex autistic), also spent time at a different school, this time a specialist school for autistic children, which he absolutely loved and thrived at. Unfortunately, he had to leave as because he was settled, he started to show just how bright he was and he became too bright to be there.

He really needs to be elsewhere than at a mainstream high school as he finds it extremely hard to cope in mainstream. That said, he is also doing the full programme of GCSEs but he is also at breakdown level...so not sure that was the right decision!

Both are statemented, youngest since he was 5 or 6, middle son since he was 7. Whether it will work is down to the child, middle son can cope with mainstream (although the teachers couldn't cope with him when he was younger but find it easier now) whereas youngest can't cope at all with mainstream.

raq

MrsDrink wrote: »

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the Annual Review process (the meeting you are referring to in February) is to gather your views as his parent on how you feel he is doing in school (as well as his views). School should arrange the Annual Review on a date and time that is convenient to you (not just one that's convenient to them). This pre-meeting could possibly be to a) set a date and time with you so they can then write letters to all outside agencies involved and invite them to attend and/or provide a report and b) to gather your views.

yes the annual review meeting is still going ahead in february, its just the senco teacher at ds mainstream school said it is quiet common to have a meeting beforehand and any questions we can all put on the table.

raq

morocha wrote: »

I do not know much about this but i am sure you can choose where to send your child. My nephew is severely autistic yet he attents the same school as his sister, who is not, because the parents do not want to send him to a special schoool.

This is another point. My ds who is 8 and perfectly fine is at the same school, we are also in catchment for this good school and want my two children at the same school. I am quiet friendly with another lady at the school who has also stated there is actually much much worse cases at the school and not too worry. Okay, maybe they might suggest one day a week at a specialist school, maybe I can hag that , but deep down as there is no MAJOR concern then we want him to stay put. He is learning daily, but not to the level he should be for a 6 year old.