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KezT

What a difference a year makes

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Just wanted to pop by to say how DS has settled into his Priory Group specialist school.

 

A year ago he was only allowed into his mainstream school for two hours a day (their stipulation) and once there, he was kept in strict isolation. Every day was a fight to get him there at all, his mental health and self esteem were dropping faster than a cannonball, and the knock on effect to rest of the family was literaly tearing as apart:(

 

He started at Priory in February. He has already caught up academically on his core subjects, and has started attending subjects he has NEVER been able to participate in before (art, music, some PE).

 

Last week he was invited to a birthday party - the first in about 8 years. It was for his "best friend". Not only does he have a friend - he has more than one and can categorise them!!!

 

We all took him there - he greeted his friend appropriately (I have never seen him greet anyone before except to say "Who are you?") and spent an hour taking turns and chatting!

 

I can't say everything is perfect. He is still a 13 year old bot, and an autistic one at that! There have been several issues at school, and he has been taken out of more classes than I would like BUT.......

 

I have my happy son back:) He is learning, growing and enjoying life again:) The fight for the right school very nearly broke us, sometimes I'm amazed that we all survived it at all, but I am so glad we perservered. My advice to anyone out there trying to get provision is: Keep going, it IS worth it!

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Yes it does make a difference doesn't it.

 

My son still has many issues around anxiety. And i've just posted in another forum that he is going to be screened for Klinefelter Syndrome [XXY].

 

But he has made huge improvements in his current school. Up to a level 4C in science in 2 years starting from Pscales!

 

They are using alot of assistant technology. He now has a laptop in class and they are gradually putting all his classwork onto that, and are training him with voice recognition software. His science teacher is very excited about what my son knows and can do.

 

I just wish the anxiety/OCD and all those rituals and obsessive thoughts and fears would reduce or even - hope and pray - go away. If he does have Klinefelters that will explain a number of things, and the testosterone may improve his general mood and reduce his fatigue, because he is exhausted all the time.

 

We are still fighting to get more overnight provision. But apart from that, things are so much better than before. And as hard as those times were to get to where we are today, it would actually have been harder to have done nothing and had to somehow cope with him at home 24/7 and try to educate him.

Edited by Sally44

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Yes I agree as well. This time last year I was in the midst of getting ready for tribunal. Now we have won the tribunal, he started at the independent day school in April and so far doing well. We've gone from no school attendance at all to so far only missing 2 days due to anxiety. It's still all a struggle for him but he is doing well. Just had his dla increased as well to hrc and we have also had an increase in his respite.

 

Still a rocky road ahead especially as I can see a battle for post 11 and the LA trying to force him out of his independent school as a new free school due to open the year he would go into year 7. Elder sons annual review on Monday, he's gone from being level NC 2 to being on P scales he is in year 8. Plus my daughter is now approx 4 years behind due we think to dyslexia but school refuse to get EP to see her so next week she is being seen privately so although all is well in one kids life, life as a mum still as colourful as ever :-)

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i also can contribute i used to work part time 1 hour a day so 5 hours a week totalled at last job -local nursery working at! now working full -time more responsibilities as well paperwork side speaking to parents doing feedback of routine, now doing 40+ hours a week - just found out few weeks back start of October as well as AS , Dyspraxia , MADD (Mixed Anxiety & Depressive Disorder) i have ADHD too add to my list! never thought working full -time was possible hard challenging work but well worth it and knocks me out sleep wise! when do get to sleep that is! but can be done ,always hope and dreams not matter what the 'label' given even late in life which AS & ADHD were! so never give up believing dream the impossible if determined enough it WILL & CAN be done! ;) X KLX

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A final addendum to this story:

 

Following his annual review yesterday, the LA has finally agreed to remove the clause they added to his statement that he should be reviwed 6 monthly with a view to moving back to local provision for GCSE's:) The placement is pretty much a done deal now until the end of year 11 (then we'll have a whole new fight know!!!), so he is safe and settled for the next 2 and a half years.

 

The school are putting a whole load more therapies in place for him now he has settled, the violence has stopped and he is on target for A-C grades in at least some GCSE's.

 

The school were quite forceful towards the LA representative on our behalf:)

 

On another note, congratulations smileyK - that's great news about your job. Hope its still going well for you.

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