Sickandtired

Hi Minerva, We tried scouts too - disaster! And Kung fu (think he'd love this if he got into it but didn't last the first session...). Will google Helen O'Grady drama and see what comes up.

Thanks Karen for the info. The school did float the idea of home ed with me a while ago... just in passing (hmmm) so maybe that's what they and the LEA are hoping we will do. Problem solved from their point of view!

Thanks Daisy. Can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone's support and advice. I will Check out ICAN also. Thanks again!

Have to say, Home schooling seems like the best option (academically) for our son. But what about his (lack of) social skills? When schools exclude children with SEN - and ASD particularly - it's not just from school but their peer group! I'd be grateful for any top tips you may have. Thanks!

It beggars belief doesn't it!?! That is good advice. Thank you. OUr son returns to school tomorrow (God help him!). We have been given 15 minutes of the headteacher's precious time. Will be interested to hear what he says. Have spoken to clued up NAS advisor who is now on the case with us. Thankfully!

Thank you. I will!

Quite!!!

Thanks Karen, My son's diagnosis is high functioning autism. The in-house SALT appears to have limited experience with dealing with ASDs. In fact she was an attendee at a recent pct 'intro to autism' training day that I was a parent speaker at in July! SALT provision is to help with social communication skills. He is supposed to have 31 hours of TA support, which he clearly does not have. The ASD outreach worker has not seen my son for at least a term and seems to be avoiding me/him. She must know what's going on but all I've had from her is 'keep on smiling and doing your great work' comments. Not sure what to make of that. Has it not occurred to these people why we are anxious and perhaps we wouldn't be if they did not give us cause! Thanks again for your advice.

It is disgusting. Thanks for your advice. You make some very good points. We'll listen, ask questions and tread very carefully. We know there's no point appealing to the governors (until recently I was one!) and we'd rather focus our energies positively to help our son rather than go down the DD route at this stage. Though if we meet with resistance we will have no option.

Good point, which I'll bear in mind. Thanks everyone for all the advice. REally helps.

Thank you!

Thanks for your replies. Not sure how to access the SALT info that Kathryn has posted - new to all this forum stuff. Please can you explain? Sure that it will be useful. Have just had the school's SALT (in house paid for by the school) say to us that our son's needs are purely behavioural and there's nothing she can do, having 'assessed' his language needs. Her summary was he is charming and was friendly to her. His verbal reasoning skills were only below average in a few areas. Yet his statement says he should get 10 hours of SALT a term! Our son's statement has not been implemented as the school cannot understand that a bright child with language can have a disability. His anxiety is caused by his mother's over anxiety apparently. Although it's good to know that I'm not alone in being treated like this - it's shocking that 'professionals' can and do treat families in this way. If I start to give examples I'll rant and end up crying! We could fight the school but have been there before with another ambitious results-driven school which unofficially excluded our son all the time. We need to get him somewhere where he will be understood and helped. Thanks again for your thoughts and support!

This is the second time our 9 year old son has been excluded from his primary school in the last year. The headteacher wants him out. We could pursue a disability discrimination tribunal route but feel it's better for our son if we channel our energies into finding him a school that understands his needs and is willing to meet them. The school's view is that he has challenging behaviour caused by bad parenting, most recently allowing him to watch 'high school musical'. LOL With a statement review coming up in a few weeks, we think we need to ask for a reassessment of his needs and a change of setting. We would like to find an independent school that specialises in HFA/AS as the local lea special schools cater for children with severe learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities. Any thoughts/advice would be gratefully received! Thank you!

Hello everyone, I'm mum to two children - a boy with HFA and a girl with AS, living in South East London. Glad to have found this forum!