Specialist Schools Question

[clair]

Hi everyone, I am confused and need some advice.

 

My son has a statement for ADHD (emotional and behavioural) and is going to be moving to secondary school in a year and a halfs time. School have said that since he has been on his ritalin, hie autistic traits have become more noticable and they think that he could be aspergers aswell as ADD.

They say he is not going to manage in mainstream secondary school and that he needs to go to a special school. Does his statement have to be changed like they say? as it already reads like a child with autism for example, low arousal room, supervised play and the list goes on. The amount he gets funded is just under �8000 a year.

The educational Psych says that he is going in to school to see him and the school are going to support this diagnosis so I don't have to worry there, It is just the LEA lady said that he would need the statement changing to something else to get into an autism specialist school, otherwise he would have to go to a behaviour place; which would definately not be right for him.

Any advice much appreciated.

[Karen A]

Hi Clair.If there is nothing specific on the Statement re ASD it may well be a good idea to get it amended.Specialist ASD schools usually do require ASD to be documented in order to offer a place.An EBD school may not be the best option as there may not be any ASD support or staff with specific training.Karen.

[Kazzen161]

I agree - specialist schools need an appropriate diagnosis eg: AS specialist schools won't take children with a diagnosis of autism. A statement with ADHD on it would lead to different schools to one with AS on it, or even to one with AS and ADHD on it.

 

Specialist schools specialise, and that is what makes them so good.

 

I am surprised your LA are being so helpful over this - lol!

(or do the LEA have their own EBD and ASD special schools?)

[madme]

Hi Clair. Please do be wary of the LEA. An Ed Psch cannot diagnosis and so if it hasnt already happened it is worth getting him re-assessed within the NHS for a clear diagnosis. At age 9-10 it is much clearer if there are co=morbids in my experience. Thankfully you do have time but it will soon pass and the transfer for Secondary schools has to be sorted bt mid Feb in the year of transger if the child has a statement- so you have jut under a year to get a clear diagnosis and find the right school. Do be wary of EBD schools which should not be appropraite fora child with Autism or aspergers. My son has a similar diagnosis and attends an independent specialist school funded through his statement. Gabbitas do an excellent book Good Luck

[clair]

Hi and thanks for the replies so far. I have been told by the ed psych concerned that he also sits on the panel for asd diagnosis and he sits on the ADHD team at Camhs.

My sons teacher phoned this evening after school and said that he will not even as much go into the classroom anymore and that he spends all day obsessively thinking that he is a truck driver. If the teachers try and distract him he hits the roof and tells them that he must finish his job or park his lorry or he will not get paid for it. They are really worried so they asked the school nurse to sit down with him and talk. He says that he knows there is something wrong with his brain that won't let him get on with school work. Apparantly he was holding his head and getting really upset saying that he needed the doctor to find out what was wrong and put it right.

I didn't know this when he first came out of school with his sister. He said that he had been good at school so I left it at that. He just doesn't see that he needs to try his work.

I have said that if it is ASD then it could be sensory overload, but only a diagnosis will determine that, If not then I need to be looking into OCD.

[Kathryn]

Hi clair,

 

I hope you get some firm answers soon one way or the other.

 

My daughter who has AS, suffered severe stress four years ago due to school and displayed a lot of OCD - type behaviour: obssessive counting, avoiding pavement cracks, shutting doors, touching things in a certain way, washing continually, to name a few. This went on for a long time until the educational issues were sorted out and she felt more secure about her future. As the anxiety lessened the behaviours decreased, and now she doesn't do any of these things any more.

 

This must be a worrying time for you - I hope your son gets some help soon and you find a suitable secondary school.

 

K x