special school

[justine1]

Hi

 

I may be going to see the special school for Sam today,just waiting for their call.The school is divided in Learning disabilities and behavioral,social and emotional difficulties. He will be going to the BESD side. The LEA were saying it may not be suitable as they have children that are "just naughty"(her words) that do not have any diagnosis. I understand their concerns however upon learning about the school I found that most of them "significant number"(quoated from their website)have a diagnosis of autism.

 

What do I need to ask them? I know all the general questions,most I know from research into the school i.e class sizes, but not sure of the behavioural side of things. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[bid]

It's been 7 odd years since I visited special schools for my son, but I would suggest the following as a starting point:

 

Do they have individual work stations to help them focus without distractions?

Do they provide visual timetables/timetable strips for those children who benefit from this sort of structure?

What kind of behavioural systems do they use? Can you see evidence of behaviour/reward schemes, charts, etc.

 

I'm sure more up-to-date peeps will have more suggestions.

 

My last suggestion is harder to express...it's about gut-feeling really. When I was visitng residesi schools for my son, my LA officer said I would 'just know' when I found the right school for my son...I thought she was mad, but actually she was quite right! I only had the choice of two in the end...one was lovely, but just didn't 'feel' right for my son. We walked into his eventual school and she was right, we both 'just knew' straight away. I think this is about what is going to be the best fit for your child IYSWIM.

 

Good luck!

 

Bid

[Sally44]

As your child has a diagnosis of an ASD you need to ask about specific teaching/beahvioural approaches that are known to be effective for those on the spectrum.

Ask for a breakdown of the pupils in the school and what their diagnosis and needs are.

Ask if the teachers have any further training or qualifications in ASDs.

What is their budget for EP/SALT input in termly hours, is it the same EP/SALT or different on each visit time and are any based on-site.

Does your child's Statement specify EP or SALT time. If not, ask what would trigger the school referring to these outside professionals for your child. You could find that other children could be prioritized above your child if they have challenging behaviour. If that happened, and school had allocated all their budget, how would your child ever be seen?

Ask about academic abilities across the school and how the classrooms are put together ie. on age or ability etc. Do they teach the full national curriculum and are children expected to go on to take GCSEs or other accreditation in secondary school.

Ask about any specific difficulties, such as sensory issues and how they address those in school and would your child have access to an OT?

[caci]

This is SO hard isn't it.

 

With hindsight, the one thing I wish I had asked, would be how do the school deal if there is a clash of personalities between students.

 

At my son's special secondary school, I estimated 80% are on the spectrum somewhere, but most also have ADHD and other complex needs. My son found he couldn't cope with the actions of another child, and the school did not deal with it well at all. They insisted it had never happened before, they had never changed the classes around and he would need to learn to cope.

[justine1]

Thank you al sooooooooo much This has helped me alot. I agree Bid definatley need to have a good feeling about it. I went to see a school for my eldest NT son,the school has excellent results for 11+ and seemed brilliant all round,but I didnt get a good feel for it and he went there for 2 days and was not happy.The head seemed really arrogent too.Anyway I found another school,which is very popular despite the fact they dont get as good results,I had a great feeling for it and he starts tomorrow.

 

I also only have a choice of two,well three if I resort to mainstream,I thought I will look at the special school fist as I am pressed for time and I am leaning towards that more than the others.If I like it I will let the LEA know if I dont I will have a look at the other school(ASD unit)

 

 

Thanks again,would be lost without advice from here

[JsMum]

He will be going to the BESD side. The LEA were saying it may not be suitable as they have children that are "just naughty"(her words) that do not have any diagnosis. I understand their concerns however upon learning about the school I found that most of them "significant number"(quoated from their website)have a diagnosis of autism.

 

Justine I have just removed my son from a special residential school under the umberrella of BESD, and the school also reasurred me that they also catered for ASD needs but after 18 months of slogging a dead horse it is clear that the school could not meet my sons needs half of which they completely failed to even recogise as his true needs as the school adopted very extream forms of behavioural techneques that caused real conflict especially when J came home for weekends and holidays as they were techneques I couldnt adopt at home setting me up to fail as a independant parent.

 

The targets set for J where not taking into consideration Js ADHD and ASD needs at all for example Do not be distracted, Focus more, Do not shout out in class, Stay in your seat ect....

 

I felt that many of Js spiralling behaviour that cause him to ride throw the levels of the schools behavioural policies just got worse because they where not looking at the under lying of Js needs for example impaired communication, sensory issues and ADHD symptoms.

 

I had to remove J in the end due to the consession of sanctions J recieved, I sent him to a residential school to benefit from the 24hr curriculum as he required more support after school for social skills but due to the Sanctions he was on consecutively he was not allowed off school premisis, so he was barred from going even to the gym, or on activities and he missed out on his life skills day due to the group leaving the school premisis so J was on lockdown, just before I removed him he had spent 13 days on this sanction, causing his behaviour to spiral that I removed him due to his deteriation in his mental health and well being and I am now concentrating on fidning him a new special school that is specific to Js Communincation needs and sensory intregration needs.

 

I thought J did have a lot of behaivoural issues but when other boys started the schools with more serious behavioural issues I realised he was in a enviroement where J didnt feel safe anymore, when he was bullied the staff said it was normal teenage banter and it is all part of been a teenager but been barged into and pushed is not normal behaviour plus to be given a place the child has to have significant needs so this was not normal behaviour, J was told to ignore been teased and bullied.

 

The BESD school said they had put in place SALT, Anger management, OT for J, only to find a year later he hadnt accessed any of them and last term his LSA left for J to struggle with bonding with a new LSA in september which failed and he was given a succession of LSAs making it impossible for him to bond because they changed so much.

 

J has learnt a lot of behaviours now and he swears much more and much more disruptive, the boys he did get on with are no longer there, they where permantly escluded, so he was often isolated.

 

I personaly would stay away from a BESD school, and find a specialist school in Autism.

 

The BESD concentrate on Behaviour modification, they dont go deeper, or look at under lying reasons.

 

J didnt even have a Visual Timetable or Visual prompts, something that was in his statement.

 

When J rushed his work they said it was lazyness and no effert put in, but I tried to explain it is because he is rushing and he isnt remembering what to do, so he rushes, they didnt like the explanation and I knew then there was no point in expressing any more.

 

So for me Justine, I would say stick with ASD specialist schools because some BESD schools can be very frightening, noisy places for Kids with ASD needs.

 

I dont undestand why BESD schools can say they can meet the needs of ASD/ADHD needs when they fail to recognise the behaviours in the first place.

 

I dont think BESD Schools should be broading there scope and suggesting they can meet ASD/ADHD needs when the school I placed J in completely failed in meeting Js needs.

 

Im just glad he is no longer in the BESD school and focusing on getting J in the right provision that can meet all his needs and follow out what is in his statement.

 

JsMumx

[cmuir]

Hi

 

I went to visit and EBD school. I was interested in their approach managing children with behavioural problems (not deemed ASD) and those with an ASD. I was impressed by their response. That particular school tended to separate the two groups. The head gave an example: she said there is a child who called her a fat cow purely to be nasty, and there was another who called her fat because she is (i.e. didn't say it with the intention of being nasty) - clearly, the differences relate to unacceptable behaviour and social skills. The Head advised in her experience she felt there needed to be a difference in management and approach with behavioural issues and teaching generally. I personally share that viewpoint and that would be my main concern.

 

I guess other questions to cover would need to be specific to kiddo's difficulties, for example, approaching school holidays, do the school provide social stories and try and wind down kids/prepare for the holidays?

 

Sorry, that's all I can think of just now.

 

Caroline.

[JsMum]

Thank you al sooooooooo much This has helped me alot. I agree Bid definatley need to have a good feeling about it. I went to see a school for my eldest NT son,the school has excellent results for 11+ and seemed brilliant all round,but I didnt get a good feel for it and he went there for 2 days and was not happy.The head seemed really arrogent too.Anyway I found another school,which is very popular despite the fact they dont get as good results,I had a great feeling for it and he starts tomorrow.

 

I also only have a choice of two,well three if I resort to mainstream,I thought I will look at the special school fist as I am pressed for time and I am leaning towards that more than the others.If I like it I will let the LEA know if I dont I will have a look at the other school(ASD unit)

 

 

Thanks again,would be lost without advice from here

 

I went to all the schools the LEA recommended, then I placed reasons to why that school was not suitable, you have to provide evidence why that school is not going to meet your sons needs so by visiting you can say you witnessed this, or witnessed that, so I would visit all the schools the LEA are recommending.

 

If you are not happy with what ever the LEA say, you can fight for a specialist school by going to SENDIST so dont stick by what the LEA say, you can go to send.

 

JsMumx

[justine1]

<'>

Hi

 

I went to visit and EBD school. I was interested in their approach managing children with behavioural problems (not deemed ASD) and those with an ASD. I was impressed by their response. That particular school tended to separate the two groups. The head gave an example: she said there is a child who called her a fat cow purely to be nasty, and there was another who called her fat because she is (i.e. didn't say it with the intention of being nasty) - clearly, the differences relate to unacceptable behaviour and social skills. The Head advised in her experience she felt there needed to be a difference in management and approach with behavioural issues and teaching generally. I personally share that viewpoint and that would be my main concern.

 

I guess other questions to cover would need to be specific to kiddo's difficulties, for example, approaching school holidays, do the school provide social stories and try and wind down kids/prepare for the holidays?

 

Sorry, that's all I can think of just now.

 

Caroline.

Thats brilliant, love the example you have given <'> Most helpful.

 

Thanks Js mum,I do know someone who has a son with autism at the school however he has LD so is on a different side of the school,she said everyone loves the school and its hard to get in. I won't know until I have seen it. I will be going to see the ASD unit attached to mainstream,but as I mentioned in another post I am not keen on the school,and have spoken to people since I was told abou it and they all say its a horrible school.

 

Other than that I have not got much of a choice.The school only goes up to yr 6 and then he will move to secondary school.

[justine1]

I went to all the schools the LEA recommended, then I placed reasons to why that school was not suitable, you have to provide evidence why that school is not going to meet your sons needs so by visiting you can say you witnessed this, or witnessed that, so I would visit all the schools the LEA are recommending.

 

If you are not happy with what ever the LEA say, you can fight for a specialist school by going to SENDIST so dont stick by what the LEA say, you can go to send.

 

JsMumx

No,I have been told just to say which one I want and that will be the one he goes to.I dont need to give evidence or anything.It will take a week for them to sort it out and then he can start.I have this in writing via email.

 

There are no specialist schools.They are out of county and wayyyyyy to far for him to travel.

Edited January 5, 2011 by justine1

[JsMum]

No,I have been told just to say which one I want and that will be the one he goes to.I dont need to give evidence or anything.It will take a week for them to sort it out and then he can start.I have this in writing via email.

 

There are no specialist schools.They are out of county and wayyyyyy to far for him to travel.

 

 

Thats good then, no fighting to get our kids in the right school is hard enough, LEA obstructing that is even harder, so it is good that all you have to do is name a school.

 

I have this link here for more on finding the right school.

 

 

http://www.oaasis.co.uk/Free_Publications_6/Finding_the_right_school

 

JsMumx

[JsMum]

This is SO hard isn't it.

 

With hindsight, the one thing I wish I had asked, would be how do the school deal if there is a clash of personalities between students.

 

At my son's special secondary school, I estimated 80% are on the spectrum somewhere, but most also have ADHD and other complex needs. My son found he couldn't cope with the actions of another child, and the school did not deal with it well at all. They insisted it had never happened before, they had never changed the classes around and he would need to learn to cope.

is he still at that school?

 

this is similair to my sons situation.

 

JsMumx

[JsMum]

I thought the link about how a special school may meet the needs of a child with BESD and what those needs where, for example Disruptive Disorders, Attatchement Disorders, School phobia, Mental Health issues.

 

Also posting a link about the particular need you may want to focus on which for a child with ASD, Speech and Language Disorders would be Communication and Interaction needs.

 

My son meet a few of the different secions of SEN, so sometimes the child can have quite complex needs which will be even more difficult to find the right enviroement and provision.

 

The Links.

 

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/12604/ACFD633.doc

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/sen/types/communication/a0013054/communication-and-interaction-needs

 

 

Hope it helps as I think getting right provision is the most essential.

 

 

JsMumx

[caci]

caci, on 05 January 2011 - 09:26 AM, said:

 

This is SO hard isn't it.

 

With hindsight, the one thing I wish I had asked, would be how do the school deal if there is a clash of personalities between students.

 

At my son's special secondary school, I estimated 80% are on the spectrum somewhere, but most also have ADHD and other complex needs. My son found he couldn't cope with the actions of another child, and the school did not deal with it well at all. They insisted it had never happened before, they had never changed the classes around and he would need to learn to cope.

 

 

JS mum - no he isn't at that school anymore. For several months I tried to get the staff to understand things weren't working, but they couldn't or wouldn't change their attitude - so I withdrew him from the school.

[JsMum]

caci, on 05 January 2011 - 09:26 AM, said:

 

This is SO hard isn't it.

 

With hindsight, the one thing I wish I had asked, would be how do the school deal if there is a clash of personalities between students.

 

At my son's special secondary school, I estimated 80% are on the spectrum somewhere, but most also have ADHD and other complex needs. My son found he couldn't cope with the actions of another child, and the school did not deal with it well at all. They insisted it had never happened before, they had never changed the classes around and he would need to learn to cope.

 

 

JS mum - no he isn't at that school anymore. For several months I tried to get the staff to understand things weren't working, but they couldn't or wouldn't change their attitude - so I withdrew him from the school.

PM you.xxx so I dont overtake this OP,xxx

 

JsMumx