residential school visit/assessment

[coolblue]

Ds (12) has just got a proposed statement recommending a place at a special school for children with ASDs. We now have the opportunity to express our school preference. All the suitable schools we've seen are residential - and have had a meeting with the LA where the statementing officer said they would be looking at a residential placement.

 

The two schools we liked most have said we should arrange a visit/assessment for our son ASAP. One said this would help if we had to go to tribunal because the school could then confirm that they could meet ds's needs. I'm a bit concerned that he could end up going for several overnight assessments at different schools - which could be a BIG ordeal for him - if the LA don't agree to our choice.

 

The LA are aware that we are visiting schools and so aren't expecting us to get back with our preferences within the 15-day time limit.

 

Anybody any experience/advice/comments?

 

cb

[Grace]

Hi,

 

My first thoughts would be what are the difference in costs? Are the two schools you like much more expensive than other ones that the LA could say are suitable?

 

I think if you could find this out, then you would at least know you should only have two schools to try i.e. the LA will agree to your preference.

 

The problem would come if your choice is much more expensive than others and the LA want to push for a cheaper option.

 

I have not had to consider residential, but having read other posts in the past, I think a 2/3 day assessment is quite normal. If the LA won't give you your choice and you decide to fight for it at tribunal, I think this assessment will be crucial.

 

Talk with the school staff about how they handle the assessments, because I am sure for ASD children, many would find it difficult. Is your child 'aware' enough to understand that this is to help him? I don't know if the schools would consider a day visit first, so he could see where he was going for his sleepover? I guess it depends how far away they are too.

 

I'm sure someone will come along soon who has been through the residential process and might have some more ideas.

 

Best Wishes

 

Grace/x

[Sally44]

Are the LA agreeing that he needs an independent residential school?

As already said costs are important as you know, but it is also about the school being able to meet his needs and what has been recommended in reports.

 

If the LA do not agree to your preferred placement I would suggest that you write letters to the various departments that are to provide the provision within the Statment and ask some very searching questions. In our LA none of the teachers have any qualifications for teaching children with an ASD or a SpLD. And I think that all NHS OT departments do not commission Sensory Integration Therapy.

 

What would both schools require as an 'assessment' period. Would it be 3 days and one night etc. Although you have visited, have you sat in on any of the lessons?

 

Also look at the pathway for 16+, what exams or local connections to colleges or what subjects/professions/vocations they support - I found that there was alot of differences between the special schools. Many seemed to be going into horticulture etc and my son would not like that. So see if any of them specialise in your sons areas of interest or skills such as IT etc.

 

If it really has to be a trial at both schools, then let him try your preferred choice first, and ask for open and honest opinions from the assessment staff as to whether they believe he would fit in and cope.

[coolblue]

Hi,

 

My first thoughts would be what are the difference in costs? Are the two schools you like much more expensive than other ones that the LA could say are suitable?

 

The nearest, most suitable one (as far as one can tell from an hour's visit) is considerably more expensive than the others - around 30% more.

 

 

I think if you could find this out, then you would at least know you should only have two schools to try i.e. the LA will agree to your preference.

 

The problem would come if your choice is much more expensive than others and the LA want to push for a cheaper option.

 

I have not had to consider residential, but having read other posts in the past, I think a 2/3 day assessment is quite normal. If the LA won't give you your choice and you decide to fight for it at tribunal, I think this assessment will be crucial.

 

This is just beginning to dawn on me...

 

Talk with the school staff about how they handle the assessments, because I am sure for ASD children, many would find it difficult. Is your child 'aware' enough to understand that this is to help him? I don't know if the schools would consider a day visit first, so he could see where he was going for his sleepover? I guess it depends how far away they are too.

 

That's what we're planning.

 

I'm sure someone will come along soon who has been through the residential process and might have some more ideas.

 

Best Wishes

 

Grace/x

 

Thanks Grace.

 

cb

[coolblue]

Are the LA agreeing that he needs an independent residential school?

As already said costs are important as you know, but it is also about the school being able to meet his needs and what has been recommended in reports.

 

'Special school for children with ASDs' is on the proposed statement. Residential was recommended verbally in the meeting and has been minuted.

 

 

What would both schools require as an 'assessment' period. Would it be 3 days and one night etc. Although you have visited, have you sat in on any of the lessons?

 

It would be 3 days and one night in both cases and I have seen lessons in progress, talked to students, and seen a student restrained (done by the book).

 

Also look at the pathway for 16+, what exams or local connections to colleges or what subjects/professions/vocations they support - I found that there was alot of differences between the special schools. Many seemed to be going into horticulture etc and my son would not like that. So see if any of them specialise in your sons areas of interest or skills such as IT etc.

 

I know the LA has issues with the local one because their follow-up post 16 isn't as good as it might be, but it is local, which means we could have some input. The non-local one has a post-16 college and claims to have good links with other schools and colleges but does seem to go in for horticulture in a big way!

 

If it really has to be a trial at both schools, then let him try your preferred choice first, and ask for open and honest opinions from the assessment staff as to whether they believe he would fit in and cope.

 

Yes, I think it's 'open and honest time' all round. I've already had a minor argument on the phone with one member of staff about blanket statements about autism.

 

Thank you Sally.

[Sally44]

If, at the end, it does boil down to cost (as it often does), then make sure you know what the LA REALLY has to offer. If your child has a SpLD, which I think I remember they do, then you need a teacher qualified to level 7 for SpLD because they need to be able to both teach and assess. You may find even the special school for ASD does not have such a teacher - as is the case for us - and we have had to ask the special school to get a quote for such a level teacher and to tell us what their revised yearly fee would be.

 

Also remember that the LA are not going to be open and honest about their costs. See Coventry Vs Browne. In this case the LA tried to suggest that they could use a teacher from the LA SpLD department and it would not cost them any more money. In this case law the Tribunal Panel applied the same SpLD fees to both the parents independent preferred placement AND the LA one, because they stated that the LA would also have to buy in that provision as they did not have it in house and said that basically "nothing is for free".

 

So make sure you are comparing like for like. As already posed, most LA ASD schools do not have teachers that have an extra qualification for teaching children with an ASD because it is not a compulsory requirement. If a child has a Visual Impairment that is different, and the teacher MUST have that extra qualification.

 

If the LA are not forthcoming about costs etc, and you do end up at a Tribunal you can use a Request for Changes Form to SEND to ask the Judge for a Direction that as per Coventry vs Browne (and attach the case findings), the LA is required to provide costings to parents so that they have an opportunity to determine if they are realistic.

 

Good luck with it all.