Will not go back to school

[Known]

We have been trying for 3 months for 14 year old to go back to school but no luck. He has completely gone off the idea of school. Any suggestions welcome? Does anyone know of any aspergers school for able children or do you feel home education would be best. He has asked me to look at independent schools but he has refused specialist school as he has not accepted his diagnosis. In my opinion he would not survive any school other than specialist provision but is adamant that he would not attend this.

[Kazzen161]

Does he have a statement? If not, can you afford to pay the fees for an independent school?

 

How was he when he was going to school (academically/behaviourally/socially)?

 

What County do you live in (so we can suggest schools)?

 

Sometimes once the child has seen the specialist school and realised that the other children are like them, they feel more positive about the school.

[emzyme]

My son is 14 misdiagnosed with adhd, asked school for help nearly 4 years ago caf etc, asked for son to be rediagnosed aspergers as he has so many traits which has made him refuse school for a year, school lied to social services etc anyway social worker realized school was fibbing etc etc and also I have kept all correspondence with any agencies since my son started school when he was 4, ALWAYS take someone with you to meetings with officials they will try to bully you and also you are allowed to record meetings, I have adhd&dypraxia so I use that as why I need to record. make sure you cover your back. RED BALLOON LEARNER CENTRE and NOTSCHOOL.NET are specifically for children like ours, also if you have link schools (pupil referal unit) not just for naughty kids but also have them for emotional difficulties. My son is a very clever able teenager too. (west sussex), I have been through the wringer recently,.....but also I could see this coming so I asked for a mental health social worker to support me and she has been great (my adhd and dyspraxia symptoms get worse when Im under alot of stress) Aspergers kids are blinking fantastic! my son is sooooo funny.

 

try:

 

Parent partnership

 

young minds

Edited December 7, 2012 by emzyme

[Sally44]

There are some independent schools for children with Aspergers. But they do also tend to be special schools.

Has he really "gone off the idea" of school, or is his anxiety so high now that he is unable to attend. There is a difference. If it is the latter you need to get Clinical Psychology involved. Ask your GP to refer you to a CP that has experience of working with children with Aspergers. You will need their written advice [which should be incorporated into your son's Statement], and that will also cover you so that the Educational Welfare Officer does not get involved. If the Consultant CP puts in writing that he is not attending school due to a medical condition [which anxiety is], the LA cannot touch you. But they may try to scare you into forcing him back into school. So get the medical side on board. Also ask them to put in writing how much force you should use to make your son go into school.

 

My son was out of school for most of year 5 in primary. He had an Educational Tribunal [our second one], and we won an independent placement. It cost alot of money in independent reports. But he is finally at a school that can meet his needs and where he is able to access the environment, the learning opportunities and the peer group.

 

You need to find the right school first. [if you don't have a Statement get that ball rolling because they take 6 months from start to finish IF the LA agrees to do one - if they don't you have to appeal that decision and that can take another 6 months - so potentially it could be a year before you get a Statement, and if it is not worded so that it is legally binding and you need to appeal the statement as well, that would be a further 6 months. So from start to finish it could take you between 6-18 months, depending on how your LA handles it.]

 

When you find a potential school go and visit it. Also your son would need to spend a trial period there usually of 3 days for the teaching and therapy staff to meet him and write up a brief report. Even if the Statement is a long way off, it is worth having a trial period with the school, and then having a further trial period before you appeal to SEND [the educational tribunal]. And I am saying that because it is almost 100% certain that you would need to go to an Educational Tribunal if you are seeking an independent ASD specific school for children that are cognitively able.