madme Report post Posted April 14, 2006 My son will go at age 11 to a boarding school. Dx is aspergers, adhd, dyspraxia and spld maths. He is looking forward. any ideas about preparing him He has real diffs re getting ready in the am. Am trying using lists etc. will miss him. He will miss his sister and she him. He haslots of obsessions with paper and collects this all the time. Any books I can read thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted April 15, 2006 You're so brave, I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to send by boys to a boarding school. Maybe try a storybook with photographs, I am sure the school can provide them for you. And a book about home to take with him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted April 15, 2006 madme, Has your son had a few days there? Usually when children are going to boarding school they go to stay for a couple of nights for a taster. Also, the routine will be regular, so any problems your son has with getting up and ready in the mornings will soon be ironed out by the routine of boarding school. You probably already have, but if not I would suggest you contact the school as I'm sure they will have some sort of programme to help prepare the child. Lauren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 16, 2006 My son will go at age 11 to a boarding school. Dx is aspergers, adhd, dyspraxia and spld maths. He is looking forward. any ideas about preparing him He has real diffs re getting ready in the am. Am trying using lists etc. will miss him. He will miss his sister and she him. He haslots of obsessions with paper and collects this all the time. Any books I can read thanks I hope he has a better time than I had at my residential school. I think SEN residential schools have changed dramatically since the early 1990s. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted April 16, 2006 Hi Madme, Is is a residential special school, or mainstream?? Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paula Report post Posted April 16, 2006 <'> <'> I echo what lil-me said youre so so brave.Musnt have been an easy decision to make and i dont envy the fact youve had to make that decision.But youll know whats best for youre son. Youre whole life is going to change isnt it.My son is going on a residential trip with his special school for two days in June.Hes been before and i was lost when he wasnt around.I couldnt cope.It hit me realy hard just how much my life revolves around his needs.Its like its become my whole purpose to life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elaine1 Report post Posted April 16, 2006 oh wow, i couldnt find the bravery to send mint to boarding school. My sisters kids went and they are quite independant for their age, but they also had to be quite hard to cope with the rigours of that life. You are expected to get on with things such as bullying etc and not 'moan' about it it is seen as part of school life. Hope all goes well, perhaps yr sons school will be different if they are geared to 'special needs'. <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted April 16, 2006 Things will be very different if it is a residential special school...my son goes to one, and they could not have been better when it came to helping with the transition from home to school, etc. Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 16, 2006 You are expected to get on with things such as bullying etc and not 'moan' about it it is seen as part of school life. That certainly applied in my school that was run along the lines of a traditional boarding school for NT kids. Traditional boarding/public school lifestyle and culture doesn't appeal to me and is unsuitable for just about any SEN kids. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
col Report post Posted April 16, 2006 At my 8yr old school they have weekly boarders and day pupils get offered the oputunity of a taster. Day pupils can spend one night a week for a whole term at the school. It her turn and she's looking forward to it. It also give us the chance to get used to the feeling of her sleeping away from home. Mainly because it's a decision that we may face further down the line when she becomes of secondary school age. When she was 5 her old unit told us that she is not secondary normal mainstream material and that she faced the possibility of going residential. It was a bombshell and many a night i shed a tear in the days that followed. But when the time comes and IF the only school that best suits her needs is residential then i will be fighting the LEA tooth and nail for her to go there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madme Report post Posted April 17, 2006 It is a special school but academic. They have a very good understanding of his difficulties. I dont feel brave. He had a taster and liked it. I want to make him more independent. There really wasnt much choice as couldnt find a school nearer that was suitable. He will come home at weekends. But I do dream of moving near to the school! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BusyLizzie100 Report post Posted April 18, 2006 madme, I don't know if brave is the word either, but you are obviously sending your son to this school because you believe it is in his best interests. It must have been a very difficult decision and I totally respect you for having made it. All the best, Lizzie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stressedmumto2 Report post Posted April 18, 2006 I second what Lizzie has said to you. I think social stories will help him. I am toolooking at boarding for my son, not because I wnat a break from him but because I am thinking it may be the best possible thing for all of my family and for him. Good luck with it and I hope it all goes well. <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 18, 2006 It is a special school but academic. Same as my school. It would only admit kids of a high academic standard. They have a very good understanding of his difficulties. They have or claim to have? My school claimed to have a good understanding of my difficulties but didn't really. He had a taster and liked it. As long as he likes it and feels that he benefits from attending the school is what matters the most. If he really doesn't enjoy being at the school then be prepared to withdraw him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted April 18, 2006 Madme <'> I know how hard it is when your child goes away to school But I knew that my son was actually getting his future back by going to a residential school. Is his new school specifically for AS (being nosey...wondering if it's the same school as my son!!)?? Good luck, and my son's school was great...they phoned me every evening for his first week there, then less frequently as he settled in. Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madme Report post Posted April 18, 2006 Thanks all. Im also wary of schools claiming to understand. No school is perfect. They seem to care and that is half the battle. The senco had a long meeting with us and we liked her. The staff seem fired up about helping children achieve the most. I looked at more asperger appropriate schools but felt that they would not have been right for him. One school was fantastic and a friends child is going there but I felt my son would be over protected. Im aware that he has to take his place in society. I wish he could have coped in a mainstream school but he couldnt and they also rejected him. He is a bright boy- I can only give him the opportunities . To be honest I feel very sad as September approaches. I might win the lotto and move nearby! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
