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School authorise absence

NAS83072

Hi guys,

Im hoping someone can help us. My 6 year old is autistic and we recently took him on our honeymoon due to grandparents not being to gave our boys whilst away due to ill health.

Our son really struggle due to the sounds, business due to being at the end of the school holidays so lots of families. Our son really got excited about our first family despite lotsand lots pf struggles. As a result we want to go on another family holiday so have booked the week before school breaks up so that his education isnt impacted and that upon our return due to then being on summer holidays wont have the issue of settling back into school life. However, the school have advised us tjat they willnow authorise the holiday 6 schooldays, despite it being at the end of the term, or that i have achool our son alot due to being a qualifed teacher. I know we will be fined and will pay but think it is disgusting that we should be fined, when everything nowadays is meant to be inclusive and equality including people with disabilities, at that for our son to experience the same as his peers who dont have his sensory processing difficulties we are being fined because we want him to ve able to experience the same as his friends.

Has anyone has something similar and got any advice or kno of any legislation that would help us fight the school. Who are arging that if they do authrise for us it has to be for everyone. Which in my opinion should be for everyone as long as the time veing take is not within the middle of term. When we all know the end of times at his age is lots of parties, non school uniforms, etc.

Argh...someone please help!

  • As a former Education Welfare Officer, I would advise you to speak to the Head Teacher and explain about your son's sensory difficulties, and remind him/her that the school have a duty to make "reasonable accommodations" for your son's disability - ultimately a ruling on what is reasonable is a legal decision for a SENDIS tribunal. You might try contacting the Education Welfare department at the local education authority for advice. You can also get advice from the NAS advice line.

  • Hello ,

    I'm sorry to hear that you have been going through a hard time with this. 

    If you need support with an appeal against a decision about a child or young person’s educational needs, you might want to contact our Educational Tribunal Support Helpline: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/tribunal-support-line 

    All the best,

    ChloeMod

  • Write to the school and make a case that your son needs to have a holiday out of term time because he needs the resort to be quieter, with fewer other children about, due to his social anxiety and sensory problems. Make it clear that authorising leave of absence for a disabled child is not the same as for non-disabled children, so that their argument about having to do the same for all children is not reasonable. Raise the idea that they might be discriminating against a child on the grounds of disability. Try speaking to your local  Citizen's Advice.