Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
I wondered if I could possibly get some advice regarding my son at all please.
He's 14 years old and has been 'home educated' since September 2021. I use the term 'home educated' loosely because he has refused to actually learn anything remotely academic. We come from a DV background and my son was also bullied at his junior school. When he moved up to secondary school he was attacked by another student which left my son terrified, she was allowed to continously threaten him so I pulled him out of school after he sat on the stairs crying and shaking saying he couldn't face going.
I am grateful for the time he has spent at home because he has been able to work on his mental health and heal from his past traumas. However he has recently gone the other way and is now back under a counsellor.
He has said that he wants to return back to school. I am petrified at the very thought of this. My boy is autistic and has recently started getting physically sick when he becomes emotionally upset or nervous. Which is pretty much all the time because he is so sensitive. He spends so much time locked in the bathroom feeling unwell. How on earth will he cope with secondary school?
He has said this morning that he only wants to go to school to get an education as he wants to get into college to become a mechanic.
We live in Derby, and as much as I'm trying to find information on possible colleges that would take him on now, I'm finding it very difficult. I too am neurodivergent and I really struggle with processing information.
Is there anyone out there that has any knowledge on possible colleges at all please? He has an EHCP but it hasn't been reviewed as he's been under home education. Full time I don't believe is an option because of how ill he is all the time and he is also under several medical investigations and he needs time to see his counsellor. However, he is beyond desperate to become a mechanic.
I am very grateful in advance for any advice.
My son is 16 and hasn't been to school for a year due to autistic burnout. He was only diagnosed with autism a year ago and we have just got an EHCP for him. The provision we asked for was 'Alternative Provision' which for us is home-schooling. He is now studying for his GCSEs using online courses, there are also a number of good online schools. We were able to ask for a Personal Budget, as part of his EHCP which is covering the cost of the courses, books and resources and a mentor for him. I am told this will be reviewed annually even though we are home-schooling him. It may be worth contacting your EHCP case worker to ask for a review with a view to your son wanting to do some qualifications. Our LA also had a list of providers that we could use for tutoring or online study.