Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all. Just looking for some opinions on mainstream vs special schools. My son is due to start this September. He has almost full understanding I think but is almost non verbal apart from the odd work of the week. He also has limited eye contact, does not want to interact with children and can bite etc when distressed. We don't know whether being around Neuro typical children or being in special school is the best thing for him, or even if he will get into a special school. Anyone with any experience of children in different schools?
Thanks, Emma.
Does your son have an EHCP? Usually, local authorities require an EHCP assessment before allocating a special school. You could look for a mainstream school and try it - In the school where I am a governor, we have several kids with ASC or who are awaiting assessment. Maybe look for a smaller school (one form entry). Check out Ofsted reports for schools with good SEND and pastoral care provision. Your LEA SEND department may be able to help.
If the doctor evaluates your son's condition and development as severe, it is better to choose a special school for education. I understand that you do not want to isolate your child from the other children, but it will be difficult for him to develop at the same level as the others. Special schools have didactic staff who know how to teach such children. It is much more likely that your son will make developmental progress thanks to a specially designed curriculum. Teachers in regular schools can't spend a lot of time with just one child. He slows down the learning process, which prevents other children from learning. Many teachers use http://www.scbraves.org/Special_Education.htm, which has useful links for teaching special children.
Hi Emma,
Hopefully there will be some community members who can offer you advice from their personal experience but in the meantime you might want to check out the following links on the NAS website:
The following article contains a lot of helpful information about education for a child with an autism:http://www.autism.org.uk/about/in-education.aspx This includes information regarding getting extra support for your child in their education setting.
You can search for schools that cater for children with an autism spectrum disorder on our Autism Services Directory: www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx
It can help to pass on information specifically for education professionals about autism spectrum disorders. The following link contains information written for education professionals:
http://www.autism.org.uk/professionals/teachers.aspx
You may want to contact our Education Rights Service who provides information, support and advice on educational provision and entitlements. Please see the following link for further information: http://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/education-rights.aspx
Hope you find some thing helpful,
Kind regards,
Heather - Mod