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Dual Placements?? - Do they exist?

SusieL

Been thinking so much about Jack's education and spoken to many people and am now wondering if dual placements exist ie: Half week in mainstream setting and half week in Specialist School.

The reason I wonder this is that we don't have any mainstream schools with an ASD Unit in our area. Jack's teacher made an arrangement with a nearby special school for Jack to attend a Social Communication Group every Friday morning. This works great but now I wonder if he would benefit from more time there IF we can't take him out of the mainstream school that he's in and change to a Special School.

I know the school is given funding for providing Jack with extra help and they have to decide what areas to use the money in so he can get the most out of his education. Would it be impossible to fund time in a special school? Jack loves the noise social aspect of his primary school but I worry that they cannot provide the right 'learning' environment for him. He would benefit from time in both settings. 

Does this sound crazy or has anyone else ever thought about this? I'm going to suggest it to Jack's teacher and would love to be able to tell her that it works elsewhere.

I think the Council will freak out when I suggest it! But no harm in asking.

  • I'm visiting a Special School tomorrow and am looking forward to hearing how they teach autistic children and their views on different styles of learning.

    I'm just worried that I might think it's exactly what Jack needs and then not be able to move him there! BUT that's kind of being negative and that's something I hate doing so I'll go positive - and I have lots of questions to ask - then make decision based on what I see there and from my meeting with Jack's teacher.

    I was pretty upset tonight to be given the SALT 'Homework Pack' - it contained stuff that we have already achieved with Jack and had I been told she was going into school to see Jack I would have been there and could've discussed it with her. Grrr. Oo just thought - they must think I'm a mum they can get one over on - oh dear, poor them!

  • Thanks everyone. I'm really pleased to know that dual placements do happen elsewhere (and for some reason this discussion posted twice and a reply on the other post said they happen in Scotland too!). 

    I am preparing to speak with Jack's teacher and I think she'll be quite positive about my suggestion. Jack copes very well with different environments - he's quite passive really but very sociable and has fitted into both his mainstream class and the Social Communication Group at the Special School. 

    Part of my 'argument' for a dual placement is that all our LEAs tell us that 'every child matters' and our children's Statements are in place to ensure they get what they need from their educational setting - so if that can't be provided in one place but can in another - why not share resources and make sure 'EVERY CHILD MATTERS'. 

    I think we've proved that the sharing of resources and teaching styles can work by sending Jack into the Special School every Friday morning and him happily joining in with them then going back into his mainstream class on a Monday and fitting in there too.

    I'm just trying to get as much info as I can before I go into battle!! x

  • Sounds logical if your son can cope with the interchanging,, he can move and down the sliding scale and give him and you more learning and caping flexibility and fills in the gap instead of a rigid prison council system of ONE BOX FITS ALL. Wink

  • Thanks Mumof 3. It's encouraging to know that is does happen somewhere (what part of the country does your friend live in if you don't mind me asking).

    I'm going to speak with Jack's teacher and discuss all this with her. I know they get funding for Jack's Statement and one of my questions will be 'Can some of this funding be used for time in a Special School'? She can't be totally against the idea because of the arrangement she's already made for Jack spending a Friday morning at a nearby Special School's Autisic Unit.

    I know the final decision will have to come from the Council and like you say, some are flexible and some are not - the problem we might have is the Special School Jack already attends on a Friday morning comes under a different LEA to his mainstream school and where we live.