My child is at Autistic unit in a mainstream school, the aim is to integrate the children into the mainstream and move them out of the unit. I’ve fought each time it’s been discussed and managed my child to continue full time in the unit. School are at a stage where they agree that it wouldn’t be the best decision for him to be in the mainstream at the moment but they can’t keep him full time in the unit for the remainder of primary years. All of the children in his class spend time in mainstream. So his week isn’t predictable and more children join the class as others move in mainstream full time. There has been so many days my sons is in meltdown and I can’t get him in the car, resulting in him missing days at school. He’s carried into school each day by myself or a teacher.
There are fully specialists schools in our area they have specialist staff. The classes would have the same children daily and the focus isn’t entirely on the curriculum and they focus on sensory needs also. A lot of the children are non verbal or have physical disabilities.
My child has got language but doesn’t speak in sentences. He’s able to answer simple questions but teachers and myself often wonder if he’s understanding the meaning of the question. He will answer a question with things that happened in the past. He mimicks others and has echolia. School have said that they know he is masking and try to support him with that. They are not good at supporting toilet training and this is something we struggle with at home too. He also does not eat when he’s at school. He’s very sad before & after school and says he doesn’t want to school, school is not good but he isn’t able to elaborate on that further due to his lack of language. He struggles with the other children and has 1 person who he calls his friend but when we have met this child outwith school my son is very anxious around him and wants to leave.
I have mentioned the specialist school to my sons teacher who says my son should continue to work on his verbal communication where he currently is, as at the specialist school there is non verbal children and physically disabled children and my son wouldn’t have the level of interaction with other children and it’s best to continue to progress his language.
Does anyone have any advice? I am really stuck on what to do. I think there is so much focus on speaking that every other need my child has almost doesn’t seem important to the school.
