My daughter was diagnosed with autism this summer aged 11. She started high school, became suicidal and so only attended 8 times. I have managed to get funding for home schooling on medical grounds and she is under assessment for a statement to hopefully get her a place at a special school. As part of this assessment my daughter had a home visit from an educational psychologist. She said my daughter was very immature and vulnerable. She said she needed to be taught what is socially acceptable behaviour for her age etc. Then she spoke to the secondary school and the primary school. The secondary school said she was 'comfortable and happy there'. The primary school said she showed no signs of autism there! She has a formal diagnosis and definatly did show signs of autism in both schools. She is passive and well behaved at school but has never made friends. The schools have blatently lied and said she did not require extra support, even though they supported her but did not document it! Her primary school missed all the signs and did not support me in trying to get a diagnosis,they let her down. I feel like they are still doing that. I'm so frustrated and upset. The educational psychologist phoned me the day after her visit and told me what the schools have said. She said it is her recommendations that matter most in her report and my daughter is obviously autistic and unaware of social cues and expectations and behaves like a 7 year old! After finally getting a diagnosis I thought I could put the schools negativity behind us but I feel now, they are still able to negativly impact on my child. Why are they doing it! I feel like a mad woman!
