Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone … I have a son with ASD he is nearly 13 and he attends a high coin specialist secondary school .. His school is nearly a hours taxi ride away and then a hour home again …. As soon aa he leaves our house his impulsive behaviours start he can be rude inappropriate just general impulsiveness … His head teacher referred him to social services (purely for his impulsiveness) and we were given a youth worker (who we adore) … The summer holidays finished and the 3rd day back at school and the impulsiveness started again and his head teacher wanted to do another report but since we have a youth worker she didn’t need to … It’s been identified the support my son needs isant at home it’s in school.. He has an annual review for his echp due so our youth worker is going to use the opportunity of having his ehcp case worker there and have a TAF meeting at the same time … I’m so nervous about the TAF. Meeting I don’t know why I keep thinking Omg am I bad parent do they want to take my son etc I’m a massive worrier ! … My son has verbalised many times to Myself and his dad and his youth worker and other family members he hates going to school that far he hates the taxi and he can’t control himself … Has anyone else had experience with Taf meetings?? it’s going to me my sons school my sons echp case officer and his youth worker attending….
many thanks xxx
ADHD is >very< common with ASD - I've seen figures that quote up to 60%. Any good special school should be able to deal with ADHD, especially one specialising in autism. It sounds like the stressor is the hour-long taxi ride ... I don't know if anything can be done about that. Presumably you gave tried the usual distractions such as music, games etc.. Good luck!
Well this is what myself and his youth worker think he needs because a assessment because it’s quite clear he also had ADHD… His school is purely a school for autism I really think he is in the wrong setting.
You say your son has issues with impulsivity - has he been assessed for ADHD? For some reason this common co-morbidity is often not diagnosed during ASD assessments. The treatment of choice for ADHD, according to NICE, and many child psychiatrists, is a combination of medication and psycho-education support like mentoring and coaching. The medication affects the prefrontal cortex which is the "brake" in our reactions. Medication helps the executive functions of the brain to work properly. Then the other interventions enable us to "re-program" new habits.
(I've been there, done that, taken the Ritalin and lost the tee-shirt. The good new is that whilst we don't 'grow out' of ADHD, we can develop coping skills over time, just like we learn to mask our autism.)
As a retired Education Welfare Officer I can say that I have attended, and chaired, many TAF meetings. They are intended to focus on the needs of the young person and the family, and for all the agencies to share information. The meeting is your opportunity to have your voice, and the voice of your child, heard. I don't know how it worked locally, but I always tried to have the young person present for at least part of the meeting, if possible, and let them say what they wanted. Or maybe write or draw something for a parent or advocate to present on their behalf. Part A of the EHCP should give an overview of the young person, their likes and dislikes, needs and aspirations. The TAF should be about supporting you, not about blame. It sounds like you have a good youth worker to support you.
Your child has an EHCP, and it makes sense that the EHCP should be reviewed at the same time. Remember that it is an Education and >Healthcare< Plan, which means it is not just about what the school intends to do. Make sure that any additional provision such as speech and language, OT etc. is specified, including the number of sessions/hours per week or whatever and which agency will provide them. Section B is about needs ... make sure it says what his needs are. Don't accept that they are 'not available' as a reason not to list them! Make sure that Section C Health Care Needs and Section D Social Care Needs are included. Again, it should list what he needs, what the local authority wants to provide (or not).
I was an expert witness at a SEND tribunal where a parent challenged an EHCP. I pointed out the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child and s.7 Children Act 1989 which defines children with a disability as "children in need" - whatever threshold the local authority operates. The EHCP can include support outside school, e.g. access to leisure activities, which is a social care responsibility. (They hate being reminded of this, as they have no money and tend to try to avoid it) The non-verbal autistic child had horseriding at a facility for disabled riders included in her EHCP, including a carer to take her, and I gather the local authority was not happy having to pay for it!
If the only suitable school is genuinely an hour's drive away, there is not a lot you can do. It might be worth looking if his needs have changed and if another more local school is a possibility as part of the TAF.
The usual disclaimer - this is just my opinion, not "advice". I suggest you talk to a specialist SEN advice service, advocate or lawyer specialising in SEND