Can't find a specialist autism school for science A levels

This approach isn't quite what I think you hoped to find - but it might offer some ideas of another way to make science A Levels available to your son.

Some exam boards accept "private candidates" to sit A Levels e.g. when students have been home schooled / completed self study or adults have studied via distance learning. 

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has an online tool where you can locate exam centres offering this exam facility to Private Candidates:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/

The JCQ also have produced a PDF download "Reasonable Adjustments for GCE A-Level Sciences – Endorsement of practical skills" which might help you to compile a list of things to ask a school / college / university / tutor:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/non-examination-assessments/reasonable-adjustments-for-gce-a-level-sciencesendorsement-of-practical-skills/

On the same webpage; I thought this paragraph may offer some hope and reasonable management of expectations around the "the art of the possible":

"The SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) will work with teaching staff, and where necessary senior leaders, to determine access arrangements which are both appropriate and reasonable in the context of the Practical Endorsement."

I wish I could be more help to you. The schools that specialise in autism in my surrounding areas do not offer a levels at all unfortunately.

Yes I agree with this- we have fume cabinets in our lab and they definitely don't block out smells that well. However, I think in a lot of the science disciplines, including biology and chemistry, there are also many opportunities for dry lab work and there is also a need for people with computational skills- not sure if that is something he might also enjoy? 

I think you're overestimating the efficacy of some fume hoods. I am just finishing up a natural sciences degree and did Chemistry in first year. The reason I stopped was partly due to the smells causing headaches, and although I'm hypersensitive to smells, I suspect I'm still not as sensitive as your son.

Physics is much better. I struggled a little with some sounds particularly things like x-ray based imaging in materials science, but earplugs are much better designed than noseplugs in my experience. 

Hi, I am deeply saddened to read this - it is unacceptable that it is so hard to find adequate support. Unfortunately I don’t have a solution (I’m not so familiar with UK system prior to university) but as an autistic scientist I just want to express my support. I am autistic and I studied natural sciences at university and am now doing a PhD in neuroscience. Most of my friends are scientists and are also neurodivergent. Autistic individuals can make great scientists (attention to detail, hyperfocus etc helps). And if your son enjoys the sciences, these can be great subjects. And I do think some universities can be quite autism friendly (mine was and it was easier for me to fit in and navigate it than school). I really hope you manage to find a solution- I will ask my scientist friends in UK if anyone has any ideas. I really hope you find a solution. Don’t give up. 

Thank you, this is really helpful.

Thank you, I will take a look. I think the main difference with online experiments is that they work! So you don't get to practice problem-solving for the messy real world.

Try the open university or look at some of the less reputable universities that don't insist on science A levels because they offer foundation years if one has unorthodox entry qualifications. 

Physics is something that lends itself to distance learning. Seeing the experiments on video is not a hindrance. MIT degree lectures are available online for free, or were. I watched a quite a few.

If you want some fun, watch this series of Walter Lewis lectures. It's very good.

Without an A level it won't all make sense, but you can ignore that and just enjoy the experiments.

youtube.com/playlist

Indeed, light, electromagnetism, radio, some crystallography and play with a cloud chamber (if you're allowed to do that any more).

I don't know if there' much electronics in it these days, I just had a dodgy op amp to contend with.

There are some schools that state on their websites that they offer science A levels. Gretton (Cambridge), Swalcliffe Park. I visited Gretton and they are not currently offering chemistry or physics and will only do so if there is "enough demand". What I'd like to find out is what other schools might be out there that are similar to those two, so I can investigate them.

Agreed, it's difficult. But perhaps not impossible: the school where he was able to access a class had a relatively new science block with, I think, climate control (ie air con). State sector. 

I also know that is is perfectly possible to be a professional chemist without encountering smells. Fume cupboards abound in professional labs. However I suspect that physics will be his thing - physics labs are usually not smelly.

I don't want to be negative, but A level chemistry will be hard to do with no smells. A lot of organic chemistry has strong and distinctive smells. Carbon based stuff is about half the curriculum I would guess.

I don't know if it would be possible to do from theory only. The practical element is part of it.

I think the very iintelligent suffer at school regardless of whether they're NT or ND, the system just isn't set up for them, all schools really seem to care about is exam results. It's such a waste for everyone, understimulated children can be just as disruptive in class as over stimualted ones, streaming was supposed to deal with this, but dosen't seem too, where do you go when your top of the class in the top stream? If you are diagnosed with a learning difficulty, then it seems to be assumed that it covers all areas of learning, when in fact you might be terrible at one or two subjects and brilliant at others.

I agree that presure needs to be put on government, but then that would mean having to think, spend money and change things, none of which governments seem to be very good at. Another thing I think worth mentioning is snobbery, poor or SEND kids aren't supposed to do well, middle class and rich kids are and there will be much more effort put into their underperfomance than that of children from less well off backgrounds.

Unfortunately, SEN education is largely set up for lower ability learners. It is a huge problem and leaves a large number of children and young people exactly as you say - stuck between not being able to access mainstream and being too academic for a specialist setting. I wish I had advice but I do not know your area and I know it is a problem in most areas. I can only suggest that you keep on at your local authority for an appropriate provision. I'd also recommend raising the issue with your MP. This is unlikely to fix the issue for your son but it will support other parents that are facing similar issues. Pressure needs to be put on the government to fix this issue.