Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello, I have never posted on a forum before, but I am unsure about what to do next. My son is 15 and in year 11, he was diagnosed with Aspergers and anxiety in year 7, he has always been in mainstream education. He has mostly coped, his strategy is to be the invisible boy at school and would rather die than break a school rule. He has reserved his meltdowns for home. He goes to the large comprehensive school closest to our home, so he has been around the same group of kids since nursery as we found change difficult for him.
Unfortunately the 6th form of our school is selective, all along I've been told don't worry he'll get in, including by the senco. He doesn't have a statement, but the school have provided a lunch club for sen kids and he has a small group of goodfriends from this.
The problems began in February after his mock exams, his anxiety escalated and he stopped being able to go to school. He was referred to camhs and he is getting therapy and help from them. He did not return to school and so missed all the revision lessons. He has managed to go in for a few of his exams. The pressure of taking Gcse's and needing to get the right score just to stay in his school pushed him over the edge. I said he could go into the school's 5th form to retake if needed, but this leads to a complete meltdown.
He needs help with study techniques, life skills and communication.
He has a place at this 6th form and the other localcomprehensive school, but he didn't even take hisEnglish exam. Will he cope with 6th form if he gets in? Are there any special needs 6th forms, even private ones? Are there any summer schools to help with the transition process? I am looking into a learning difficulty assessment, but the senco has never heard of it!
Advice please!
Hi 2kids1dog
My experience of LDA's has been a real mixed bag. I have two on the spectrum and at two different Colleges.
It's not the LDA's content that is the problem. They can be really well written and cover all bases, however, the colleges/6th forms ability or inclination to deliver them, varies hugely. Unlike statements they are not legally binding and less scrupulous Colleges take advantage of that. One College for my son is highly proactive and supports him greatly, my other son has just been abandonded by his College with no support, some highly questionable practices and a policy of dropping students down to levels below the level comensurate with the students abilty to keep apparent 'success' grades high. Far from helping the student this only serves to demoralize them. If you contact a College/6th form find out if they have experience with LDA's. Ask other students at these colleges or their parents how well they feel their LDA's support their needs and if they are being fully honoured.
My son had a similar meltdown during his GCSE's, but by the time the Targeted Youth worker became involved it was too late. His input was fairly mininmal to say the least. Very often these strategies have to be parent driven. You may need to ask your current SENCO for transition days to the 6th form and additional support, although you may not have much time left now.
Preparation is key, even if it means he has to stay back a year. (Although this can be very demoralizing for some.)
It's my understanding that functional skills. (Math eng etc) are very often carried forward if not achieved at a C Grade in School so it may be that he can move on without his English. The only problem my sons experience with that, is that they are also profoundly Dyslexic, so they may have to keep retaking the Exam Over and Over. My sons on his 4th attempt now. Equally demoralizing.
It's very common to reach overload the higher up the academic ladder one climbs. Having startegies in place to ease stress levels is important. If he goes to college get them to consider letting him do less. My son was due to take 4 AS levels and drop 1, but has sat three and done his Eng GCSE resit instead. It's about what is manageble for him. The upside of course, is that he gets to study what he wants rather than whats compulsory.
As for his life skills, I totally agree that following them through is the right thing. My boys suffer greatly with money management and i'm desparate to get them on a tailored budgeting skills course or something similar, but keep being told by our Autism Centre that their is no funding and they will have to wait until they are 18 and under adult services. I'd happily pay privately if i could, but the Autism Centre don't seem open to this level of independance which is frustrating. This is not helpful when you want your child to have as many independance skills as possible. If this is an area your son struggles with, NAS do a good book on money matters to help, but your son has to be receptive to sitting with you to learn and it sounds like he's stressed enough right now.
I'm not sure what area you live, but you may have services close to you that can advise further. Sorry I can't help more. Hope it all goes well.
Regards
Coogybear xx