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What/how to choose? Mainstream/ASD Unit/Special School

Octsmum

Oh dear.  We are looking for advice and opinions on the different types of school setting available to our son.  Our 7 yr old with high functioning autism has transferred from his mainstream infant school to the juniors and is not happy with the change.  The jump from infants to juniors is significant in terms of the way they work and he is taking his time to settle.  Personally, I feel it is all about him being allowed to take his time, but his behaviour has led the school and the educational psychologist working for the LEA to feel that he would be better off in a mainstream school with an ASD unit. 

The school has been great, and they have a track record for being very inclusive in their approach - there are other children with ASDs further along the school.  I feel more than a little disappointed that they are considering admitting defeat so soon - only a few weeks into the schoool year.

I have seen another post with a fabulous response listing the pros and cons of each type of setting, and we have already thought of most of the points listed there.  We are less worried about our son's academic progress than about him feeling that it is possible for him to move within NT circles comfortably and with minimal/no anxiety.  Our feelings have been complicated by reports that there are adults with autism who would not advise parents to send their ASD kids to special schools.  I am guessing/hoping that their experiences are out of date, since professionals' understanding of autism and how best to educate children with autism has improved.

We would welcome opinions on this subject from parents/carers and particularly from anyone with autism who has had experience of the various types of school setting.

Thanks!

Parents

  • Hello. I have been left with very mixed feelings about my son's education.  He struggled at the age of 7/8 too and was permanently excluded from his school.  Then we got him into a mainstream school with an autism resource attached (he has asperger's syndrome) where he was happy and did well, briefly coming to terms with his diagnosis.  But the resource at the high school he went to afterwards was a difficult experience for him. He attended mainstream for most of his classes where his mainstream peers were mainly friendly but children of all ages were winding him up at break and calling him a retard etc. He was still fighting and having tantrums until he was 14 or 15. He is very intelligent and is now at college but he hides his diagnosis from his peers and turns down all support because he feels so stigmatised.  I think if his primary/junior school had been more supportive and had not excluded him he might have been happier in mainstream but his behaviour was bizarre and sometimes aggressive so perhaps this would not have worked either and he still would have been unhappy. He says himself that he feels he is not very far on the spectrum and could have managed.  I am not at all sure this is right but he has been left feeling very stigmatised.  I am afraid this is not much help to you as we cant know if he would have coped at all without the support of the resources he went to, but his own view is that it did more harm than good.

Reply

  • Hello. I have been left with very mixed feelings about my son's education.  He struggled at the age of 7/8 too and was permanently excluded from his school.  Then we got him into a mainstream school with an autism resource attached (he has asperger's syndrome) where he was happy and did well, briefly coming to terms with his diagnosis.  But the resource at the high school he went to afterwards was a difficult experience for him. He attended mainstream for most of his classes where his mainstream peers were mainly friendly but children of all ages were winding him up at break and calling him a retard etc. He was still fighting and having tantrums until he was 14 or 15. He is very intelligent and is now at college but he hides his diagnosis from his peers and turns down all support because he feels so stigmatised.  I think if his primary/junior school had been more supportive and had not excluded him he might have been happier in mainstream but his behaviour was bizarre and sometimes aggressive so perhaps this would not have worked either and he still would have been unhappy. He says himself that he feels he is not very far on the spectrum and could have managed.  I am not at all sure this is right but he has been left feeling very stigmatised.  I am afraid this is not much help to you as we cant know if he would have coped at all without the support of the resources he went to, but his own view is that it did more harm than good.

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