College refusal (sorry this is long)

Hi,

I am sure there must be hundreds of threads similar to mine.  However, I really need some advice.  My 16 year old son (undiagnosed ASD but diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder) stopped attending school in Year Nine.  We struggled to help him access home education via a tutor provided by the LA and, during the final two terms of Year 11, he was accessing one to one tuition at a PRU.

My son sat GCSE English and Maths (to his credit) and came out with grade '2' maths and grade '3' English. He also passed a Level One Functional Skills in English.  Considering the fact that he had only attended four hours of tuition a week, I think his results reflect his potential to learn in the right environment.

He could not decide what he wanted to do after leaving school.  He refused to attend several college interviews in subjects related to his interest and would not have the grades for others.  Eventually, he attended an interview for an Entry Level Preparation for Work course which was suggested a few days before the start of college and he accepted the offer of a place.

My son has an EHCP which stipulates the need for a long and gradual transition into a new environment and for a low-arousal environment.  Transition was not possible because the placement was provided so close to the start of term.

He started college and attended the first two half days.  He said little about the course, but he mentioned two or three of the young people in his class by name, so I assumed that he may be making friends.   The third day was a full day and my son refused to attend, despite my best efforts.  We discussed what might help him attend and he said he was worried about lunch time and where he would go; he felt he could not eat unless he exercised and therefore a long day would mean he was enormously hungry and he had not had a full day in education for years.  We took out a subscription for a local gym so he could go there at lunchtime and I helped him to sort out a healthy packed lunch he could take on his long days.  I then contacted the Learning Support Manager and explained what strategies we had put in place and how the college could help by being patient with my son and maybe directing him to the learning centre where he could spend his breaks and so on.

The next day was a half day and he attended.  However, when I came to collect my son, his tutor met me and said he was not participating or engaging with the course and that he needed to do so.   I was a little surprised that participation and engagement were being mentioned so early in the course, but I told the tutor that  I was sure things would improve.  My son was present in this conversation.

We had a quiet weekend and I got everything prepared for Monday (another long day).  However, my son refused adamantly to go.  I managed to get him into college to talk to the Learning Support Manager to see if any additional support could be arranged.   After a talk, my son agreed to go to class with the manager.  However, he bolted across the car park when they stepped outside the building and ran home.  Tuesday was a blatant refusal and on Wednesday we were asked to attend a meeting in which my son said he did not like the course and he would not attend and the college said they had no alternative courses for him and he should hand in his badge, leave the course and leave the college.

I spoke out as calmly as I could, stressing that this was only the second week of term and they were excluding my son from attending because  ... he did not attend.  However the college said we should go back to the Assessment and Review officer and seek another placement.

We have a meeting this Friday with the Assessment and Review Officer and I have made enquiries about another course, but it is at a college 15 miles away.  I do not drive and my son is unlikely to get in a taxi on his own.  My son says he will get a job, but we arranged a trial day at a car wash and he was too anxious to attend.

Has anyone any advice how we can move this situation forward?  My son has an older brother who is currently in a residential placement for individuals with mental illness.  My eldest son's problems were made worse by his reclusive habits and lack of occupation.  The local authority did very little to help my eldest with respect to education or training opportunities.  I am scared that my youngest is going to repeat his brother's history.