FAQs

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition in which the brain works differently to others. It affects how a person makes sense of the world around them and communicates and interacts with others,

As a parent or carer, you know your child better than anyone else. If you have any concerns about development, behaviours, communication or learning abilities then it is better to try and get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

Keep a diary of your child's behaviours or areas of development that are giving you cause for concern. This can not only help as supporting evidence when trying to get a diagnosis but can also help you identify if there are any patterns to your child's difficulties.

Speak to your child's nursery or school and see if they have the same concerns. Alternatively, seek advice from your GP or Health Visitor who may be able to carry out simple assessments. If there is agreement on your concerns, ask for a referral for assessment.

To get a child assessed for autism you would need to speak with your GP and ask if they would refer your child for an assessment.

First step would be to speak with your GP – keep a diary of your concerns so you can discuss with your Dr at the appointment, it is easy to forget some key points when you are in an appointment.

Symptoms of Autism can be varied:

• Social difficulties i.e. relationships/ lack of empathy/inappropriate eye contact.

• Communication difficulties i.e. speech/facial expression/body language/eye contact.

• Inflexibility i.e. resistance to change/special interests/ritualistic behaviours.

• Sensory issues i.e. under or over sensitivity; sound/light/smell/taste/touch

• Each young person’s symptoms can be very different.

There is no check list for Autism – diagnosis is through assessment.

Speak with your GP and ask for a referral.

Once you have received a confirmed diagnosis of Autism or other learning disability, an Education, Health & Care plan is a legal document that highlights a child’s special educational needs. An assessment will be completed to identify your child’s needs and an EHCP will specify diagnosis, level of educational support needed, therapeutic support required and suggest a school.

An EHCP outlines your child’s special educational needs. It states the diagnosis, level of support, therapeutic needs and names a school placement. It is a legal document that will name a school which is able to support your child’s educational needs.

To get an EHCP, the current school or parent can request an assessment of needs from the Local Authority. A request can also be made by your child's GP, health visitors or teachers. If the Local Authority decides to carry out an assessment, you may be asked for reports in relation to your child's diagnosis, assessments from related professionals and a detailed letter addressing your child's needs.

An EHCP can take 20 weeks from when the LA agrees to issue an EHCP. There would be a lot of preparation prior to the start of the EHCP process which should be completed within 16 weeks.

A typical timeline can take: 6 weeks - for the LA to make a decision as to whether or not to carry out a statutory assessment

16 weeks - for the LA to decide whether to issue an EHCP. There is no set time limit to issue a draft EHCP

20 weeks - for the LA to finalise an EHCP

There must be grounds for an appeal – you can appeal:

• Section B - The child’s special educational needs

• Section F – The SEN provision outlined to meet the child’s educational needs

• Section I - The named school and if no school is named in section I

You will have 2 months to lodge an appeal from the date of the receipt of the final EHCP. LA will send you information on your right to appeal and mediation. You can obtain appeal forms from the SEND tribunal website.

Organisations such as IPSEA and SOSSEN are a good resource for parents to help support them through the process of securing school placements and appeals, they often offer training and workshops.

We understand that choosing the right school for your child is a difficult decision. To support this process we have parent liaison officers available who can offer further support and guidance on how we could be the right school to meet your child’s needs. We encourage you to visit our schools to meet students and staff, as well as find answers to those questions not easily answered.

To initiate the assessment process, local authorities and/or children’s services departments make formal requests for a placement. Parents should involve their local authorities at an early stage. This ensures that visits by local authority educational psychologists or other professionals can be arranged to ascertain the appropriateness of the school for each prospective student.

Referral paperwork made available by local authorities, and supporting documents such as your child's EHCP are read by members of the Senior Leadership Team and if they feel that one of our schools is able to meet the child’s needs, they will be invited to visit the school.

Throughout the admissions procedure, your child is kept at the centre of the process. We believe it is unhelpful for them to see the school before the initial assessment, as it can be a disruption or a disappointment if we ultimately feel that we are unfortunately unable to meet their needs. Sometimes this strategy is changed, however we always work in partnership with the local authority and you to determine the best way forward.

Following the assessment and review of reports, the head teacher is then able to make a decision as to whether their school is the right placement for the prospective student. The majority of students are referred and placed by their local education authorities, often supported by children’s services and their healthcare colleagues.

The inclusion of families and carers are fundamental to our approach. This starts from the initial assessment process all the way through to the transition to another school, post-16 or into independent or assisted living.

Both our day and residential schools across the UK enable us to help children remain close to their home communities through ongoing contact, reviews and meetings. We understand that entrusting your child's care with someone else may be daunting but we actively engage in initiatives that allow us to support not only your child but your family too.

Some of our schools operate an open door policy for parents, who are welcome to visit at any time; while our therapy and care teams are an important link and are available to offer practical support to parents who may be transferring strategies from school to home.

38 and 52-week placements refers to the amount of weeks child is in a residential placement. Children in 38-week placements return home during half terms and holidays, whereas children in 52-week placements reside at the school throughout the year.

A waking day curriculum means that a child is educated across all of their waking hours.

This refers to that fact that a child may need to be educated across all 'waking hours' where a residential placement is necessary.

Our therapeutic services are designed to help support the positive development of the mental health and emotional, psychological and social development of those in our care, through the understanding of a child's previous experience.

We train all staff to promote consistent good practice across the school environment and advise on how to apply these in a home setting. We also educate all staff, parents and individuals in using specific strategies and approaches, this includes enhanced communication and positive behaviour management.

A multi-discliplinary team including Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Speech & Language Therapists can provide the appropriate therapy support to reduce the frequency of challenging behaviours and enhance the quality of life for an individual with learning or communication difficulties.

If we are not able to meet your childs needs, take a look at www.isbi.com for information on other special needs schools, or contact your local SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services).

No, we do not take private candidates for individual subjects, qualifications or exams.