Excluded from mainstream school

[Sarah-Lee]

Hi folks I'm new here & wanted help supporting my sister who has an adopted son with Fasd he has just been excluded from mainstream school because of his behaviour he has just gone to senior school and becoming very abusive towards his mum. I'm worried for them both as he is getting older . I just want to help & support them both as she is a single parent and struggling with his behaviour. Any advise would be appreciated

[StrawberryCream]

My adopted son has not been diagnosed yet as still in that process but it is most likely he has FASD. He will be going to secondary school September 2017. I have big concerns as to how he will manage that. And likewise in the past couple of years his verbal abuse to me has escalated and is very difficult to cope with and I worry about that when he hits purberty/teenage. He doesn't comprehend how his behaviour causes the problems that he then verbally abuses me about which I think amongst other problems is typical FASD.

[dianakitten15]

Hi there,

It is really important that your nephew's needs are adequately supported in school.

Children with FASD do not always function well in Mainstream schools as the environment is too overwhelming for them (on a sensory level) and they struggle with the pace of learning and the unstructured times. From Yr 3 onwards, their difficulties increase as they have difficulties grasping abstract concepts and increasingly they are meant to be doing more individual and independent learning, which is very hard for them. Therefore, their anxieties increase and they become overwhelmed and this is when you see the aggressive behaviours being taken out on mum, who unfortunately has not been party to what the child has been struggling with in school. So mum is completely taken aback and baffled by this level of behaviour, which of course, is very difficult to deal with in a home environment. In fact, it takes lots of specialist support to help these children, so no wonder your sister is struggling.

The subsequent step up to Senior School is collosal, and the child simply cannot cope.

What your sister needs to do is to speak to the School SENCO (Special Needs Coordinator) and request an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) for her son (formerly called a statement). This document will pull together all the physical, mental and behavioural problems regarding her son, including all diagnoses and assessment reports (usually from Speech and Language, occupational therapy (for a sensory profile etc). Not only does the EHCP help to identify and support your nephew's needs, but it will provide the funding for a special school, which is really where he needs to be.

Tell your sister not to worry - but to take action instead. Special schools also provide the specialist support and assistance that your sister needs. Start this process right away as the EHCP takes time to complete.

I hope this helps.