[senco-forum] ASperger's and worry about Year 7

Hi Janice
  We have just transferred a boy into Year 7, apparently successfully.

  I showed parents around my school and talked to them about him before they made up their mind.
  Once they had decided, I liaised with his primary school (which happens to be out of our catchment area) and went to the Year 6 annual review.  (I know you are supposed to name the school at the Year 5 review but for some reason it didn't happen or his parents decided the original school wasn'tthe right one)  It was clear to me that he was not going to manage with the 20 hours he had and he needed full time in lessons which is 25 hours.
  I showed him round our school with his parents and looked at his reactions, especially when he met groups of children.
  We had a meeting between me, his parents, the Advisory Teacher for ASD to devise a transition plan and to decide if we needed to ask for more support.  I wrote the request and the Advisory Teacher wrote that he agreed.  It was (first and only time) granted at the first time of asking!  And I am so pleased that we did because he is coping well, though his ideosyncracies are causing us some concerns.
  He came up for the usual morning introduction and the whole day 'Science and Design getting-to-know-you' activity.  His TA from primary school came as well.  His lead TA from my school also worked with him on both days.  Other TAs who work with him took his primary school TA away to the staffroom and chatted about how to get the best out of him.
  I consulted his parents about whether he needed more visits.
  I sent his timetable home before the summer holiday.  He could also look at pictures of the school on our website so he could visualise it.

  I collected him on the first day of term from his mother, sat him down with his tutor group, told him his TA would be with him and have just watched him gradually learn to manage.  I have a meeting tomorrow with his parents and the Advisory Teacher for ASD where we can sit around and say how well he is doing - I always have this set up before  the summer so we don't have to call a meeting if it is not running smoothly because that is negative.  

  I hope this helps.  If I have learned one thing about kids with ASD over the years it is that they are all different!  How well they cope depends much more on personality than ASD.  If he is worrying about it already, I'd say to get him to visit you, tell him about your school 'rules' and let him know that you will be following what he does in primary school as well!  If he thinks that the 'rule' is that he has to behave in primary school because you expect him to behave, with a bit of luck he will manage to be good!

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

WrayJanice Wray <jwwray14 at hotmail.com> wrote:

A lad in Year 6 with a statement for Asperger's syndrome came to see me on the open evening - he'll be coming to us next september but is alwready worrying about it and it is affeting his behaviour at primary school.
I will ask the EP etc but wonder if anyone out there had experience of how to assist transition for such a lad. 
He has 20+ hours of TA support apparently including playtimes.
I'd like to help calm his fearsJanice WraySecondary SENCO, Herts
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Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall