From preschool to elementary school
Choosing a school for your kid can be very stressful. You always dwell on the pros and cons, trying to find the perfect school for your child. In the case of autism, it’s even more complicated because you have to think about every little aspect that could help your child to flourish.
Therefore, in this article, we present the available solutions and some tips on how to make the best choice. We will cover factors such as support given by the teachers and staff, inclusion, individual attention, personalized curriculum, etc.
In terms of options, there are four main types of schooling:
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Mainstream schools (private or public) The most common ones are mainstream schools. It’s the most economical option, and usually, there is one in each area. Unfortunately, it seems like most mainstream schools are not fully prepared for the autistic population. The classes tend to be too big for the kid to receive proper attention, the staff is not well informed about ASD characteristics, and a lot of the time, the staff can be very inflexible in changing their habits to accommodate the child’s needs. One other concern about mainstream schools is the incompatibility between the school program and the kid’s learning style. The teachers couldn’t understand the uneven cognitive profile (a kid can be very good at Math and be really bad at English, for example). It also seems like the teachers and the school personnel aren’t very receptive to the parents’ tips and advice on how to approach their kid’s education (Kurth et al., 2020). Frequently, there is a speech and language therapist, and in some cases, a general applied behavior analyst and/or an occupational therapist. The problem is that it is not uncommon to have little to no communication between these professionals, teachers, and staff. However, not everything is negative. In certain cases, kids have a lot of one-on-one work with a speech and language therapist and share only a few common spaces with neurotypical kids, like the playground or the school cafeteria (Jindal-Snape et al., 2005). There are also programs like the 504 plan and individualized educational programs (IEP) that tailor the educational experience to the child’s needs.
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Specialist schools These schools tend to be the best option, especially for more severe cases. These schools can accommodate all types of neurodiverse kids; some of them are strictly directed towards autism. In specialist schools, the staff is properly trained, there is an individual curriculum tailored to the children’s needs, the classes tend to be smaller, and there is more individual attention given to kids since the kids-to-dedicated staff ratio is closer to 1:1 (Satherley & Norwich, 2022).
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Split placement In this type of education, students split their week into different types of schools, either mainstream schools, specialist schools, or homeschooling. It’s a good way to guarantee they have more individualized education and can still socialize with neurotypical children.
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Homeschooling This one is a bit controversial, but mothers report preferring this type of education because of the problems the kids experience at school. From learning difficulties to social exclusion, and in extreme cases, bullying, it seems like it’s a protective measure. Mothers report that after leaving mainstream school, their children increased their confidence levels, well-being, and social skills. A parent said that when his kid got home from school, he would throw his bag and start screaming because of the stress. Another positive is the increased flexibility; if the kid is stressed, they can give him some time alone or even the day off. The downside is the lack of time for themselves. The mothers spend a lot of time with the kids, searching for materials to keep them engaged, and it’s hard to have some alone time (Kidd & Kaczmarek, 2010).
Pros and cons
To make it simpler:
| Type of school | Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream school |
- Free (if public) - Some services available - IEP and 504 plan (in certain cases) |
- Bigger classes - Lack of knowledge from teachers and staff |
| Specialist school |
- Smaller classes - Personalized education - Communication between professionals, staff, and teachers |
- More expensive (depends on the school) |
| Homeschooling |
- Low cost - More individualized attention - Individualized curriculum |
- More stressful for the parent - It’s basically a full-time unpaid job |
We didn’t include split placement because it depends on the contexts the kid is inserted into.
*Note that this is very general, and every school is different.
How to choose a school?
This is not a straightforward question, since it depends on where your kid is placed on the spectrum. If the child is in the more severe part of the spectrum, it can be hard to receive optimized learning in a mainstream setting, while a kid with few autistic characteristics doesn’t need as much attention and a few minor tweaks may be enough to thrive in normal schools.
Even though choosing a school is not an easy decision, we leave some tips, some of them taken from this guide made by Derbyshire Information Advice & Support Service for SEND.
The first step is looking at their website: research about staff, school structure, curriculum, and others. Reading some reviews and trying to find someone who had a kid in that school who can provide some feedback can be very helpful too.
The second step would be to go to the school itself. Usually, there are open days, tours, and private visits to check the school. It is a good idea to bring someone else to gather information together and talk about it afterward.
From all the information you gathered, you should ask yourself some questions and the staff to really see if the school can guarantee your kid quality education.
Questions to ask:
- Will the school develop a pupil profile for my child stating their strengths, interests, and needs?
- Has the school named a person responsible for children with autism?
- Does the school help children with autism with life skills?
- Does the school make adjustments to how lessons are taught for children with autism?
- Has the school created structured break and lunchtime activities for children with autism?
These are just some examples we took from the guide mentioned above. There are more great questions in there, in case you don’t know where to start.
Conclusion
In summary, choosing the right school for a child on the spectrum is not a simple process. Mainstream schools may lack adequate support, while specialist schools offer tailored approaches but are more costly. There are also other alternatives such as split placement and homeschooling. In the end, it comes down to a mix of factors: your child’s characteristics, the resources provided by the school, location, your personal preference, and others.
Be mindful
Sit in a comfortable position or lie down. Bring your awareness to your breath, take three deep breaths, and ask yourself:
- Does my kid have all he/she needs to fulfill his potential at school?
- Could I suggest some minor changes to the school to provide a better environment for my kid?
