Schools for children with special needs (ASD)

[kevmurf]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post.

 

We are moving out to Adelaide in the relatively near future. I'm going to be working in Golden Grove so we were were thinking of settling somewhere in east/northeast Adelaide. This will be dictated by schools essentially.

 

My 3 year old daughter is autistic (she is an Australian citizen, so all the immigration stuff is already looked into and she is entitled to live in Australia).

 

We are very keen to try to find out some information about what the support is like for ASD kids in schools in Adelaide. Are there any schools/pre-schools in particular which people have had good experiences with? We are very keen to have her (at least eventually) attend a mainstream school with the support of a shadow initially. Does anybody on here have any experience of this? We are doing a home based behavioural program here in the UK (ABA) and will continue this in Adelaide. Ideally we would like to use one of our tutors as a shadow when she gets into the school setting.

 

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. This whole issue is our greatest anxiety regarding the move.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Kevin

[NicF]

I don't have any personal experience but I do know there is a kid with Aspergers in my son's class at school. My son is 12 and in year 6 and as far as I am aware the kid has been at the school since reception and the school seem to do really well with him. I know they have had a few more difficulties recently, which apparently happens as kids with Aspergers start to hit puberty, but the school, have sought advice and have been able to take the boy back in to class with some extra help. I don't know exactly what help he gets but he is able to be part of the mainstream school.

 

My OH's nephew has a son with ASD who is just about to start school. They live out in one of the western suburbs and I know they are sending there son to a private school because they didn't feel the local state primary would be a good setting for him. I think a lot of how much support you get depends a lot on the school, although I think it was more about the general environment and attitude of the other kids for my OH's nephew. Once you identity a school or two that might be okay I would speak to the school and see what they say. Good luck with it all.

[kevmurf]

Thanks Nic. I see you are listed as living in Rostrevor. We are looking at that area as a potential area to live, as it's in between Golden Grove and Unley Park, where my daughter's intervention providers are based.

 

Would you be able to recommend any good nurseries/primary schools in the area? Do you like living there? We are happy to consider privately educating our kids. We also have another 'typically developing' daughter who will be 6 when we move. We'd like them to attend the same school if possible.

 

Thanks.

 

Kevin

[tina&steve]

My asd son goes to golden grove primary school and they are great with children with additional needs. My son as Aspergers, what are you daughters needs? I work for the dept of education and most early years and school are well up with asd, more so than the UK (that's what I've seen anyway). As she is under 7 she will get extra funding from the government that will help with her day to day needs. If you need any more help and advice pm me as I don't come on here to often

 

Tina

[NicF]

Thanks Nic. I see you are listed as living in Rostrevor. We are looking at that area as a potential area to live, as it's in between Golden Grove and Unley Park, where my daughter's intervention providers are based.

 

Would you be able to recommend any good nurseries/primary schools in the area? Do you like living there? We are happy to consider privately educating our kids. We also have another 'typically developing' daughter who will be 6 when we move. We'd like them to attend the same school if possible.

 

Thanks.

 

Kevin

 

I love Rostrevor for lots of reasons, but I would have thought it's a bit of a trek from Golden Grove. My kids go to Stradbroke primary which is right in the centre of Rostrevor and we've been very happy with it so far. If you live on the right side of the creek it's also in the zone for Norwood Morialta senior school, which is a good school but it's a while before you need to worry about that. There is a kindy near the school as well but we moved over just last year when my kids were 7 and 11 so I have no idea what the kindy is like. I do ow the out of hours school care take kids from the kindy if that is going to be a consideration for you.

[kevmurf]

The online routeplanner puts the drive from Rostrevor to Golden Grove at 25minutes. Do you think that this is realistic Nic. My daughter will have a therapy provider based in Unley Park, so we were looking at somewhere between the two...

[NicF]

The online routeplanner puts the drive from Rostrevor to Golden Grove at 25minutes. Do you think that this is realistic Nic. My daughter will have a therapy provider based in Unley Park, so we were looking at somewhere between the two...

 

I have no idea if 25 minutes is realistic or not to be honest. It just feels like it would be a bit of a trek to me. My sister in law lives in Fairview Park and that normally takes about 20 minutes, although on a bad day it can be longer and, if we have a good run with the lights, we can do it a bit quicker. I suppose it depends on where you are in Rostrevor, where you are going to in Golden Grove, what route you take and what time of day your travelling. You would be going in the opposite direction to the general traffic so it probably wouldn't be too bad. I think the best thing is wait until you get here and give it a try at the time of day you would be travelling. I mostly travel to the city on a bus during the week so I don't really know what the traffic is like going up that way.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

If you were thinking you did want to go down a special school route (or for anyone else looking into this subject really) there is an ASD specific school trying to be set up at the moment - I think they are planning on opening in 2014, but don't know huge amounts about it as the lady hasn't gotten back to me unfortunately

 

Its called 'Treetops' and is trying to get enough enrolled students at the moment so that DECD will let them set it up - its proposed that its an ASD setting school, not nec. for those with low functioning ASD only but for those with high functioning as well, but whom parents think would florish more in a specific low sensory etc setting.

 

They have a FB page, but I can't seem to find out huge amounts more other than that at the moment - there was a piece in the paper - http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/parents-of-autistic-children-start-new-independent-treetop-autism-specific-school-in-south-australia/story-e6frea83-1226472968905

 

And some info on the disability info and resources website - http://www.dircsa.org.au/blog/treetop-autism-specific-school/

 

HTH you or anyone else with ASD interests