Study at a mainstream school?

Advantages include:

1. Accessibility, closer to home
2. Normal role models and better integration into the ‘real’ world

Disadvantages include:

1. Lack of specialist expertise about autism – possibility of child achieving less progress than s/he would have through special education
2. Harsher environment perhaps – child may be more vulnerable to bullying

Other considerations:

1. Size of the school – often the larger the school, the more challenging the environment and the less flexible it can be
2. Discipline policy of school – how strict is the school’s discipline code? If the child displays difficult behaviour, how far will the teachers and administrators understand?
3. Stand towards bullying – what preventative measures will the school take to protect the child from bullying?
4. Special Needs staff – how many are they and how do they operate?
5. Training – what kind of support and training will the staff receive to help them cope with the child?
6. Social skills training – does the school include this in its curriculum?
7. School-parent relations – what is the school’s policy on communication and working with parents?