KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Dear mummies with special needs children,

If after trying mainstream school for a while and you have decided to pull him out for whatever reasons, what would be the alternative school choices you have for your child?

Please come in and share, especially parents who have walked in this shoe before.

Most grateful.

luvmum wrote:Dear mummies with special needs children,

If after trying mainstream school for a while and you have decided to pull him out for whatever reasons, what would be the alternative school choices you have for your child?

Please come in and share, especially parents who have walked in this shoe before.

Most grateful.

What are the special needs? How severe? How old is the child? For kids with ASD, Pathlight may be an option. Other possibilities, depending on age, ability and suitability, could be homeschooling or online/internet school.

My son was in mainstream school until this year. He'll be moving out to Pathlight next year. I'm still not sure what will be the outcome of my decision. Am I making a correct decision? Perhaps I could share with you more in the future.

luvmum wrote: what would be the alternative school choices you have for your child?

Starting from Primary school

First, I'll look for other mainstream school with better support. I heard about St. Andrew & Naval Base, however I don't go to this path because of long waiting list or distance.

Second, I look for special school that teaches mainstream curriculums such as Pathlight. My goal is to prepare solid foundation (such as social skills, organisation skills etc - focus more on EQ) for my son so he could eventually go to the mainstream secondary school.

Third & my last choice, I'll look for special school that teaches my son independent skills.

Continue the journey to Secondary schools

The following applies only for my first & second choice:

First, mainstream secondary schools.

Second, Pathlight secondary schools.

Third, specialist schools such as SOTA.

Continue the journey after Secondary schools

NS (National Service)

After NS (National Service)

No plan yet. Let nature take its course.

[quote="botakgundul"]My son was in mainstream school until this year. He'll be moving out to Pathlight next year. I'm still not sure what will be the outcome of my decision. Am I making a correct decision? Perhaps I could share with you more in the future.

Thank you for your sharing, that is very constructive. If my son is able to enter pathlight in the first place, I will not opt for mainstream school. However, because he is not ASD, there is no chance at all. I did try appealing. My son is definitely more suited for a low teacher student ratio and a slower pace learning environment.

While he was in preschool, he attended both...mainstream kindy and special school to hone the skills that he was deficit in. Now that he will be entering pri school next yr, I'm still sourcing for alternatives as I am preparing the worst to happen. As mother we know best! I can't think of any other schools that offer mainstream curriculum that he can fall on. The next best alternative I can think of is international school but the cost is simply exhorbitant...

luvmum wrote: Thank you for your sharing, that is very constructive.

No worries. Glad to share.

luvmum wrote: The next best alternative I can think of is international school but the cost is simply exhorbitant..

I ever think on this option, but my proposal was rejected by my hubby due to cost.

luvmum wrote: My son is definitely more suited for a low teacher student ratio and a slower pace learning environment.

While he was in preschool, he attended both...mainstream kindy and special school to hone the skills that he was deficit in. Now that he will be entering pri school next yr, I'm still sourcing for alternatives as I am preparing the worst to happen.

Have you considered home schooling? It was mentioned by slmkhoo.

I'm not sure on the cost, however I think it's cheaper than enrolling your son to international school.

You may refer to the following link to get more information about home schooling:
http://singaporehomeschooling.com/

My advice:
You may let your son enter the mainstream school. Give him a chance to experience it and observe closely. Lower down your expectation. Academic result is not everything.

The most important thing is...your son happiness. If he's happy attending the school and has friends, then you already have the answer.

Good luck!

Luvmum, what are your son's issues? How severe are they? Is there no way he can cope with mainstream? I would generally prefer mainstream if possible.

slmkhoo wrote:Luvmum, what are your son's issues? How severe are they? Is there no way he can cope with mainstream? I would generally prefer mainstream if possible.

I think no mother would like to source for alternative if the child fits in nicely in mainstream school. That is the 'normal' path taken by all if not majority. No one likes to be in the minority group but this route is something that is certainly not a choice that we can make.

My advice:
You may let your son enter the mainstream school. Give him a chance to experience it and observe closely. Lower down your expectation. Academic result is not everything.

The most important thing is...your son happiness. If he's happy attending the school and has friends, then you already have the answer.

Good luck![/quote]

I like your advice and will heed it. Yes, homeschooling is certainly the route to be taken if interntional school proves to be tough for us to manage financialy.

luvmum

My doter is going to PL so I don't have first hand experience on what to do in your situation.

But if I may, my next best option could be to look for a suitable mainstream school that offers acceptable support for the child. As far as I know, there are some neighbourhood schools that are nurturing and offer good support, and they are usually still available at phase 2C. I may then not consider distance as a primary factor in this instance given my options.

My doter's EIPIC center was quite a distance from where we stay. But because our primary consideration was the EIPIC program for her, we went ahead but we had to work out our logistics. It was not very easy during the two years but we told ourselves we would manage it and we did.

JMHO. Hope this helps.

luvmum wrote:

slmkhoo wrote:Luvmum, what are your son's issues? How severe are they? Is there no way he can cope with mainstream? I would generally prefer mainstream if possible.

I think no mother would like to source for alternative if the child fits in nicely in mainstream school. That is the 'normal' path taken by all if not majority. No one likes to be in the minority group but this route is something that is certainly not a choice that we can make.

Kids with issues are unlikely to fit 'nicely' in mainstream, I think. There are always going to be some tough bits to overcome or get around or accept. My experience with a daughter in mainstream (now 16yo) has been a series of ups and downs, and constantly finding ways of coping along the way and wondering how long we can last! Even international school, though possibly an easier route than Singapore school, will not always been smooth. If you could give more details about what you anticipate to be your son's difficulties, you might be able to get some specific suggestions from other parents here.