Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group

On Leaving School - What Next?

The question of what does a CDCS child do when they leave the educational system at 19 years or younger is a major source of worry for most parents. On leaving school, all children will be given a Disabled Persons Assessment (DPA) which is astatement of their needs and requirements which will go with them. You should be encouraged to look at the different options available to you (the range of options will, of course, depend upon the local authority in which you live) well before your child leaves school. You may also find it useful to contact Social Services or a special needs careers advisor on what is available. It is important that you feel comfortable about the final decision and you may want to visit a number of different centres (day or residential) before choosing the most appropriate for your child. Looking first at day centres, these can offer a range of specialist training to help develop communication skills, work skills, and self-help skills. Many centres will also have programmes that involve developing community skills such as shopping, dealing with money, preparing for paid employment and may also offer college courses specifically designed for children with learning disability. Some centres even offer specialist therapies such as music therapy which may work well with a CDCS young adult. A residential centre may also be an option. It has many of the advantages that a day centre can offer and its grounds may also be extensive enough to provide an on-site workshop or farm. Parents can decide how often their child will visit home although many CDCS young adults will find it difficult emotionally to return back to the centre after each home visit and you may need to devise a system whereby your child knows how long it is before they visit home again. As within the school environment, it is essential that the young CDCS adult mixes well with his or her own age group and continues to develop age-appropriate skills. You may also need to push to ensure that adequate one to one support is provided and that Makaton is available and used within the centre.