13/03/2025
We see this all too much and have to say we completely agree with the statement below ❤️
What Happens if Your Child is Too ‘Special’ for Mainstream School but Not ‘Special’ Enough for a Specialist Placement?
Where does your child fit if mainstream school isn’t meeting their needs, but they don’t qualify for a specialist placement?
This is the difficult reality for many families navigating the education system. A child may struggle in mainstream settings—perhaps due to autism, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing issues, or anxiety—yet not meet the strict criteria for a specialist school. They are caught in the gap: too ‘special’ for one, not ‘special’ enough for the other.
The consequences can be serious. In mainstream schools, these children may face constant overwhelm, leading to anxiety, meltdowns, disengagement, or behavioural issues. They may be bright but unable to thrive in a rigid, fast-paced environment that doesn’t accommodate their learning style or sensory needs. Teachers, stretched thin by large class sizes and limited resources, may struggle to provide the individual support they require.
Meanwhile, specialist placements—designed for children with more profound needs—often have strict entry criteria. If a child is verbal, academically able, or doesn’t display severe behavioural difficulties, they may not ‘qualify’, even if they can’t cope in mainstream education. Parents are left fighting for assessments, diagnoses, and support, only to be told their child isn’t ‘struggling enough’ to warrant additional help.
So, what happens?
Too often, these children fall through the cracks. They may mask their struggles until they reach burnout. They may be labelled as ‘naughty’ or ‘lazy’ rather than recognised as needing adjustments. Some end up in part-time timetables, excluded, or withdrawn from school entirely because the system simply doesn’t work for them.
Parents, meanwhile, are left exhausted—battling for support, attending endless meetings, and being told to ‘wait and see’ while their child’s confidence and well-being suffer. Some turn to homeschooling, not because they want to, but because they have no other choice. Others try alternative settings such as forest schools, online learning, or private tutors—if they can afford it.
So how do we bridge this gap?
There needs to be more flexible education models—hybrid schooling, smaller nurture units, or better-supported mainstream inclusion. More schools need the training, funding, and willingness to adapt their approach so that children who don’t fit a rigid system aren’t left behind. Parents need to be listened to, not treated as obstacles for advocating for their child’s needs.
Most importantly, we need to stop categorising children as ‘special enough’ or ‘not special enough’. Every child deserves an education where they feel safe, valued, and able to learn in a way that works for them.
