ADD
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kenyancowgirl
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Re: ADD
And that is the danger of self diagnosis....
Someone made a point upthread that sometimes having a diagnosis gives an excuse - this may help other people understand the behaviour or it may make the behaviour worse as people, parents included, and the child themselves, "excuse" their bad behaviour. It is not always a good thing.
I was trained (working under a Registered Psychological Service) to screen for autistic spectrum disorders and I can tell you that every single boy - and most children in general - I have ever come across shows some asd behaviours at some level or another. Without experience (ie someone self diagnosing) this could lead to the belief that there is a major issue - when in reality, there is none. Self diagnosis should never be accepted by educational professionals - by all means use it as a tool to explore further, but otherwise seek out a professional in your area, stroudydad. Your local GP is likely to have people they have worked with - most likely at a cost as many are private - but, you do need to ask yourself, if you get a diagnosis, will there be support then available, (remember this is usually only for the very worst cases) or will you just have a child with a diagnosis. Sadly, in my experience, it is, more often than not, the former.
edited for appalling grammar and spelling errors - there may be some less appalling ones still there!!
Someone made a point upthread that sometimes having a diagnosis gives an excuse - this may help other people understand the behaviour or it may make the behaviour worse as people, parents included, and the child themselves, "excuse" their bad behaviour. It is not always a good thing.
I was trained (working under a Registered Psychological Service) to screen for autistic spectrum disorders and I can tell you that every single boy - and most children in general - I have ever come across shows some asd behaviours at some level or another. Without experience (ie someone self diagnosing) this could lead to the belief that there is a major issue - when in reality, there is none. Self diagnosis should never be accepted by educational professionals - by all means use it as a tool to explore further, but otherwise seek out a professional in your area, stroudydad. Your local GP is likely to have people they have worked with - most likely at a cost as many are private - but, you do need to ask yourself, if you get a diagnosis, will there be support then available, (remember this is usually only for the very worst cases) or will you just have a child with a diagnosis. Sadly, in my experience, it is, more often than not, the former.
edited for appalling grammar and spelling errors - there may be some less appalling ones still there!!
Re: ADD
ASD is a spectrum and I believe it is thought that everyone is on it somewhere; most people fall in the lower end which does not impact their lives significantly.
You really don't have an alternative other than to go for a formal diagnosis is you want to access support or exam adjustments.
You really don't have an alternative other than to go for a formal diagnosis is you want to access support or exam adjustments.
Re: ADD
And that is why you need to understand before you start out what the "support" and exam adjustments might be at the various stages of one's offspring's life before going to the trouble (and possible expense) of getting a diagnosis.
There is some info on the NHS website about the diagnosis process --- but I think it is maybe superceded by the practical stumbling blocks that a ?GP? mentioned upthread?
I still find the whole diagnosis process (for ASD, ADD and ADHD) very baffling as it seems to depend highly on what others report about the child - and it's a very grey line even if one takes all the "evidence" as read whether it is or is not ADD/ADHD. Also, CAMSH services nationwide seem to be having difficulty finding the time to see children who are in quite urgent need of seeing them e.g. with severe depression or compulsions, eating problems, symptoms which keep them off school which could be undiagnosed medical stuff or somatisation (e.g. stomach ache, nausea, vomiting etc).
I presume, Stroudydad, that your son will not need a diagnosis in order to receive any necessary adjustments in the KS2 tests -- school will already know what he needs and be able to provide it whether or not CAMSH could possibly come up with a diagnosis in time.
There is some info on the NHS website about the diagnosis process --- but I think it is maybe superceded by the practical stumbling blocks that a ?GP? mentioned upthread?
I still find the whole diagnosis process (for ASD, ADD and ADHD) very baffling as it seems to depend highly on what others report about the child - and it's a very grey line even if one takes all the "evidence" as read whether it is or is not ADD/ADHD. Also, CAMSH services nationwide seem to be having difficulty finding the time to see children who are in quite urgent need of seeing them e.g. with severe depression or compulsions, eating problems, symptoms which keep them off school which could be undiagnosed medical stuff or somatisation (e.g. stomach ache, nausea, vomiting etc).
I presume, Stroudydad, that your son will not need a diagnosis in order to receive any necessary adjustments in the KS2 tests -- school will already know what he needs and be able to provide it whether or not CAMSH could possibly come up with a diagnosis in time.
Re: ADD
First thing to do is to see if the school will accept that there are issues and put him on the SEN Register - ie put him on "SEN Support" which is the first level of help available. Often this help amounts to very little, but if your school will not even help you at that stage, you'll struggle to get any further.
Our school always said "too able to qualify for help". They said he was uncooperative; suggested it was our parenting which was at fault and provided little help. I wasn't happy with that and we went down the diagnosis route. It's been a bit of a slog and when the school is not very SEN aware, it can seem like a waste of time. As you have found, the single biggest thing is having a good teacher. The SEN "label" is back up for when you have to bludgeon them into providing help in those years when the teacher is not so good....
By contrast a friend's son - diagnosis and on EHCP all primary school where he did really well - started secondary and it's all gone a bit wrong. While you may have had to battle away educating one teacher on your child's particular foibles and how to manage them, it's just not feasible with multiple secondary teachers who often have minimal training when it comes to issues of neurodiversity. If they have a behaviour points system your family life can quickly become rather desperate! Choose your secondary very wisely.... you'll need structure combined with flexibility (and possibly minimal homework?) which is a tough ask for most schools, but there are some awesome ones out there if you ask the right questions.
Obviously I don't know you or your child, but what you have typed has rung a lot of bells with me. You know your child across all settings in a way that school do not. You will be fobbed off. You will have people tell you that there is no point in getting help and in some ways that is partly true. Then again if you don't try it you will get nothing and that isn't a great outcome either! If you have concerns - and have had them for a long time - you are probably right. Trust your gut. Best of luck
Our school always said "too able to qualify for help". They said he was uncooperative; suggested it was our parenting which was at fault and provided little help. I wasn't happy with that and we went down the diagnosis route. It's been a bit of a slog and when the school is not very SEN aware, it can seem like a waste of time. As you have found, the single biggest thing is having a good teacher. The SEN "label" is back up for when you have to bludgeon them into providing help in those years when the teacher is not so good....
By contrast a friend's son - diagnosis and on EHCP all primary school where he did really well - started secondary and it's all gone a bit wrong. While you may have had to battle away educating one teacher on your child's particular foibles and how to manage them, it's just not feasible with multiple secondary teachers who often have minimal training when it comes to issues of neurodiversity. If they have a behaviour points system your family life can quickly become rather desperate! Choose your secondary very wisely.... you'll need structure combined with flexibility (and possibly minimal homework?) which is a tough ask for most schools, but there are some awesome ones out there if you ask the right questions.
Obviously I don't know you or your child, but what you have typed has rung a lot of bells with me. You know your child across all settings in a way that school do not. You will be fobbed off. You will have people tell you that there is no point in getting help and in some ways that is partly true. Then again if you don't try it you will get nothing and that isn't a great outcome either! If you have concerns - and have had them for a long time - you are probably right. Trust your gut. Best of luck
Re: ADD
I disagree - if they are qualified teachers with a PGCE they will have studied SEN - I think you may be criticising a particular school here ...exam2019 wrote:While you may have had to battle away educating one teacher on your child's particular foibles and how to manage them, it's just not feasible with multiple secondary teachers who often have minimal training when it comes to issues of neurodiversity.
Re: ADD
I have a PGCE but I do not remember any SEN content in it. I am sure that recent PGCEs must have it as required content but there are still people my age and older alive and kicking in schools.
One hopes though, that it all flows from the SENCO in seamless fashion to make up for the elderly teachers like I would be. Must be much harder to coordinate at secondary though with so many teachers, changes of teacher, cover teachers, kids in different teaching groups at different times, completely different dynamic at breaks and luncthimes than at primary school etc. It's hard to see from the school end teaching just one subject to a child what the total impact of secondary school is on their well-being etc.
One hopes though, that it all flows from the SENCO in seamless fashion to make up for the elderly teachers like I would be. Must be much harder to coordinate at secondary though with so many teachers, changes of teacher, cover teachers, kids in different teaching groups at different times, completely different dynamic at breaks and luncthimes than at primary school etc. It's hard to see from the school end teaching just one subject to a child what the total impact of secondary school is on their well-being etc.
Re: ADD
I'm no spring chicken and we covered SEN ...
I've been a SENCo - albeit at a GS so not too many on our 'books'. Most students said they had far better support at Secondary than they did at Primary - perhaps because it is more difficult to co-ordinate we tried harder? If you set cover work then all it needs is a note and if you have a TA it is fairly easy.
I've been a SENCo - albeit at a GS so not too many on our 'books'. Most students said they had far better support at Secondary than they did at Primary - perhaps because it is more difficult to co-ordinate we tried harder? If you set cover work then all it needs is a note and if you have a TA it is fairly easy.
Re: ADD
Yes - can be true that some systems are better at secondary because they have to be. Communication is. And more time at parents eve. I don't know why our place missed sen out. Russell group uni. Maybe I am even older than you think ......
Re: ADD
Now, this is a good point. I talked to the SENCOs of the comprehensives we visited and their response was that they were overwhelmed with the amount of SEN children they had and that only the severe cases would get any resources. On the other hand, the SENCOs at the grammar schools we visited had a different response as they didn't have that many children "on their books", so seemed to be better able to allocate resources.Guest55 wrote:I'm no spring chicken and we covered SEN ...
I've been a SENCo - albeit at a GS so not too many on our 'books'. Most students said they had far better support at Secondary than they did at Primary - perhaps because it is more difficult to co-ordinate we tried harder? If you set cover work then all it needs is a note and if you have a TA it is fairly easy.
At our boys' primary, the SENCO was also overwhelmed and had very little resources where they were only allocated 4 hours of an Educational Psychologist per year!
Is your son going to a grammar school, stroudydad?
Salsa
Re: ADD
I have to say my ds was completely overlooked at primary school...He is a quiet kid who tends to conform...the reports from the Dyscovery centre were enough to ensure he has has SENCO support through his grammar school...it hasn’t taken much...just to be able to use a laptop, extra support for his handwriting and to be able to be in a pe group that he could work at his level of skill. It has made such a difference to his confidence.
