Query ADD - Private School - plan of action

[Paddlinglikehell]

My dd moved from a state school into Yr2 of a private school and has been doing OK. Not a high flyer, average + results for English and was the same for Maths (which she detests and struggles with), although this has dropped and end of last year was in the bottom quarter.

School recently did a YR5 assessment and she, along with several others, flagged up for further assessment and therefore she had a dyslexia screening test, which has shown risk of Dyslexia (her reading is great), processing, attention, balance and motor skills.

Chatting with the SENCO, she is likely to have Dyspraxia/ADD/slow processing issues, but needs further assessment and ideally diagnosis. I wouldn't disagree with this, lots of indicators along the way, so no surprise. She isn't hyperactive, just inattentive, forgetful, disorganised.

They have suggested a 'diagnosis' as this will allow senior school (if she gets in and they think she will at current levels) to provide extra time is exams and support, albeit once a week! Current Junior school have one SENCO, who won't be able to work with my Dd as has no spare time and as she is 'coping well' in class, is low priority and I understand this.

We moved her, as the local state schools are awful and I feel she is settled and trying hard where she is, so feel I want to stick with where we are for now, but what should I be planning to help her?

I presume I need to find an Ed Psychologist, will they diagnose? Would this be what school require? - I know I need to talk to the SENCO again now I have assimilated all the information, but would welcome any help, advice or experiences.

Thanks.

[VelvetEmbers]

Ed psych won't diagnose. You need to go to your GP and get a referral either to the Community Paed or to CAMHs. Be prepared for it to take a long, long time.

[Laura0806]

An ed psy or clin psy report will basically give you what you need. It won't actually diagnose your child as having ADD but it will say that the tests indicate ADD/slow processing/ dsypraxia which should be enough for the school to give extra time etc. This is ususally what the school requires. CAMHS will diagnose the ADD but not the other things anyway so I wouldn't personally go down that route. Good luck, I have a daughter who I strongly suspect has ADD,/ slow processing possibly dsylexia. Sounds very simialr to yours. I will let you knwo how it goes. Currently booked an assessment for January

[Laura0806]

Sorry about the spelling ( the irony!) I am trying to do too many things at once. Do you have a family history of any of those things? We don't actually

[LIZS]

Yes you would need an Ed Psych report to pass on to the school for extra time, adjustments etc and pinpoint her strengths and weaknesses but they won't give any formal diagnosis nor should a SENCO prejudge any Be aware too that a diagnosis could be counterproductive , some schools will simply say they cannot offer sufficient support for certain SENs and not offer a place. Can the current one not offer any Learning Support even if you were to fund it , if not that is shocking in itself. Are they subtly (or perhaps not so) suggesting that she should move on now ?

[Paddlinglikehell]

Thanks for the replies.

Laura0806 my niece has Dyspraxia and dp's cousins have children (one each) with ADHD. One on Ritalin for many years. Although I hadn't really thought of this before! I am pleased that an Ed Psych, will be enough to gain the extra time and help, albeit a bit scarce in this school.

I have been in touch with a couple of EP's locally, but haven't had the courage to ring them yet! Let me know how you get on, by the way, how old is your daughter?

LIZS that is exactly what I want and to be honest, I don't think the SENCO has prejudged, she really just said this is showing as a problem and bearing in mind her attention in class it is likely to be....... I think they were probably surprised at how unsurprised I was!

The SENCO did say that the senior school was poor with SEN and unless something was on paper, they wouldn't be able to give any support or time, but she didn't make me feel that we should be thinking of other options, I did wonder if they would and they may still as things go on, we shall see. It is certainly a warning shot across the bows.

I actually said I was worried about her doing the entrance exam and passing anyway and her current teacher (also in the meeting), said at the moment she would pass if she continues as she is, certainly she is above in English, which could help carry her through.

It is strange really as although she is day dreamy, forgetful and fidgety, she always gets her spellings right, times tables etc and her reading with expression and understanding what she reads is well at the top of her year group, writing neat, tidy etc. I know there are others in class who struggle just as much, if not more.

Lots of contradictions really. I hadn't thought about paying for learning support, I am a TA although not in school at the moment, so would have access to resources (it couldn't be me of course!). I think in DD's case it is more strategies to support than anything.

[Laura0806]

Im surprised they queried dsylexia given what you have said about her academics...my daughter is 7. She is pretty good at maths , struggling to spell anything and reading is very slow and laboured. She is also extremely forgetful, fidgety and struggles with instructions. Is your daughter good physically? ADD is a possibility, very underdiagnosed in girls so I think you have a good SENCO there and an ed psy seems like the way to go definitely. THere are a number of strategies for ADD which they will be able to advice on. There is a lot of research suggesting that it is helpful for girls to know they have ADD later on as it helps with the self esteem difficulties that can occur from someone feeling different and not knowing why. Good luck. Let us know and I will you

[LIZS]

she is likely to have Dyspraxia/ADD/slow processing issues, but needs further assessment and ideally diagnosis. SENCO has pre-empted a diagnosis. Each of those conditions can exist independently or coexist, plus there are others which could interplay. She is wrong to have put specifics in your head unless she is fully qualified to do so. You could get a referral through your gp too, especially if you want a diagnosis or OT, as I would suspect the school will simply suggest an ed psych they know. If a school is know to be poor with SEN then probably best to have an alternative plan. There is so much more to it than extra time and access arrangements for an entrance test.

[Paddlinglikehell]

It probably reads more direct than it was in the meeting, she was in discussion with me and I was saying there had been 'flags' along the way, that she volunteered it could be anyone of these things, or all, or none, but worth finding out, she is prempting there may be a problem here, at least that's the way I took it, not what it is. I also have some insights into the various possibilities through my previous job.

I would like to have an alternative plan, believe me, but the schools in our immediate catchment are pretty dire, hence our 17 mile journey twice a day! I have some inside knowledge on them too and it isn't great. The only consolation is that there is a High School that has recently has a new head, new buildings etc. because it was failing and that seems to be improving, although she would find that environment extremely hard and wouldn't cope well with the change. (A second part of moving schools previously was that she wouldn't have got into the excellent senior school from her state school, as we are just over the boundary and not catholic).

Ironically she is really excited about going into the senior school where she is now.

The school haven't suggested anyone to assess and I am sourcing that myself through contacts and recommendation. We have parents evening soon, so I hope to find out more about her progress and level within the year group, which will help with a decision.

There are so many contradictions. They had a big 40 spelling test yesterday, of all the words learnt this term. She got 37, but I have just looked at her homework tonight and she has spelt went - whent several times, but. Has written nearly an A4 piece, which is well structured.

I also left for a meeting early this morning and dp said she had got up - on her alarm - got dressed completely, did her hair, teeth etc., and got her bag ready totally unprompted! Not completely what would be expected of a child with SEN.

On another note, the teacher said yesterday, if she felt fidgety, it was OK for her to go out the room for a quick walk up the corridor and back. She told me she did this today, but waited until Miss had finished explaining something and it was question time, when she came back in, she then felt much better and completed all the work, so didn't have it as homework.

This all very interesting!

[Paddlinglikehell]

Sorry Laura, I didn't reply to your query. Physically she is well, although was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease last year, so a little underweight, she is also hyper-mobile, which can make children unbalanced and fidgety, she scored low on the fine motor skills, which could,be a red herring, due to the joint thing, although she can turn out loom bands at a rate of knots!

Yes, she is forgetful, can't remember a sequence of instructions, so very much like your daughter. I also feel, but haven't direct evidence (and a question for the teacher maybe) that she does find it hard to fit in with her peers sometimes.

Good luck, do come back to this thread and let me know the outcome.

Thank you both, it really helps to put things down and get different thoughts and perspectives.