Suspect DD has ADD -what should I expect for help?

[Shurelyshomemistake]

I think DD, 8, may well have been suspected of having ADHD long ago if she were a boy. She struggles to concentrate and is very easily distracted, impulsive, interrupts, impatient, can't queue or wait for anything, has to have fiddle toys/ rags/ twirly things all the time, I could go on....

Not really been overly apparent in school until mid-year 3, but now school have started to mention she is not 'trying' hard enough, rushes, loses concentration and now she is complaining that her table-mates get fed up with her asking them all the time what it is she's supposed to be doing as she can't remember. She's being moved down groups too, and is getting fed up.

My question is not about the law on SEND, as I am familiar with that through my professional background, but about what I might reasonably expect in terms of action, strategies and support from school. If your child has similar challenges, but no EHC plan or formal SEN Support (the 'new School Action) then I'd be so grateful if you could share what's in place for your child - e.g., what interventions do the school use? techniques etc?

I will ask for a meeting with the class teacher(s - job share/ mat cover) and the SENCO of course.

This is a state-funded junior by the way, VA school currently with quite close Ofsted and LA involvement owing to relatively poor recent Ofsted ratings. Smallish school with between 1 and 2 classes per year group.

Thanks in advance

[mumbanator]

Hi DS is 7 and is also in state-funded juniors. The teachers had already implemented strategies a year before I saw the GP for referral. Things like - his own chart in the classroom (not sure a more sensitive child would have appreciated this public display of discipline but he didn't care and the other children were strangely jealous!), a smiley face chart (or not-so-smiley) for every lesson and break time for each week that got sent home daily, a communication book during more difficult times that was also sent home daily, occasional one-to-one teacher time, seating him near the front and giving him his own 'spot' on the mat. However... they did not initiate paeds referral at all and seem to drag their feet about involving anyone else or the ed psych referral (which he is still waiting for) so knowing that the waiting list for community paeds was a year long I saw the GP to request referral myself. He's now on a low dose of methylphenidate and doing lots, lots better, only positive results to report from that. HTH.

[Shurelyshomemistake]

Mumbanator thanks for your reply. Sounds like your school is on the ball.

DD is impeccably behaved and masks it well so star charts etc might not be needed. Think thats common with girls.

When did you first notice something was up?

[noramum]

DD has tendencies and while in school she normally is able to cope (structure is a big thing for her) the teacher do the following:

sitting her in view of the whiteboard/teacher, never to a wall or window

sitting her on a small separate table if necessary, in our case it was DD's own suggestion, she got distracted by too much on the table.

Keeping an eye on her in general, making sure she follows the instructions and keeps up with the work.

We have more problems at home, she is unable to finish a task, can't rely to general instructions like "tidy your room please", we have to spell out what tasks she has to do. Interruptions before she finishes anything is bad, we work a lot with a timer. Spontaneous decisions like "oh, it's a rainy day, how about the cinema, shopping trip etc" are never good, she needs to know ahead what happens.

We saw the paediatrician, he wasn't too concerned but referred us to the "New Forest Parenting Programm", a 8 week course specific for ADHD/ADD parents. It helped a lot understanding how an ADHD/ADD child works, how to work with them and tips to encourage and train concentration.

[Shurelyshomemistake]

noramum, thanks for your reply too. I love mumsnet!

DD sounds a lot like yours. Yesterday she was complaining about being seated near the window (distracting) and also the busy wall displays putting her off.

For some reason, they always put her next to the badly-behaved, loud, children as her behaviour is excellent and she is very compliant, so they think she can model good behaviour. 'Cept it really doesn't work for my DD...

[mumbanator]

My DS is quite a chatty noisy boy so the inattention, impulsivity and disruption with him is very easy to spot. We started wondering when he was 2 but kept leaving it a year and another year to see if it was just toddler/small child behaviour that he'd grow out of, I was quite surprised he got through reception without them noticing. I think it's much easier by 7/8 when the rest of the class are able to sit and work to spot the one or two with ADD/ADHD. First step with the school teacher and SENCO is a perfect plan. I do know some quiet children/daydreamers with ADHD and I think you have to push school a bit harder for these children because as long as they're not causing disruption (like my DS) the teachers often aren't bothered! (In our school anyway.) I would stress about going to see the GP for referral now though if you haven't already. The waiting list for community paeds here is one year!

[Shurelyshomemistake]

Thanks again, Mumbanator. Meeting with school this afternoon, so will see how it goes. I'm preparing for the big ol' brushoff as she is neither loud nor disruptive....but hopefully they will take my concerns seriously.

I take your point about GP referral.