ADHD diagnosis... confused!

[GrimmauldPlace]

Hi, my 6yo son has just been diagnosed with ADHD. They have said he has features of Autism but not enough to meet the diagnostic threshold. From what I understand the ADOS gave a score of 6 and the threshold for autism is 7. I'm just looking for anyone who has any experience with a child with the same diagnosis and where I should go from here. It has been recommended my son gets referred to an educational psychologist as well as an occupational therapist as his fine and gross motor skills are both underdeveloped. I have also been told that ADHD doesn't cause learning difficulties but my son is very behind academically. I'm not sure what support he can access.
He also has sensory issues which they want to explore, but again, I don't know what this involves.

Sorry for all the questions but I am so confused at the moment!

Thanks in advance

[strawberryshoes]

Hello MrsFizzy. A diagnosis can be quite a hard thing to receive. On the one hand, it explains why things are different with your son and can be a relief, on the other hand it feels like you have had a door closed on a potentially "average" life and you are facing something rather more complex.

Take some time and do some reading about what ADHD can look like and how it can effect a person with it, this can be insightful when working out how best to support your son (although i bet you know more than you will read - he is your boy).

An Ed Psych can work with the school to get strategies in place in the classroom to help him reach his learning potential. He may well not have a learning difficulty, but he might have found it hard to access learning because of his sensory and ADHD issues. The occupational therapist will look at sensory stuff as well as his motor skill development, again to help him get the most from school.

They should work with his teacher or teachers to help them understand him better. You should be involved with this process throughout (by way of meetings)

Things take time to happen though, so don't think suddenly things will change over night!

Do come over to the Special Need Chat and Special Needs Children boards for good company, great advice and sometimes just a safe place to vent!

[GrimmauldPlace]

Hi strawberryshoes, thank you for your reply.

I've just been told that the school can't refer my son to ed psych or ot as they are both too busy to take my son on as well. So looks like I've got a fight on my hands to even get the help he needs, even with a diagnosis! Just feel so helpless as I really don't know what more I can do for him.

I'd love to post on the special needs boards but I can't seem to find them? I'm new on here and haven't quite figured it all out yet. Any help to navigate my way around would be much appreciated!

Thanks again

[strawberryshoes]

I understand schools do have a limited number of consults with an Ed psych (assume OT is the same way). Mares me so angry that we have to fight all the time just to get what our kids need!

Special needs section is a topic area of its own, in the bottom third of the list of talk topics, hopefully you can spot it...

If the school cannot refer, you can go private (£££) but you should certainly ask them what they intend to do to help his learning progression. So unfair.