Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

ADHD support in school

11 replies

batonrougebelle · 28/02/2023 08:25

Hello all, my 15 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD ( mild innattentive type) in the summer, he is in his first GCSE year. I am not impressed with the support (or lack thereof) that the school has provided thus far and so am going in for a meeting later today. I would be interested to hear if anyone is in the same situation and has a child receiving any support that is really useful? I would like to know what the gold standard is so I know what to ask for, but have realised that I am not sure what would be most helpful and what is reasonable to expect. Many thanks in advance for any information.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 28/02/2023 08:31

What support do you think he needs? What are the areas he is struggling in?

batonrougebelle · 28/02/2023 08:45

Thanks for asking, he has difficulty focusing, as well as with organisation (we are providing a lot of support on the organisation side at home, but it is still an issue). The ADHD diagnosis is still new for us, and I just don't know what type of support to ask for.

OP posts:
Pharos · 28/02/2023 08:48

My youngest got his inattentive diagnosis last September - he’s in Y10 at a grammar. His difficulties are with organisation and executive function, not cognitive. School were a little slow to get going but here’s what he has in place - not EHCP but a support plan.

  • All teachers who have him are aware of his specific difficulties and that he’ll sometimes need tasks broken down/chunked as well as very clear, structured deadlines
  • Everything is communicated by email/Google classroom not planner
  • His sitting position is discussed in advance
  • He types rather than writes and is emailed handouts to annotate online so that it’s easier to organise/ not lose things
  • He checks in regularly with a learning mentor who also communicates frequently with us
  • He gets supervised rest breaks and prompts for exams but not extra time
  • He will have specific revision technique coaching heading into next year
Since this has been put in place, it’s made a significant improvement - his grades are up and he’s more engaged.

The ADHD Foundation is great for resources and guidance on best practice, would really recommend having a look before your meeting. Good luck!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

batonrougebelle · 28/02/2023 10:11

Thank you so much, very helpful, really appreciate this!

OP posts:
booboo24 · 28/02/2023 11:18

Sadly we've had a constant fight on our hands with my daughter's school. She was diagnosed with ADHD in October 2021 (aged 14) and ASD in April 2022 (now 15) We've had an EHCP declined (unsurprisingly). School have basically said she doesn't need the support, she needs to learn to manage her behaviour, and this is from the SENco! Needless to say we are still fighting the school as their attitude seems to be that they just set the bar lower for children with theses diagnosis' rather than doing what they can to help them thrive.

in terms of help now offered, they have:

  • Got her on the books of a speech language therapist.

  • Circulated her profile to all of her teachers so that they are aware of her needs

  • Sat her near the front of her class so that they can make sure she is concentrating

  • Assessed her needs for a reader pen and extra time in exams. This may help your son but it is formally assessed and authorisation has to be granted through the education authority rather than the school itself, so if need be I would ask about this sooner rather than later.

  • The whole class is given pre -learning and she is having work further broken down with prompts if needed

She started medication last summer and once on the stable dose it has worked wonders. We are looking at privately funding CBT and looking at ways of heloing her with her executive function, but this is trickier if you don't know where to look (I don't!) The Dr has suggested these therapies but CAMHS say she doesn't meet their criteria for needing help so going privately is our option currently

I hope the meeting goes well, and that the school are more on board with the interventions needed to help him reach his full potential

booboo24 · 28/02/2023 11:21

Excuse the typo's I'm supppsed to be working, but I'm struggling to stay on task today too hence being on here!

batonrougebelle · 28/02/2023 12:49

Thank you for this, much appreciated. I have a daughter with a recent ASD diagnosis as well (age 17), and I feel your pain with the school, etc. Thanks again and good luck with it all!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 28/02/2023 13:06

I felt a bit like this, lost no idea what to look at.

I would recommend arming yourself with info/a plan. The best resources IME:

Russell Barkley. Great books, great talks, all actionable stuff.
Seth Perler - website, youtube, lots of ideas/resources.
ADDitude magazine - can be a bit hit and miss with some pseudoscience, although mostly helpful. Their ADDitide Experts Podcast is very good if you look through the list of specific topics.

sweetlikechoco · 29/09/2023 19:19

I’m a bit all over the place!!! This is long, Dd has started reception she’s 4. 2 months. She is under the pathway for ADHD, too young to diagnose as there is no mental health issue.
SALT report indicates some traits of Autism, we are however waiting for a Paediatrician assessment.

My Dd is impulsive, inattentive, very social, likeable and loves to mingle and join the crowd. She will interrupt conversations, repeat what she wants, will drive you mad. Gets very excited easily when happy, transitioning lets say going park.will repeat the word park until. Jumps around, makes noises. She’s so physical with everyone, always trying to grab at us and her sister ( it’s not always bad, sometimes she just wants affection)

Big sensory seeker!
Have a constant need to touch people or textures, even when it’s not socially acceptable.
Does not understand personal space, teacher said she’s touchy feely.
Love jumping, bumping and crashing activities, big hugs.
Not so much now but has craved fast, spinning, tossed in the air.

When she’s around children and adults.
We have always struggled with social cues! No awareness of space and situation.
She would go up to children in the park and say can I play with you repeatedly. She has improved so much over the years.

At school she’s having meltdowns which is quite expected as she’s gone from 6 weeks summer holiday to now full time school.
Pre school helped with referral but was refused, the new school school did visit and make notes, I was so pleased with myself that they will be having a heads up of what my daughters needs are, which would also help the school so they would be more prepared for her. But
Yesterday I was speaking to the teacher, it seems that the teacher wasn’t even aware she was under the pathway.
she says she’s not sitting still, touching girls on the carpet.
She’s not apologising when she’s in the wrong. Doesn’t like to be told off.
She said parents are complaining, my Dd is taking their things and running off. I do understand why they would be quite upset that their child is being pushed/ shoved, someone in their class is repeatedly taking their stuff.
The first week my daughter came to school with matching school colour hair bands the colour green. she is obsessed with pink and hair dressing, she tried to take one of the girls clips off probably pink, the girl got angry, I can imagine, as this has happened to me.
The girl scratched my daughter neck really bad, her skin came off. The parents were told and teacher has explained, now everyone should be wearing only school colours.
I just don’t know what to do, I always explain what we expect from her and towards others. We talk about feelings of others, she can share and take turns but the teacher says she is snatching I told her she’s impulsive and will think after.

I repeat hands to yourself .
I remind her constantly! If she hurts me or my husband, baby sister I take something away.
I have been trying to model correct behaviour, talk about my feelings run up to feeling like I’m going to get cross, but I always talk to myself in a way so she can learn how to self talk and calm down.

I feel really down, only been few weeks and already it feels like my daughter is causing a lot of problems for everyone, I really want to help succeed in school, I want her to have friends, I want her peers to want to be around her not find her annoying. I was looking forward to making mum friends from her class. I’m an anxious person and I’m worried how will I face the parents if my daughter keeps hurting or doing stuff to the other kids, school is going to be so awkward.

Sorry for the long essay.

cansu · 29/09/2023 20:51

Does your son use medication?

sweetlikechoco · 29/09/2023 21:46

Has not been diagnosed yet. No medication

New posts on this thread. Refresh page