So 6 weeks before the A levels, my son tells me this (possible ADHD)

[blueshoes]

6 weeks before the A levels, my son has admitted that despite all the timetables he did, the hours studying at home and notes he has written, he has not taken anything in. He just cannot get himself motivated to study.

For his GCSEs, it was the same thing. He performed below expectations. I thought he had cracked it but he kept it from dh and I. It has got worse for the A levels😓

For his recent A level mocks, he only watched videos for 4-5 hours before the actual exam. He got A (fave subject), B and C. All below his predicted grades and below the conditional offers he got for university.

Does anyone recognise this in their dcs or themselves. What can you advise for ds?

Could this be ADHD? Appreciate this is the eleventh hour. We are willing to go private for diagnosis and medication, if that is even a possibility.

If your daughter has autism, your son may be neurodivergent with ADHD. There is a genetic link

Some of the greatest thinkers and scientists are
Hyper focus is letting him excel at economics as it is his passion

Its a tight rope by giving your son every opportunity and not over pressure a particular route

But if he loves economics he can focus on that at uni. Make sure all the support is in place and lots of mental health check ins and reassurance that if uni is not the right route at this time there are lots of alternatives now and later

Ds has got exam papers for all subjects with mark schemes. Subject teachers giving revision classes. His Econs teachers offer to mark his answers. He has a Maths tutor. He has a subscription to SaveMyExams. He has everything on a plate. It is all up to him 😫

Sorry haven't read the whole thread, but the pomadoro technique is definitely worth a try.

So struggling with motivation to study is his only symptom of ADHD?

Find a copy of the spec, break it down into tiny chunks, 15 mins at a time.

That sounds like ds except he does not like timers. The bit about not having much structure and frequent breaks and generally not worrying too much sounds familiar 😁

He’s a teenager ffs stop trying to label him and let him grow. Family is wealth everything else is just a byproduct stop it

Seems like it.

I probably wasn’t very clear - if there is autism in the family there is a higher chance of other neuro divergent conditions
But you can have any of them in isolation
I don’t know if I expressed that well
But if there is one child with autism and another child showing some signs of ADHD it is good to get an assessment to clarify

Yup, the paediatrian who diagnosed dd mentioned a genetic link. I think I have a version of it as I cannot focus during the day but thankfully can focus in the evenings. I am and have always been a crammer. Have always been envious of people like dh who are focused 9-5 and then log off. I find myself at 6pm having done not very much and then trying to catch up in the evening.

I cannot blame ds. The only difference is I can cram for 6 weeks straight for the A levels due to panic. Ds can only manage 5 hours before the exam.

Similar to ds. He had an oxbridge offer after his interview with them, but threw up when he realised he the deadline for computer science coursework was coming up. Bright and fascinated by everything, amazing memory and understanding but struggles to get stuff done. Hadn’t done the work. Got his second choice and it was the right thing. Still hasn’t accessed student support for probable adhd. Will get round to it …

Then I think suspecting ADHD may be a rather extreme jump but no harm in a private assessment. I’d wait until after exams though so as not to distract him further

Its a tight rope by giving your son every opportunity and not over pressure a particular route

@Springflowers25 So true. It is hard to strike a balance. If his mental health was struggling, I would drop the rope. The last thing I want is for ds to have a mental health crisis at university when he is far away from us.

I don't know if it is the right thing. I have got the name of a private adolescent psychiatrist from my ds' school friend. The friend was assessed for ADHD and apparently got medication within a week.

Any thoughts on this?

I’d be worried about medication side effects so close to exams. But ultimately I am not a professional and do not know your son. If you have a professional available to you there’s no harm in contacting them for advice.

I would really recommend therapy, many offer both in person and zoom, so your son could carry on while at university. To me it sounds more like anxiety and exam stress but again very much not a professional or someone who knows your son!

@Bonsaibaby I feel for your ds. He sounds really bright. I hope he thrives at uni. My dd (autism, possible ADHD and got disabled students allowance) was set up at student support with ASD mentors and counsellors. I had to really encourage nag her to access the appointments. I think she did once or twice and never booked follow up appointments so that fell by the wayside. Hopefully your ds will find it useful.

Part of the symptom of ADHD is not reaching out for help.

😂 sorry to burst ya bubble that’s not adhd he lazy

Tell him if he doesn’t get his act together no more WiFi, password changed

I do worry about medicating so close to exams. His school friend who got medication methylphenidate said it helped.

Did you suspect ADHD before his friend got a diagnosis and medication? It sounds like you may be looking for a quick fix when there isn’t one

Thank you @ThisPinkBee this is a handy list. So great to hear you crammed and got straight As

The exercise at the end is hilarious!

Can I just say that A B and C are pretty damn GOOD and well done?

To get those he must have studied, paid attention, remembered and splurged it back out in the right order.

Can he get hold of past exam papers to practice?

When my ds came to confess to dh and I today, I immediately thought of ADHD. I did not even know that friend of his had ADHD. I don't understand why ds had to hide the fact that he was not studying when he told me he was constantly revising for weeks on end. It is something my ds is fighting. He was crying.😓

I can’t take anything in when I’m depressed or over stressed.

Hes stressed and hes reaching out for reassurance. Your job as a parent is to reassure and to support him. The best way to support him is by removing his phone for short study blocks and keeping him calm etc. Not by rushing him off to get medication for a self diagnosed condition which could cause all sorts of problems for him this close to exam period.