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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask if any benefit in seeking assessment for ADD for university student?

54 replies

Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:03

Looking back, 20 year old DS has always struggled massively with organisational skills. Okay at primary school, but difficulties started from secondary school onwards forgetting homework, forgetting equipment, losing stuff, silly errors in exams due to misreading questions Etc. This was much commented on by teachers at parents evenings. DS is bright and has managed to do well enough in GCSEs and A-Levels to get to uni. However, now he has reached the second year of his degree, the amount of work required has massively increased and he has fallen behind and is struggling to cope. He has managed to get through previous exams doing a lot of learning by rote just before the exam. As the amount and complexity of work has increased, this strategy is proving less effective. Due to Covid, all lectures are recorded, so he has not been listening to them live. As one of the world's biggest procrastinators, he has got very behind on listening to the recordings of lectures.
He has so many symptoms of Attention Deficit disorder, I was wondering if it would be worth him being assessed to see if he has this condition? DS himself thinks he has got it. Would he need to approach his GP about assessment or perhaps his university? What help is available if you are diagnosed with ADD?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I feel like I am watching him fail, but don't know what to do to support him.

OP posts:
Kitkat151 · 02/12/2021 20:07

I would imagine he would have finished uni by the time he was been referred by GP and been sat on waiting list.....it’s about 3 years in my area.....could you go private instead? ..... I guess it depends what he would ‘get’ from a potential diagnosis? is he looking for for time in exams? or extensions to complete work? What about the Generic support Already there at uni to support struggling students? Wishing him well

Beeinmybonnets · 02/12/2021 20:14

In my uni, it would be really worth it. You get an assessment (which you annoyingly have to pay for) with the disability advisor, and can get lot of adjustments / support depending on what you need. For your son, access to 1-2-1 support, flexible deadlines maybe? It will also make his lecturers aware he is struggling (he should tell them anyway)

Volterra · 02/12/2021 20:14

DD has recently received a diagnosis but we went privately as only option.

She now has medication which is helping plus extra time. She had a meeting about DSA today. She’s have a study skills mentor, someone else that I’ve forgotten, software that speaks (doing a language) and a second computer monitor.

Volterra · 02/12/2021 20:15

Learning mentor and someone else to help with study skills I think she said.

Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:20

Thank you both so much for your replies, both of which are very useful. We would definitely be more than happy to pay for an assessment. 1 to 1 support as an outcome would be fabulous to try and steer him towards more effective learning methods. Flexible deadlines could also help on view of the mess he has got himself into. Would he need to ask his uni to access an assessment that we could pay for?

OP posts:
Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:22

Thanks @ Voltera. How did you go about getting an assessment for your DD for ADD?

OP posts:
LIZS · 02/12/2021 20:23

Go via the uni Disability Support Service. They can arrange a needs assessment and help him access DSA funding for support (ie mentor) and any access arrangements for exams and assignments.

NewLaptop · 02/12/2021 20:28

Contact the uni's disability services. They will put him down n the right path. My dd in yr 3 just got assessed to have ADHD. She will get things like extra time in exams put in place.

Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:30

@LIZS Thank you so much for this advice. I will attempt to get DS to do this. I think he has got so overwhelmed by the amount of work he needs to do to catch up that he may be at a point where he would welcome the help.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:32

@ NewLaptop Thank you. That is useful advice. Extra time in exams would be useful to enable DS to check his answers for careless mistakes that he is prone to.

OP posts:
cloudtree · 02/12/2021 20:34

My understanding is that the rules for extra time etc have just changed. You now need to have two issues to qualify. DS2 has a visual processing disorder and adhd and is fine. DS1 has extremely slow handwriting but now the rules have changed that isn’t enough for any adjustments. He would need two separate issues.

HewasH2O · 02/12/2021 20:36

We went privately & Oxford is refunding a significant chunk of the assessment fee. DD can now access specialist software for text to speech etc and organisation skills. She will also receive 25% extra time, rest breaks and a little more understanding over meeting deadlines. I'm kicking myself for not realising a long time ago as she is incredibly clever, but never quite achieved her potential.

DorothyWasRightTho · 02/12/2021 20:36

@LIZS advice isn’t quite right - he will need the diagnosis before he can apply for DSA, the needs assessment forms part of that application.
Definitely get him to book in to see a disability adviser anyway as they may be able to offer some accommodations whilst he’s waiting for his assessment. If you can afford private, do it ASAP - DSA application can take up to 14 weeks.

DorothyWasRightTho · 02/12/2021 20:39

You don’t need two issues to qualify for extra time. Some unis are more lenient on what they accept - eg if he had any adjustments at school some unis will accept that as evidence for extensions and extra time, others will require a diagnosis

Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 20:43

Thanks for the extra information @cloud tree. @HewasH2O and @cloudtree Much appreciated.

How do you go about choosing a suitable person to carry out a private assessment?

OP posts:
HewasH2O · 02/12/2021 20:50

I'll PM you with a couple of names.

UthredofBattenberg · 02/12/2021 21:15

I'd second the suggestion for him to make contact with his university disability support service. They may be able to refer him for assessment or at least make a recommendation of a local company if he is away from home.

It would absolutely be worth asking and finding out. He could get lots of extra help and support. If he is struggling now, it's likely to be even harder in his final year.

Hankunamatata · 02/12/2021 21:20

Mine are younger but we paid for adhd assessment. Diagnosed within a month and started medication

HewasH2O · 02/12/2021 21:24

Universities will assist with an Additional Learning Needs assessment, but a medical diagnosis is much harder to come by.

cloudtree · 02/12/2021 21:57

You don’t need two issues to qualify for extra time.

You didn’t before October 2021 but rules have now changed I understand

Onceuponatimethen · 02/12/2021 22:02

I also think op that this will be hugely helpful when your ds starts work. Many employers are becoming clued up about neuro diversity and I have been working for a large employer which puts effort into reasonable adjustments. These things can be disclosed before interview and on paper assessments for jobs in case extra time is needed and at good forward thinking employers can be handled sensitively by line managers

Onceuponatimethen · 02/12/2021 22:02

Diagnosis will be helpful I should have written

FallenFreddie · 02/12/2021 22:08

@cloudtree

My understanding is that the rules for extra time etc have just changed. You now need to have two issues to qualify. DS2 has a visual processing disorder and adhd and is fine. DS1 has extremely slow handwriting but now the rules have changed that isn’t enough for any adjustments. He would need two separate issues.
@cloudtree please could you let me know how you managed to get a diagnosis of visual processing disorder (as in which professional)? I've looked into it in my area but can't work out what the diagnostic pathway is. Thank you.
Kitkat151 · 02/12/2021 22:08

@Hankunamatata

Mine are younger but we paid for adhd assessment. Diagnosed within a month and started medication
No way will an adult get an adhd diagnosis within a month even privately.... a learning needs assessment will be possible though I would imagine
Original poster
Rebbecia1234 · 02/12/2021 22:19

@Kitkat151 How long would it be likely to take to get a private adult assessment for Attention Deficit Disorder?

OP posts:
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