ADHD ( and ASC)and studying for Alevels -son desperate for help

[Blu3Salv1a]

Hi son is on autism and adhd pathway. Have been told very likely he has both. Both his sister and I have been diagnosed with both. He has been massively let down and also struggling with trauma and depression. He has had a shit 3 years with very little support not helped by lockdown, CAMHs, crap transition, lost pathway etc. Already had to retake a year as bed bound whilst waiting for counselling and psychiatry..Anyway all water under the bridge and moaning about it won’t help with now. However said son is desperate to get his Alevels as had has offers for a course he really wants to do. He is, not us. There is zero pressure from us. None. During this year he has managed to turn things round , cope with his depression and get himself into college. He got Bs and a D with next to no revision in his mocks. He should be online for As but Bs would be fine( his opinion,anything would be great for us) but he thinks he is doomed to get nothing as mocks aren’t the whole syllabus and he just can’t study. He paces, focus on his special interest etc then gives up and retreats to bed and endless tv on a loop on his iPad. He says he did everything right today( exercise , eating healthy etc) but just couldn’t focus all morning so just gave up. He’s angry with himself and angry that his pathway is so behind and he has no adhd medication that would help focus . Sooo what can we do? He has 2 months. Too late to get meds and still waiting for counselling.He is very bright. Are there any study techniques he can do or anything at all that would help him with revision.

Hi :)
I'm a psychotherapist and one of the things I specialise in is ADHD.
I work with alot of teens struggling with being 'disengaged' in education...I also have it myself.
I have my own program that teaches people to manage ADHD without medication.
Here are some things you can try,as simply put as I can in a brief post;
-Find out his dopemine triggers (what makes him feel good) and spread them out during the day-these can be very simple things and needn't be expensive.
-Keep study sessions short and sweet,get him to focus on subjects he's interested in or passionate about and accept that there are some subjects his brain just won't like.
-Try and make studying reward orientated.

There is quite a lot you can do,if you are willing to think outside the box.

That’s fab thankyou , anything else?

Honestly?
Try and take the pressure off,because he will likely have anxiety going on too which will not help at all.
ADHD can actually be a superpower...whilst its frustrating and scary at times,it's really all about chasing the dopemine,that's the golden rule.
No dopemine-no focus.
Dopemine-hyperfocus.
So he may lack in some areas of normal social expectations but I promise you,he will be genius in other things,and they will be the things he loves and wants to do in life...they are more important and motivating.
^ This is the attitude I take and I have a 99% success rate to date.
I wish you all luck,I know it's daunting to be a parent in this situation (my son has it also,and again,with the above approach he is thriving)

Pomodoro technique might be helpful, it's a way of doing short spells of highly focused work. There are apps!

Also, show an interest in what he's learning and get him to talk to you about it. Work doesn't have to be desk/screen based. Telling someone else what you're learning is great revision.

Do you claim pip for him? Use it to pay for private assessment? We did this for ds in order to get him medicated before GCSE’s using his DLA.

Also Google the right to choose pathway which could cut his wait a lot, there are template letters online you can use for your GP.

2 months is enough time to find functioning meds if you can get an appointment with a psychiatrist. He can also self dose with caffeine in mean time.

He needs physical exercise and external support to help him. This can be someone sitting with him and keeping him on task during revision, in a loving gentle way. If you can pay for a tutor that would be helpful. Ask the college for additional SEN support make sure there's extra time in exams.

Clean fresh environment with limited distractions for revision. Good clean food. Support from you re waking up and a reasonable time and going to bed. Ask him how you can support him eg taking his phone off at X time at night or turning wifi off.

Good decent breaks at the weekend - long walk. Cinema trip. Swimming - something that helps his brain turn off. My ADHD loves massages. He might enjoy kick boxing or something.

Sit him down and come up with a team plan to power through for 2 months. Then work on slow structure and ongoing support after a summer off. Financial incentive may help encourage him to knuckle down for exams too.

I have ADHD.

Although it can be a nightmare to get focused, it also has its advantages to stay super focused and obsessed with something once you get into it! You need to try and play on this advantage.

With A Levels I had a strict revision timetable so I knew exactly what to revise and when. My mum helped me stick to it. I kept sessions short so it wasn't daunting then extended them when I got absorbed with it!

I have never been medicated. Everyone is different. I would argue everyone is on the spectrum somewhere. Just learn to use your space on the spectrum to your own advantage.