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Help with 5 year old - possible additional needs

3 replies

Playgrind · 01/12/2022 18:20

I don't know what to do about my 5 year olds anxiety and there doesn't seem to be much support available to try and figure out if she has additional needs or how to help her.

Most days she resists going into her classroom and has to be physically manhandled by me or the teachers. Apparently today she was fine, but there are often issues with defiance, and not listening to the teacher eg. lying down on the floor during assembly. When I pick her up she will have a meltdown/tantrum on the way home, today it took us 30mins to collect her bike and leave the school premises due to her screaming and crying.

She is bright and loves reading and art, but complains that schools is boring and hates doing phonics every day. She has always had high levels of energy, is very athletic and really needs a lot of physical activity. Her sleep has been poor, is some what improved now but she does wake up and come into my ned every night at the moment. She is in nappies at night despite toilet training easily age 2 but has had issues with chronic constipation in the past.

I know she doesn't hate all of school but am concerned about this issue as the clinginess and defiance has been going on for over a year. I raised the possibility of ADHD/SEN but one of her class teachers was dismissive. I've been to the GP and have a CAMHS referral but the wait is a couple of years and I feel she needs help now.

Thanks for reading if you have made it this far! I should mention that we have had a stressful few years, isolation and deprivation of liberty was horrible for me over lockdown and this may've had an impact. We also moved to a new area a year ago, and I have largely been on my own with the kids during term-time due to husbands job and long hours.

I don't know what to do to help her and if I should push the SEN aspect.

OP posts:
LBB2020 · 01/12/2022 19:06

Can you arrange a meeting with the school SENCO to discuss your concerns?
I wouldn’t worry about her not being dry overnight, it’s not something you can train (I believe medically it’s not a concern until they are older)

Playgrind · 02/12/2022 18:45

I have spoken to various staff but they don't seem very linked up, I'm not sure if they have a SENCo. They have an inclusion officer but not sure if that is the same thing.

OP posts:
LBB2020 · 02/12/2022 19:02

Hi, all schools should have a SENCO, I’d email and request a meeting with them

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