anybody had an Ed psych assessment whilst H.ed?

[morethanpotatoprints]

Ok bit of back story.

Firstly I am diagnosed dyslexic, dyspraxic, ADHD.
Ok dd always given us slight concern and teachers when she was at school said they weren't worried but would be if still similar in years time.
It is now a years time and only slight improvement, so pretty certain she is dyslexic.
Her music teachers have started to notice major and minor (pun intended) problems or differences. Hard to put finger on iyswim.
She has decided she wants to continue through exam assessments and I think a diagnosis and a report with recommendations will serve her well through this.
Will it cost an arm and a leg? Where can i get a good recommendation locally and has anybody else experience of this?

Yes, but our experience is not quite relevant to you so I won't bore you with it!

But here are a few thoughts:

• It's worth trying HE-Special. Some of the people on there are staggeringly well-informed.

• You could cast your net wider than the home ed community. As you probably know, parents of children at school often end up paying for a private assessment, as their LA drags things out interminably or refuses to assess. Maybe try the special needs forum here at mumsnet, or a dyslexia forum if you know a good one?

• You mentioned wanting a local recommendation. Perhaps you could consider travelling some distance for someone who comes highly recommended for the particular issues you feel your daughter may have. The assessment will probably only be over one or two days so it could be worth a trek.

Good luck!

I had EP assessments for exam access arrangements at the end of last year and a couple of months later further assessments for a statement, which has just been finalised.

Ds has autism and ADHD and has been home educated for nearly five years. His diagnoses were not taken seriously by the school or LA so there was very little evidence of need on record. He's studying towards exams and I knew he'd need extra time and laptop as he has hypermobility and his concentration is poor.

I'd already made investigations into exam access arrangements via Joint Council For Qualifications here and with the exam centre we use, so I knew that his circumstances qualified.

There are two routes to access arrangements, either by assessment or by medical report. The EP did her assessment but as I already had laptop use in place at the exam centre (no assessment is necessary for this - it's at SENCO discretion and we'd already agreed it) she didn't do a handwriting test so her report was insufficient for the school to use towards extra time. With the help of JCQ and Edexcel, I got ds's consultant psychiatrist to draft an appropriately worded letter (in effect, I wrote it and he translated it into doctor-ese) and the exam centre used that to have the arrangements approved.

I'd recommend you have a look at the access arrangements guidelines on JCQ's web page and take it from there. As a home educator you can request an EP assessment as it's a statutory service. You might find it useful to identify the exam centre you want to use and have them help with the practical side, contacting the exam boards etc. As an aside, I'd asked the HE team at the LA for help with access arrangements over a year earlier and they had no idea about exams and didn't get back to me with answers, so I found it best to pursue it myself to save time.

Hope that helps.

By the way, this was a LA Ed Psych so it didn't cost me anything, nor did the letter from the psychiatrist as he's such a good egg .

Thanks for your replies. I spoke to the H.ed coordinator for the LA, she is lovely and a H.ed parent herself. The LA don't make provision for assessment for H.ed dc but she is speaking to a family who paid privately and finding info for me.
My main worry is the price, as looking for info on the net found some charging £680 . I would like to have an assessment and maybe some assistance for her exams but thats a bit steep.
Will also post on other boards. again

What type of special arrangement are you wanting for exams because it varies as to what you need in the way of proof. I can't link to my own websites unfortunately but I do set out the various options if you google home education special needs exams, one website is edyourself and the other is ehe-sen

Hello Fiona.

Its maybe a bit more time and understanding for grade 5 theory.
An example is they expect you to answer in a certain way and she can't always express herself the way they expect/ standard reply, but she knows the answer.
She needs a bit of time for it to register what G major is but she could play it with her eyes closed.
At the moment it is only music exams and auditions as she is only 9, but in the future it will be GCSE's and maybe A levels.
Her main problem seems to be comprehending what people are asking her to do, so when she deliberates it looks like she isn't competent. It is starting to affect her confidence a bit.
Thank you, I will look at your site. I must have missed this info as have looked several times for various info.

I went to my GP with a list of things that made me wonder if DS1 was dyspraxic or on the autistic spectrum. He referred us to CAMHS and after visiting what has felt like everyone at the hospital we have come out with no diagnosis but very clear support to get him what he needs when he starts sixth form next year. Fortunately the OT and Clinical Psychologist's reports got him extra time in his exams.

So for us visiting our GP was our starting point. He's been assessed by OT/SALT/Clinical Psych/Ed Psych/Psychologist. I don't agree with the outcome particularly as I am very sure he is on the spectrum but so long as he gets the support he needs, the diagnosis is less important.

Tinuviel.

That sounds like a really good idea, thank you.
We did have similar problems with ds2, he went all the way through school labelled as hard work, low level disruption and naughty. We banged our fists on the table at each school, but nothing was done. When he was 17 he set fire to his room, by accident but his reaction caused me concern and in the end it was our GP who referred him to CAMHS, they said they weren't sure as not their department but it pointed to Aspergers. That was enough for him, he knows why he seems at odds to the rest of the world now. He didn't need the diagnosis neither and as he was leaving school this year, didn't push for one.
I will write a list and go to GP.

But it is CAMHS department to assess/coordinate assessment for Aspergers. We got passed round the houses at first and it was very frustrating to be told by OT that he's not dyspraxic (even though he wasn't even on the first centile for writing) and that he's fine and that 'he'll cope' by the Clinical Psych. Actually I want him to do more than 'cope'!! We were lucky that the Paediatrician was great and understood that I 'knew' something wasn't right so referred us back to CAMHS. He scored enough on the ADOS test to be on the autistic spectrum but Ed Psych/SALT disagreed, so he didn't get the diagnosis. Part of the issue is that we have taught him coping strategies, so he doesn't always come across to others the way he does to us. And only we see what is taught behaviour.

Tinuviel.

I didn't know this, maybe I misunderstood what she meant. Perhaps she was saying it wasn't her dept because she wasn't qualified to assess or something, or that she would have to pass him onto somebody else.
I know where you are coming from with the strategies, we have tried numerous approaches with ds2 over the years and know what he is like without these. I am so glad you got some help with your ds. If it hadn't been for the fire, ds2 attitude and my visit to GP we nor ds would ever have known. The actual label if he had been properly diagnosed wouldn't have made much difference in terms of how he is, but at least he would have been supported at school and not called naughty.
But back to dd, she does share some common traits with ds2, that sometimes I just put down to personality, but maybe I should just get the whole assessment.
So would I be right in presuming that CAMHS assesses Aspergers, Mental Health, Autism and an Ed psych assesses Dyslexia, ADHD or am I totally wrong here?
Thanks for sharing your experience

For ASD you need an ADOS assessment, an Ed Psych assessment and a SALT assessment and they all have to more or less agree.

Thanks Tinuviel.

DD was referred to SALT at pre school, she went until school and then they said she was ok. She still isn't right though, her speech has improved a great deal, but she still struggles with pronunciation and vowel sounds in certain words. I still have their number and dds record and was going to call for advice, but now she is out of the system wasn't sure if they would see her.
What is ADOS? I know its a stupid question.