How did your ADHD child cope with GCSE?

[Sunbrightandshine]

And how you supported him/her?

Her appetite isn’t great ad it is and it varied depending on stress levels

Dd2 had goals and ambitions so knuckled down and studied, apart from paying for revision guides and extra sessions at school in the Easter holidays (which I’m not sure is even legal but she wanted to do them) I left her to it. She wasn’t diagnosed until later as having ADHD but did have a dyslexia diagnosis which got her extra time in exams. She knows her own weaknesses as an adult and compensates, including running 10km a day

Why not? Definitely worth trying.

DS is in his GCSE year and doesn't want to take medication and we've decided its his choice.

He has a tutor who has ADHD herself and they help him with study strategies and how to break it down into chunks.

I let him find his own rhythm but check in regularly with him and he quite often studies downstairs where there is less distractions.

Marking to return to later!

DS in Y11 has inattentive ADHD, also August born so he won't even be 16 when he finishes. He's bright but struggles with interpreting English questions and extended writing, and really, maturity wise he's more like a 12-13yo having to sit them because ADHD kids do tend to be a few years behind developmentally.

I'd be interested how others have experienced this maturity gap

Unfortunately the English education system is not designed for everyone; not many kids have the maturity and worse if they have a condition, one size fits all here.

She doesn’t want to; but may persuade her to do it before and during exams

It's tricky. My somewhat underperformed (still did well compared to many but their grades don't reflect their academic ability). One I had to sit with to revise very last minute. The other has a better memory for fact regurgitation. Both did vocational courses at college as A-levels a huuuuuuuge jump up. The eldest (who I had to revise with) coasted and passed. The other is a little more commited BUT it's early days. The first is dx inattentive. The younger dx combined.

DS finds maths and science easy to revise because it's facts - he does OK in those and I've suggested perhaps he does little and often in each (like 30 mins every day). Only problem is he's not good at recognising where he had weaknesses and needs to do more work.

He has phases of being quite self motivated, but other times can't get himself together to revise at all.

Loss of appetite is DD's only side effect. She particularly struggles with breakfast. She was diagnosed a few weeks before A-Levels and I can't believe we hadn't realised much sooner that that was the root of her challenges.

It is so difficult to know as they are going through so many other changes and challenges at that age.

Is she picking up on your reluctance? Why doesn't she want to at least try them?

No, I have not mentioned anything; probably whatever rubbish she read on the internet; if it would help her achieve the results she wants/needs then I am up for it

Mine didn’t do anywhere near of what she should. On meds but when we went stronger she got side effects so her dose is prob a bit low. She couldn’t revise earlier enough in the year to get past grade 6s and didn’t get 7/8/9 she capable of.
26 exams

Only y10
Audhd pda.
On meds which have helped mainly with resistance and maybe a little with motivation.
Last weekend me and her dad went out and i told her to do homework and she actually did some! Almost 100℅ of the time its a struggle even with me sitting with her due to resistance.
Im not sure its made huge difference to targets or predictions but dear god its still hard enough to get muvh homework done as its ramped up but without meds would be no chance.
I would say we are at a pretty severe end of the range of adhd. And it had a big affect on her grades. Some targets are only 4 which is pretty craxy for a kid who got all exceeding on SATs.
But her other big is due is processing speed. Which affects tests and hugely homework. Its easily taking twice as long as an average person to do anyrhing which is a problem with gcses as you need time to revise and do homework

I’ve seen kids on adhd meds, in some cases I see the absolute best of them! Focused ready to engage. Others, they are so spaced out it genuinely upsetting to watch. Just be sure you’re giving the best start…. Not telling them …. If we could fight your ‘insert diagnosis’ you’ll be fine.

Some kids are not the same as others, that’s ok, they’ll still achieve.

Her appetite isn’t great as it is