advice

[mip0306]

I'm posting this on behalf of a colleague I spoke to today. She has a 3 year old boy, nearly 4, who will be starting school. She broke down in tears today as she is at the end of her tether. Her son needs to have an assessment for SEN, ( ? diagnosis of ADHD , asperges, etc )- she has been referred but has been told there is an 18 month (!!) waiting list until she can get an assessment or diagnosis. Is that right? I don't have any experience in this field, but am trying to find out what the best thing would be for her to do to help her. He is currently going to play school but has daily melt downs as he does not want to go and any change in his daily pattern sends him into overdrive ... they are hardly sleeping as he is waking up in the middle of the night .. Is there anything I can do to point her in the right direction so that she does not have to wait 18 months to find an answer as she wants to make sure he gets the right support (whether it's at home or at school!) Thanks all!

Hi after a 4 yr fight with schools etc before I got a referrals only to be told that my daughter has dyslexia but as I'm sure there is something else like ADHD, that is different test and different referral. Long story short keep a diary with anything you think is relevant and if you think it is of any way dangerous shout to everyone that should shorten the waiting list. Any little thing write down. Anything that makes you think again about what has just happened. Dont let school away with anything the can make all the referrals etc. My daughter was 2 and is 9 now and had to go through so much because nobody would listen . Hope this helps and good luck.

Needs unpicking really.
Where I live, there are long waiting lists for diagnostic assessments (although not 18months), but it seems from your OP that he has diagnoses ? Again, that seems unusual as ADHD isn't diagnosed in 3 yr olds as so many of the symptoms describe toddlers 'normal' behaviour.

So there are two separate issues. They can go on alongside one another though, one does not rely on the other being complete.
There is the responsibility of Health services - who do assessments, provide a diagnosis (or diagnoses, or decide the child doesn't have known condition), and provide 'therapists' - physios, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists - and, sometimes support from specialist nurses or dieticians etc., depending on need.

Then there is the Education side of things. If he is struggling at Pre-school, and is also likely to struggle at school, then the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) should be supporting him whilst he is in pre-school and his Mum/family in terms of putting plans in place - possibly working towards applying for an assessment for an EHC (Education Health Care) Plan.... this will depend on need.

There are some sleep clinics too.

She needs to go back to whoever has given the diagnosis and get more support with referrals re sleep.
She needs to go back to the Pre-school and ask what they can do.
If he has Aspergers then look up NAS (National Autism Society) - websites and FB. They have parents support groups, they have training courses, chat rooms, FAQs, all sorts of resources and signposting.
She should also go along to her local Children's Centre and see what they have to offer. They all work differently, but even when they can't help directly, they can signpost to someone who can.