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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

ADHD/behaviour/schooling help

11 replies

Firefly1234 · 23/12/2022 07:34

My daughter is 8 and we strongly suspect she has ADHD. Her behaviour at home is also very difficult to manage. She is being assessed privately in March. She likely also has dyslexia though we are putting that to one side until we know about the ADHD.

At the moment we are paying for her to attend an independent girls school. We recognised from the age of 4 that she needed a quieter environment, although had no insight into why back then. She has always been sensitive to noise and needs her environment to be boundaried and safe. She also needs to be kept busy. Before this school she attended a day nursery where she didn't thrive and a nursery at a private school which ended up in her experiencing a lot of anxiety so we withdrew her.

Assuming we get a diagnosis in March, my question is really - what next? Would an EHCP be of benefit to her? What else can we be doing that might help her and us?

Right now she is performing averagely for her cohort but the school now recognise that her potential is higher (her middle of the road performance has meant that her difficulties have gone undetected so far). She finds it difficult to follow instructions and constantly asks for help, makes careless mistakes, won't practice tasks she finds difficult, finds writing challenging particularly in terms of developing content whilst also thinking about spelling and punctuation. She is also distracted by noise and others in the classroom. Her verbal ability is much higher and is very engaging in conversation. She doesn't challenge adults at school but will ask why she has to do something. At home, behaviour can be explosive and this scares her younger brother and makes home life fraught.

Any advice from others who have been through similar gratefully received.

OP posts:
Ilovechoc12 · 23/12/2022 10:43

Maybe adhd meds will be the trick.

If you want an EHCP if you are in an independent- you as parents need to fund the first 13 hrs which equates to £6k so that gets added onto your bill ....

If you do get more than 13 hrs support then the LA will pay if they agree ....

You can apply as parents EHCP they take forever

JustKeepBuilding · 23/12/2022 10:50

If you want an EHCP if you are in an independent- you as parents need to fund the first 13 hrs which equates to £6k so that gets added onto your bill ....

This isn’t correct. Mainstream independents can be named in an EHCP and thus fully funded by the LA. However, you would have to prove the LA’s preference of school(s) can’t meet needs or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. Some LAs will come to an arrangement whereby parents pay the fees and the LA pay the SEN support, but not all, some will say by choosing an independent school parents are making suitable alternative arrangements thereby relieving them of their duties.

How supportive is the school? Many independent schools aren’t supportive of SEN and when they are charge extra for SEN support.

Does DD use a laptop and assistive technology? Is she using ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones? Does the teacher give written instructions &/or one instruction at a time?

It sounds like DD is masking, ‘coping’ at school and then exploding at home is known as the coke bottle effect, and signifies there are unmet needs at school. For the more challenging behaviour have a look at Yvonne Newbold’s resources and Ross Greene’s The Explosive Child book.

If you think DD needs an EHCNA you don’t need to wait until she gets a diagnosis, they are based on needs, not diagnosis.

A sensory OT assessment and ongoing provision is likely to help. The assessment can be provided via an EHCNA and then provision included in an EHCP.

Ilovechoc12 · 23/12/2022 11:00

I disagree. I had to pay £6k on top of school fees for nearly 2 yrs until the LA named the independent school on the EHCP which I took a tribunal , 2 yrs slog and they are still messing around with incorrect fees to this day ..... it's a BIG joke and that was using a professional advocate too.

JustKeepBuilding · 23/12/2022 11:05

Ilovechoc12 · 23/12/2022 11:00

I disagree. I had to pay £6k on top of school fees for nearly 2 yrs until the LA named the independent school on the EHCP which I took a tribunal , 2 yrs slog and they are still messing around with incorrect fees to this day ..... it's a BIG joke and that was using a professional advocate too.

You disagree with the law?

EHCPs can name independent mainstreams in section I and thus be fully funded.

Some LAs will come to an agreement to name an independent school even if the parents can’t meet the threshold for proving the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet DC’s needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. But not all.

Getting one named in section I in the first place is a completely separate point to whether once it is named you have to funded the first 13 hours which you claim.

Ilovechoc12 · 23/12/2022 11:07

No - I think more LA are incompetent and ignore the law if they can 😂😂😂

JustKeepBuilding · 23/12/2022 11:11

LAs acting unlawfully is a completely separate point though, and parents can force LA’s to comply with the law via SENDIST, JR, LGO, depending on specifics.

Firefly1234 · 23/12/2022 14:46

Thank you for your responses. Can someone talk me through the process please? What ought I do next? Do I pay for an OT assessment? What is an EHCNA and how do I get that sorted? How do I know whether to apply for an EHCP? This is all new to me and other than getting a diagnosis, I don't know what to do.

School are supportive fortunately but our daughter is not using any assistive technology or ear defenders. I'm not sure how instructions are provided but reports make lots of reference to needing to listen carefully! She is polite and well behaved there. But struggles to demonstrate her ability and asks for support, possibly to reduce anxiety.

OP posts:
Firefly1234 · 23/12/2022 14:47

Also, would I need an ed psych for the dyslexia assessment as of she has ADHD she's not a simple case for a dyslexia assessor. Thanks so much!

OP posts:
JustKeepBuilding · 23/12/2022 16:03

An EHCNA is the needs assessment you initially request before the LA decide whether to issue an EHCP or not. If you think DD needs more support you can request an EHCNA yourself, on their website IPSEA have a model letter you can send to your LA to request one.

You don’t necessarily need to pay for an independent OT assessment. If you apply for an EHCNA and the LA agree to assess an OT assessment can be part of that. In some areas sensory OT is still commissioned on the NHS, if this is the case in your area you could check whether you can self refer, if not the GP will be able to refer.

Have you spoken to the school’s SENCO? It doesn’t sound like they are doing much to support DD. A laptop, assistive technology, noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders, sensory breaks will help. Do they offer anything like Zones of Regulation, nurture group, Lego therapy, sensory circuits type interventions? A time out card, wobble cushion? They need to think about how they are giving instructions - verbal/written, a step at a time, being specific and breaking tasks down, DD’s placement within the classroom…

A dyslexia assessor may still be able to assess. However, you would be better with a full ed psych assessment as that will look at DD’s full profile rather than solely look at dyslexia.

belowfrozen · 29/12/2022 18:37

What are school doing to support her? I don't see any specifics. My DD has ADHD and has personalised support from state school with no EHCP.

inflatableglobe · 10/01/2023 17:48

To be honest this sounds more like ASD than ADHD

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