Y3 report shows less progress for ASD/ADHD child, should I query it?

[Sprookjesbos]

My son is 8 and was diagnosed with ASD and ADHD in December. This follows difficulties with attention, focus, hyperactivity and emotional regulation since he began school, as well as an intense anxiety around attending, and constant friction with other children (very rigid in his thinking, very emotional = recipe for frequent fallouts with his friends!)

One thing we have always been told despite this is that he excels academically. He was reading fluently by 3.5 and loves maths. He is a bright little boy but it's as though his brain is just total chaos. Last year, his Y2 report had him at exceeding age related expectations in every area of the curriculum. I remember I opened it and cried because despite everything we were going through with him, it gave me hope that there were things he was really good at, and he would be ok.

During Y3 he has settled a bit - better friendships, less school related anxiety, and the diagnosis has definitely helped him understand his difficulties.

I've just opened his y3 report and he is now meeting age related expectations in every area. In his learning behaviours (listens well, working as a group, independent learning), everything is ticked as 'sometimes', which is the lowest category. I feel gutted for him, because he read the report and said "does this mean I'm not really good at maths anymore?" His self esteem is so low and he has a lot of shame around his behaviour. I think he really got a boost from knowing there were some things he was really good at. I have of course reassured him that he's doing brilliantly and is very good at maths, but that different teachers score things differently.

I don't know why I feel so emotional about it. I think I'm just permanently in a state of worry about DS and how his future will look. Should I be worried that this means he hasn't made good progress in Y3? Will I look like 'that parent' for asking about it, would it be reasonable to?

I think requesting a meeting would be reasonable and a good idea. Not to solely focus on academics, but also on wider SEN support.

Year 3 can be a big jump up, which might explain the meeting ARE. Is it a different teacher? That can have an effect too.

Thanks. Yes, it's a different teacher. She has been lovely and very supportive of his general emotional wellbeing. I do wonder if she doesn't realise his potential. He needs quite a lot of pushing as working independently isn't a strength. His focus is poor, but that's his ADHD. Previously though he has really hyper focused in areas of interest and excelled - maths and science usually.

We have had half termly meetings to discuss send support and review his targets but none of his targets are academic. It makes me worry I've taken my eye off his actual learning.

I should add - he will not do any school work at home. We read and we do a lot of science and tech bits. He has a microbit which he codes for example, and makes circuits with his dad.

Luckily the school doesn't give out homework at all, because he has a very clear mental divide between home and school. Occasionally optional tasks have come home and he won't even take them out of his bag. That has always been the same. It does mean it's hard for me to get a grip on where he actually is.

You need another meeting. SEN Support should look at the academic side of things too.

He needs quite a lot of pushing as working independently isn't a strength. His focus is poor, but that's his ADHD.

This may well be the issue. At DC move into, and then up, KS2, more independent working is typically required. Ways to support DS with this should have been covered at the SEN review.

Is DS on medication?

What support is the school providing?

He isn't on medication, but he's on the waiting list. We were told a year, so that would be around November.

In terms of support, movement breaks, loop earplugs, an adult keeping him on task (he doesn't need 1:1 just prompting). He does sensory circuits a couple of times a week which I think should be every day after break/ lunch but apparently they don't have the staff to facilitate it.

I do think that he does the bare minimum sometimes. I also think maybe in KS1 it's easier to be naturally excelling but in KS2 he needs to have the attention span to get things down on paper and demonstrate it?

I will request a meeting.

Have you considered requesting an EHCNA?

It sounds like DS needs more support than he is getting and more than the school can provide without an EHCP. The needs assessment alone will be helpful.

How is DS with other forms of recording answers? For example, how is his work if someone scribes for him or he types or uses assistive technology? Sometimes it is easy to miss other difficulties when DC struggle with attention.

I wouldn't show a primary school child their school report. A bit late now, but consider for next time. And definitely ask to discuss eith the teacher.

Fair point, but our primary school actually writes reports TO the child like a letter, so "Dear DS" and then what they're proud of, what they've done well, what their next steps are and it's written in a really positive way. On the back of this letter is the tick sheet with the subject areas and I wouldn't have given this to him otherwise.

@ChasingMoreSleep
Thanks for your thoughts. Sorry for the delayed response we have been away this week.

To be honest I haven't thought about requesting an ECHP NA. Up until now, he was doing really well in school. He has always disliked school and we have always had struggles getting him in and meltdowns on the way out. I think this was due to masking heavily when in there. He has friends and many of his friends parents have no idea DS has a diagnosis and would be surprised to find out. He doesn't appear to have needs severe enough to need an EHCP.

Saying all that, he struggles massively with emotional regulation at home, inflexibility and sensory issues. Since going through the assessment process, what seems to have happened is it's all evened out. We haven't had the same extremes before and after school, but the behaviour has crept into school a bit, struggling with other children, a bit of defiance. It is almost like the mask has started to come down a bit.

We've just had to cut a holiday short because DS wasn't coping (just been to an air b and b in Wales nothing more extreme thankfully!) daily meltdowns, hurting himself, only happy obsessively hunting crabs on the beach, bed wetting every night. So the needs are there, they just aren't showing up in school.

I'm wondering if this slide in academic performance is an indication they are beginning to show up in school.

Sorry this wasn't very coherent, in exhausted this morning and just thinking aloud!

Missed your other questions sorry. I have no idea but I will ask the teacher - he will not do anything like school work at home. Two years ago, when he was in year 1, my sister did a reading assessment on him (she's a teacher) It was called a YARC and it was reading a passage followed by oral questions. He came out with an age equivalent score of 9.5 years and he was only just 6 at the time. He's clearly a clever boy. You have got me thinking though that maybe he can't get the answers down. He really hates writing.

Thanks for the update - interesting about school writing a report to children. I think the bit about communicating targets and maybe effort is good, but I'd always avoid comments about attainment - good or bad. Maybe next year just read out loud and filter the report.

I agree with others' assessments that Y3 expects more writing to show attainment, which can be problematic for asd/adhd. Something to work on, but also, I can assure you that our experience with a similar profile was that the situation greatly improved in a few years, when the delayed writing skills caught up and allowed everything to come together.

Oh yes, definitely good advice. I dropped the ball letting him walk off with the report and read it before I'd had a chance to look properly myself.

Reassuring to hear your experience, thank you.

I would request an EHCNA. DS needs support the school can’t or won’t provide; an EHCP will help. The EHCNA alone will help everyone understand DS’s needs better and the support he requires.

Thank you.

I am also considering an occupational therapist assessment - does this sound reasonable? It's very expensive unfortunately.

His sensory issues have always been a bit of a mystery. He used to have lots of sensory issues around clothing which he has largely grown out of. The loops do apparently have a positive impact on the amount of independent work he produces, but also make him go 'into his own world a bit' according to his teacher. I know exactly what she means because I used to give him ear defenders for noisy places such as fireworks, or trips to theatre etc. Once they were on he was absolutely impossible to communicate with even though I know they don't block all sounds! He would also be very quiet and calm and not like himself! I hadn't heard of other parents having this experience. These days he won't wear ear defenders so I'm not sure if the effect is the same.

He doesn't cover his ears in loud places, though behaviour is often worse on coming out.

An OT assessment from someone who can look at the sensory side of things would be helpful.

Having said that, I wouldn’t delay requesting an EHCNA until you have had one. Firstly, you need someone who has experience of writing Tribunal standard reports in case you need to appeal. Anyone good will have a waiting list unless you are very lucky with a cancellation. Secondly, unless money is no object, I would save your money. If you request an EHCNA and e.g. the LA agrees or assess but refuse to issue, you may decide instead you desperately need to target your money at e.g. independent EP report and the OT report from the EHCNA will do (not brilliant but satisfactory compared to the need to get independent EP).

Thanks very much for all your advice!

Lacking the reflex to cover ears does not mean anything much - sound may still be overstimulating. Kids especially sometimes don't know what the problem is, just that they're experiencing a lot of overwhelm or emotions.