How do I advocate with college for DS, 16, Y12, ASD and inattentive ADHD?

[DripDripDrippy]

DS is in Y12 at sixth form college, and has just been diagnosed ASD and inattentive ADHD. We don't have the full report yet. I'm here to seek help and advice from other parents who have dealt with similar.

Seeking a diagnosis was prompted by a period of really low mental health apparently triggered by moving from secondary school to college (no through schools around here). His focus and motivation plummeted, he didn't do any homework in the whole first term, and we didn't spot it (because he was closeted in his room telling us he was revising etc) until college called us in and he's on a warning etc.

The college seem more focussed on their exam score performance than my child and have said that if he doesn't do well in the summer exams that are a predictor for the A-level finals they want him to enrol somewhere else, starting y12 again. Given that transitions are awful for him I think this is not going to solve anything, just export the 'problem' to the next college.

1. Can they do this - unenroll him, rather than put him back to start Y12 with them again?
2. I realise an EHCP doesn't apply as he's post 16. What else can I use to advocate for him - disability discrimination legislation? I have scheduled this week (I'm off work on leave) to exhaustively read the college's policies.
3. He's academically able, he wants to stay at this college, he wants to do his 3 A-levels, and he wants to go to university. He has engaged really well with a clinical psychologist we found for him, and we will be going for ADHD medication but that is unlikely to help before the summer exams. What else might help him?
4. Family are generally all on board although DH who's also ADHD just thinks medication is a silver bullet (that is a whole other thread that I'd really rather not go into).

Thanks in advance. Am only just keeping it together here - have a tendency to catastrophise!

It sounds as though college may be a complete waste of his time

Well I'm trying to follow what he wants, and he wants to stay at college and get these A levels. He's academically capable, and I suspect that the diagnosis report is going to say something I'd paraphrase as "high-functioning" (I suspect that is an outdated term as I can see it is pejorative to others).

If you @Whatsnextforbea have an idea what would be a better use of his time (and mine, in supporting him) I'm very open to it!

Why are you saying an EHCP doesn't apply as he is post 16?
My DD got an EHCP in y12.

Starting again can be the best thing if otherwise they are going to fail A levels (obviously with the right support). Sometimes BTEC Extended Diplomas suit better.

What support do you think he needs? Contact tutor and learning support.

We really found that getting the EHCP opened doors for support and flexibility. (Not doing A levels though.)

Something more vocational at local college?

1. Colleges shouldn’t be asking DC to leave for reasons related to their disability. There was a case at a school (St Olave’s if you want to look at it) about progression from Y12 to Y13, but that is slightly different because schools have different rules. However, colleges still have to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and asking DS to leave because he has struggled because of his disability when they haven’t even put in place reasonable adjustments would be discrimination.

Having said that, do you think it is the right place? Would a carefully planned transition to somewhere with more support be better?

Do you think A levels are right for DS?

2.EHCPs still apply post 16. They can continue until 25 or 26 in some circumstances, if necessary. You/DS can request an EHCNA if you want. Start by reading IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites and the SENCOP. If you/DS want to request an EHCNA, there are model letters on IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites you can use.

The Equality Act 2010 still applies too. And although the government's suspension and exclusion guidance doesn’t apply to colleges, the college must have an exclusion policy, it must adhere to the Equality Act and they must follow it (including making reasonable adjustments for disability).

3.Will DS allow you to help him organise his notes and plan revision? Does DS have exam access arrangements? Ask the college if they have any study skills support? An educational psychologist assessment would help. Coaching/mentoring might too. Does DS use any assistive tech? These won’t all be possible before the summer exams, though.

Is DS’s mood still low? If so, would he be open to trying antidepressants? Not all autistic people find them helpful, but some do.

Request a meeting with the SENCO. Even if the college doesn’t call them a SENCO, there will be someone with responsibility for SEN. If you don’t get anywhere with them, contact the principal/head.

All high functioning means is that the person doesn’t have a co-morbid learning disability (i.e. has an IQ of 70+). The problem is people to use it to mean something it originally wasn’t intended to mean.

Your son clearly deserves to complete his A levels, and repeating year 12 would be best. Being overwhelmed by a transition yo vollege by no means indicates thst he doesn't have the ability to complete A levels and be duccessful at university. I completely understand how difficult his transition must have been, but many of the difficulties might have stemmed from transitioning without support and understanding of his own needs to an unsupportive place. It might not necessarily mean that every transition will automatically make things worse. It's not always better to stay with the devil you know. I would start by looking at other 6 form colleges and speaking to their SEN teams, to get the 'vibes'. You should make an EHCPA now, and in the meantime ask what help other colleges can provide without an EHCP, e.g. trial and orientation days, getting the extra time in exams as an accommodation he is entitled to etc. They might not have a mentor without EHCP funding but colleges usually provide a form tutor, and it sounds like the current one has not been very supportive and good at communicating with you about your son's needs. You should be able to contact the form tutor at the beginning of the year and keep communication open. It must be tough for your son's confidence to have fallen behind academically and he is now in a downwards spiral and getting more and more overwhealmed. If he has an extra year ahead, you could use the rest of this year, and the summer holidays, to get ahead academically to make the start of next year easier. I would consider staying home from now for mental health reasons and focussing on revising the course content he has missed, ideally, if affordable, with the help of a tutor, or there are online and AI options, even just the free videos you now get with every revision book. Even with a more thoughful transition to a hopefully more supportive place, once there it will still be a shock to the system and he'll need to prioritise rest, getting to know fellow students, excercise etc. So if he has credit in his knowledge bank, he won't panic if it takes him a little while to settle and get back into learning and revising. I found it helps neurodivergent pupils/workers a lot to be 'overprepared' and engage in overlearning. If academic information is deeply engrained and recall has become automatic before the actual lesson through learning at home, at weekends, holidays, on 'study days off' and from previous years, it leaves more bandwith to deal with the social, sensory etc aspects in a classroom and enables students to speak up in class, ask or answer questions etc., so they will deepen their learning even more.

These are all really helpful points thanks. A lot of acronyms to learn! I'll digest everything. I think the main thing is whether repeating the year at the same college is possible.

I can't adequately describe how unlikely a switch to vocational learning would be to improve things. He doesn't have a vocation, he isn't a tinkerer or an experimenter. He's academic, solitary, reserved. And the transition would set him back rather than bump start him.

It is a language all of its own, isn’t it?

BTEC - Business and Technology Education Council
EHCP - Education Health and Care Plan
EHCNA - Education Health and Care Needs Assessment
IPSEA - Independent Provider of Special Education Advice - a charity
SOSSEN - is SOS SEN - another charity
SENCOP - Special Educational Needs and disability Code of Practice - a government document that is statutory guidance
SENCO - Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
IQ - Intelligence Quotient
SEN - Special Educational Needs

EHCPA isn’t an acronym in normal use. I think that poster meant EHCNA.

I think that is it from this thread.

Funding wise, it is possible for DS to restart the year at the same institution. It is worth reading the 16-19 funding regulations. Normally, there should be educational progression. In the small number of cases where there isn’t, there should be good educational reasons for it. Whether the college will allow it is a different matter. Some won’t. Although in DS’s case they should make reasonable adjustments.

Ah, reasonable adjustments. Rather ominously one of the college's points on (or against) what constitutes reasonable is "the need to maintain academic standards". Amongst other things like 100% attendance, dress code, doing surveys (?!?)

So I worry that even if we rush to medicate, if he doesn't show an uptick in his scores in the summer exams he's out, regardless of there being reasons to believe he will significantly improve with another 2 years of teaching.

I should possibly also have mentioned he's not 17 till August, so he's right at the young end of the year group.

Things like attendance absolutely come under reasonable adjustments. Same for dress code - not to say anything goes just because, it has to be a reasonable adjustment, but to not make reasonable adjustments leaves them old to being accused of disability discrimination.

I'm following this with great interest as I'm in a similar position. I know the school systrm very well but the college one seems so alien and just following their own rules.
Schools have an obligation to be needs led, is this not the same at college? Does anyone know?

Reasonable adjustments in college and university | Disability charity Scope UK https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/reasonable-adjustments-college-university?gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=20292776777&gclid=CjwKCAjwnN3OBhA8EiwAfpTYelQTTkV5bAL2XQkdmLrDnpUYSzZ0mDPQUr8XUTwgO8lvc1rpt8eExoCSSUQAvDBwE

This may be useful. Post 16 environments do vary though (I assume this one is 16+ only and not part of/attached to a school?) I know at my school, which has a large sixth form, that we cannot prevent students progressing to year 13 (or only in a very limited set of circumstances) but on the other hand we do not have to allow them to restart year 12 at our school, although sometimes we do. KS5 funding does cover 3 years though. The most common restart situation would be restart at a different institution.

I think @Ilka1985 's tips are really good regarding learning (I'm a sixth form teacher) and I'm adding "credit in the knowledge bank" to my stock of phrases 😃.

Colleges have some slightly different rules compared to schools.

So while support should be needs led rather than based on a diagnosis, the Equality Act still applies and the SENCOP still applies, there are elements that are different.

For example, the rules on removal from the roll (including between Y12 to Y13) are slightly different for colleges than schools. This is because the suspension and exclusion guidance and The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 don’t apply to colleges. Although colleges still shouldn’t be refusing progression from Y12 to Y13 for disability related reasons. They should still be adhering to the Equality Act and have/follow their own (lawful) policies.