Anyone in Wales grappling with an IDP for ADHD?

[Duckatron]

Really sorry this is so long, I'm pulling my hair out at the moment.

My son is currently in year 5. He was diagnosed with dcd/dyspraxia in 2023 and finally received his ADHD diagnosis last year.

There are things which have helped previously which he hasn't had this year. To help reduce distractions in the classroom he had noise cancelling headphones, privacy screen around his work area. They used to take him out of the classroom to complete tests. They don't do any of this now and he's struggling. Can we insist they bring these back? His test scores have drastically declined this year.

His teacher last year also really got that practicing stuff that he was struggling with/uncertain of at home helped improved his confidence. They've refused to engage at all on that this year. Can these things even be in an IDP? I'm guessing not but I know it makes such a difference, it's so frustrating.

They've also put him in a class for next year without any friends and are refusing to move him. This is against a backdrop where I've repeatedly been in contact with them about his anxiety recently. Is this an IDP thing, as I'm pretty certain he's going to be upset and dysregulated in that class next year. We've had an experience in the past where they put him in a class without friends and then punished him when he was dysregulated. I am so worried it will happen again.

If you haven’t already, have a look at SNAP Cymru and the Welsh Nodi guide.

The ear defenders and privacy screen should be simple reasonable adjustments. They should be made without even needing to be in the IDP. But they can/should be included in there too. If you have already approached the school about these and they have refused, remind them of their duty under the Equality Act.

Access arrangements for exams should also be provided without the need for them to be explicitly mentioned in the IDP. However, for more general tests, the school may not have the staffing to remove from class for each test. Although this is something that can be covered in the IDP, too.

I take it DS has an IDP maintained by the school? If so, you can request that the school reviews the IDP. If they won’t, you can ask the LA to reconsider. If they do but you don’t think it is sufficient, you can ask the LA to take over responsibility for the IDP. Ultimately, you can appeal.

Provision outside of school time can sometimes be included, but it depends on the individual circumstances and shouldn't be reliant on you.