ADHD schools

[clare40]

Which schools are best for mild ADHD? We can afford private and want to do what is best for him. Any ideas or comments? I think a class of 30 kids will not help.

How old is your child?

My 4yo started school last week (mainstream state... No prep would touch him). I was desperately worried about it. 30 kids, overcapacity school etc.

It's week 1... Very early days, I know, BUT he is loving it!

Reeeelisticaally, he needed the support the state sector can offer.

My DS has HFA.

Don't dismiss the state school

How old is your son?.

Visit as many state schools in your area as you can and pay particular attention to what the SENCO there is like.

Would suggest too that you now apply for a Statement of special needs for him from your LEA if you have not already done so. IPSEA's website is helpful www.ipsea.org.uk

Yes, agree with attila - my DS has a dignosis and we are very close to getting a statement.

What kind of statement would you expect to get?

He is in yr1. We had a few problems in receprion which his teacher put down to developmental delay, but I strongly suspect his behaviour is more than that. He is very hyper, silly with very little concentration. My gut feeling is that things will escalate this year, so I am just thinking ahead.

I am HOPING for a full time 1-2-1 TA + a couple of hours of SALT per week.

I haven't sen our draft yet, but I think that is what we are on course for.

You can only tell by meeting the head and the senco and judging the attitude and experience of both, this goes for state and private. Be aware that a lot of private charge exta for sen and its treated almost as a perapetetic add on as if he were learning the trumpet. Also, i now have experience of both sectors and private is far less accomodating and the staff more set in their ways and demanding of students. The h.w demands are greater and the sense of competition bigger. You really need to look at a non selective school who are accommodating and who have experience already. Also make sure that they are financially secure. There are a lot of small privates that are going under. Sen will be the first thing that goes. If you go out of the state system then any other support will be lost to you(generally). Essentially, your son's education will be as good as the senco so go on that.

If you have the money, it might be worth getting a full psycho-Ed assessment done, so that you have an accurate picture of what his strengths and weaknesses are, and what supports would be a good idea. Then you can use that info to search for settings that can provide what he needs.

For mild ADHD, you are unlikely to get a lot of support in state, tbh.

Usually for kids with mild difficulties, it is yr 3 ish that the differences with their peers start to become unavoidable, and the school starts to wonder and put them on waiting lists for assessment (can be a year or so on the list). So if you have definite concerns and suspect that a diagnosis is likely, I would take the bull by the horns and get onto it.

Discuss with your go or pediatrician (in the next year or so if he is carrying an ADHD diagnosis and needs support in some areas, it may be worth discussing medication, but whether this is something you would consider or not, if you believe your son may end up with a dx, it's worth getting your gp/ paed to start the ball rolling.

Sometimes private settings are better as they have more sporting facilities etc (and usually daily pe), but you need to look at the academic requirements and decide whether each setting matches your son's needs. As others have said, discussion with the senco can be helpful, but without a dx, it is unlikely you will get far.