Going back into mainstream classes [Edited by MNHQ]

[MrsMartinRohde]

I didn't know whether to post this in primary education or what...

DS1 has autism (diagnosed 18 months ago when he was in year 3). He's nearly 9 and going into year 5 in Sept. He's a bright boy but has struggled at school academically; he's an August baby. Strongly suspect that he has ADHD as well as undiagnosed learning difficulties and after an 18 month wait, things have finally got bad enough for school actually make the referral to an educational psychologist. Very long story there but they lied to me about the referral having happened well over a year ago, which I found out just last week. DS has fairly typical social struggles for an ASD child on top of that; he's had internal exclsions for violence in the playground, for example :(

In year 1 he was put in a literacy intervention class, in which he's stayed ever since. In year 3, maths intervention classes were started and he went straight in there, too. I can't go so far as to say he's flourished but he's made progress. The most significant factor in this seems to be the smaller class size with more teaching support, 12 children with 2 staff as opposed to 30 and 2 in the full class. DS struggles with focus and staying on task, organising his work; he has needed the teacher to keep him on task, and it's been notable how his behaviour, focus, attention, effort and results fall off a cliff when he's in the full class for everything other than maths and English

Now I've heard that in year 5 there will be no intervention classes. DS will therefore be in the full class all the time. I spoke with the Senco today and she was telling me about differentiation and mastery and seemed to think that it would all be fine, smaller classes wouldn't be needed. I'm prepared to be convinced but to be honest I'm struggling to believe it'll be any different for DS than all the other times he's taught in the full class. He's not been judged, otherwise, to be ready to join the full class, and I've been led to believe that if there was intervention classes, he'd definitely be in them.

He doesn't have an EHCP, though I will be applying for a needs assessment in the coming year, in advance of secondary school transfer.

Can anyone give me any information about whether it really works in practise to teach children of a wide range of abilities and needs together, without the kid who is clearly at the bottom of the heap feeling like a failure? DS was working at the highest level in his intervention classes and that has been a boost to his confidence, because all the rest of the time, he's struggling, which makes him bored and unengaged, and then he doesn't try and messes about, gets in trouble, etc etc etc, you can imagine.

I just feel really down about this. Any success stories about being able to return to mainstream and survive (even thrive?) I don't know anything about mastery or teaching methods.

Thanks for any advice. :)

My first step would be to get him to gp and ask for anaf
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Sorry small person jumped on me.

Go.to gp and ask for adhd assessment. Medication could make a huge difference if he has adhd

And doesn't he need an echp if he's getting classroom exclusions.

I'd also look at the possibility of dyslexia. Iv been using a book called toe by toe that's doing wonders for my asd boy and his reading

thank you :)

it was ADHD I thought he had when he was going through the assessment screening process in 2016, and he had the neurodevelopmental assessment into ASD and ADHD. the psychologist who assessed him said he considered all DS's inattentive and concentration symptoms to be part and parcel of his ASD, and that the acid test would be if he responded to medication. I didn't take anything further, TBH I was kind of reeling from the ASD diagnosis (not in a bad way but in a millions of pennies all dropping way). one of this pschologist's recommendations going forward was the EP assessment. would this indicate ADHD? it's the biggest frustration to me that school lied to me and had me believe he was getting assessed soon yet was never referred, because DS's very real classroom and wider school issues have obviously only got worse and while the teachers are pretty good at making adaptations based on what they observe are DS's difficulties, they're not experts.

it's only now DS's behaviour is becoming much more problematic that they're getting the EP in. sigh. I want to cry because it shouldn't have had to get to that degree. I know, funding issues etc.

I did take DS to the GP this week (because of his violence at home), and he's referred to CAMHS again now. I flagged the ADHD thing but I'm concerned that as he already has the ASD diagnosis they too will regard any further issues as all part of that, and refuse to see him again.

can a GP prescribe ADHD medication or is that a psychiatrist only thing?

re dyslexia, I'm open minded to all of those learning difficulties, DS's handwriting is horrendous, but he didn't seem to have a lot of problems learning to read or write, other than the fact that his inattention dragged everything out. I believe at 8 he's at the right level for his age anyway.

the EHCP - school won't make an application, they say they're meeting his needs. I respectfully disgree on the basis that they know he has additional needs yet to what extent is unknown till he's seen the EP. but it was a pretty flat no, so I'll be doing it myself, and purely in the hope of having supports in place for high school before he goes. if I can't I'm almost definite that we'll then have to get them in place once he's in high school. I cannot see DS coping with high school in any way, socially, academically, if he was in mainstream full time with no support. the thought fills me with horror actually.

Ipsea is very good. Sen sos too for advice.

U prob gave to apply for echp yourself.

U will have to push for adhd assessment. I had to fight hard for one after dc was diagnosed with asd.

Med's r usually the realm of peads or clinical psych

thank you. if you don't mind me asking, what was the process for getting the ADHD diagnosis when your DC was already diagnosed?

is your DC on meds? what difference did that make?