DS has all ADHD but failed QB test so rejected from CAMHS help!

[Shortwinter]

My teenage DS got preliminary diagnosed with ADHD from the connors questionnaires given to us and school etc, and from lengthy interviews with CAMHs team.

It felt like at last we would get some support after waiting such a long time to even get assessed by CAMHS.

But then just before they formally diagnosed he did the QB test and they just basically threw him out of their services! At the last meeting I was so depressed, they basically said maybe he should just do manual work and forget exams. The QB test picked up very high hyperactivity but average attention.

I’m so furious as DS does have difficulties, big ones, that he’s had for years. The school say he’s bright and capable but doesn’t pay attention, forgets his stuff, can’t sit still. He’s not aggressive and is polite.

I’ve tried referring to educational psychologist but told I’d get nowhere.

Now he’s facing exams and a future with no clear idea of how to cope with his challenges, what could I do now? Obviously I’ve been helping him myself as much as a I can, talking to teachers, helping his organization skills but he really needs more expert help. Not necessarily medication but a recognition and help.

It is no consolation but he was unlikely to have got much help even if they had diagnosed him, apart from medication (which may well have helped).

I would push for a referral to educational psychology, especially if school are seeing problems. School support should be based on needs not diagnosis and educational psychology should be able to identify some strategies to support him. As far as exams: it is worth raising the issue of adjustments now as my understanding is you can only request adjustments in exams that are happening in the classroom (please check this though - I am not certain). However exam adjustments can include extra time or someone to prompt him back to task.

Thanks @Birdsfoottrefoil the school were initially contacted by CAMHs to say they had an almost definite ADHD diagnosis. And then just left it!

So the school won’t make adjustments without a diagnosis.

You say CAMHS have noted some problems (eg hyperactivity), in which case I would ask them for a report regarding the conner’s questionnaires and other findings. He may not reach their threshold for diagnosis at the moment (he may in due course) but that does not mean they found no problems. As long as the difficulties they identified would not impact on their service they will probably be happy to put them in a report you could take to school.

@Birdsfoot thanks I did get a report after asking for many weeks. It is not great as it has a letter overplaying the QB test and not even mentioning the connors scales, and it leaves out the response for the school. Not impressed!

However it does include some ‘raw data’ which I can then interpret for the school. It’s just sad as it means he has no official access to supports at school, they won’t give them as I’ve asked, and at college afterwards most support needs a diagnosis for there to be any real help. All to do with funding I guess.

And yet the connors scales clearly showed he was presenting with all the attention deficit problems of ADHD in quite a severe way too. So he has all the problems associated but just no diagnosis and therefore no help.

Second opinion?

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/how-do-i-get-a-second-opinion/

Thanks I would like to look into that. Thanks for your help.

So my daughter has already had a qb check but passed at 7 years old, now age 12 she's displaying adhd traits, the school have backed me up, im worried she will not get diagnosis if she passes another qb test. Will this happen im really worried

Happened to my daughter two schools backed me wrote war and peace to the adhd team she passed the QB test and fell short of her marks in the other areas even after they listed a massive list of concerns the teachers had second time we have had her assesed and they have said NO

at a bit of a loss with it all how can 4 teachers myself and her dr all state the same thing yet the hospital overrules this based on their “marking system” they use?