Identifying reasons for very poor academic attainment

[MrsBobDylan]

Ds nearly 7, yr 2 has failed every progress check at school since reception and is really behind, probably bottom of his class.

He has been having investigations into epilepsy and certainly gets a fair few, seconds long episodes but 2 eeg's in and we can't confirm them (another scheduled for January).

I am dyslexic and thought it was probably that but he has a good long and short term memory and it just doesn't seem to fit. I would say he is intelligent with good verbal ability.

The other option is ADHD. He is really well behaved in class but a constant ball of activity and movement, couldn't concentrate on being read a simple child's book until a couple of months ago, so usually does a where's Wally or maze book with me before bed.

He's an absolute nightmare to get his homework done (reading 3x per week, spellings and 30 mins of a maths app) so they keep him in every Friday to catch up. I hate that but it's the rule they apply to the whole school. He just accepts it but I don't want him to feel punished because he is such a good boy.

We are trying to raise the money for an assessment. I worry if we splurged the cash in a dyslexia assessment he will get a diagnosis but we may miss something else going on. Will the dr just patronise us if we talk about adhd with him?

My other two kids have additional needs but it has always felt more logical and obvious what they were and I'm unsure about this!

I have a daughter with a learning disability in a specialist school
My son has no SEN but is near the bottom of his class year 4 purely because he can't be arsed- he can do it but he doesn't try.

Has he been assessed by an educational psychologist? There are many variables that determine how a child is struggling, or not, in various areas - processing speed, working memory etc.

I would spend the money on a private educational psychologist assessment. They can look at everything, like the poster above says, and if they feel there is ADHD you can request a referral for a NHS diagnosis.

@MrsBobDylan Regarding investigations for seizure activity, is he having absence seizures? How frequent are the episodes? He could be missing chunks of teaching and having a hard time catching up.

Don't waste your money on a private Ed Psych report as school will not be able to use it. You would be better asking school if they can investigate why he is falling do far behind. Ask for an Ed Psych assessment from school. I paid for my son to have dyslexia assessment by An Ed Psych privately. It cast £350 and when I took it into school they said they could not use it. They said I would have to wait in turn until school asked for Ed Psych assessment. It was so frustrating and school made us wait another 14 months. Eventually it was done and when I got a copy of report it was very similar to one I had done in first place.

CaringCarer Of course the school can use a private EP assessment. Why on earth could they not. EPs are regulated professionals and the Code of Practice is clear about the necessity of schools and LA's in accepting reports from outside professionals. I've been a LA and independent EP for 15 years and I've never come across this. Lots of my work is commissioned by schools and LA's, but my focus, whoever commissions is on collaborative work.

If you are concerned about your son's attainment, I think a broad EP assessment which looks at a wide range of factors might be a good next step. I don't focus on diagnosis, but on looking at all of the factors that might be contributing to a child's needs and thinking about effective provision. Speak to a few EPs to find someone you feel comfortable with, and check they will visit or speak with the school too, as this is really important.

Thanks for the input all.

@jukester sorry, but that made me laugh, I have an elder son who is very much in the 'can't be arsed' category too

Re the seizures, he was getting tonnes every day in year R and 1 (seconds long) but only gets one a day now. I do think they have had stopped him being able to concentrate and learn and he is certainly making more progress since they became less frequent.

I rang the ADHD Foundation today for advice. I discussed ds and she talked me through the ways ADHD affects learning - there were certainly more than a few boxes ticked! DS Dad is currently trying to get an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and he really wants to try medication because he is so sick of having a 'fast brain' which he can't focus with. DS is very like him, 100 mph at everything, endless energy, great memory but hopeless at putting the info into it iyswim.

She advised me to speak to the school nurse as sometimes they have access to software which can be used to screen for ADHD.

I will try and get the school to stump up for an Ed Psych but failing that we will pay. I suspect ds is too well behaved to get them interested. My middle son has always had all the help going because he can make a first class nuisance of himself 😂