ADHD diagnosis?

[cnca00]

So I've long since suspected that DS age nearly 13 has ADHD - he's very sensory seeking, impulsive, loud/chaotic, very talkative, very easily distracted, school reports always say 'finds it hard to concentrate' etc. He has no diagnosis and coped pretty well at primary school with the use of various aids when he was younger eg wobble cushion, fidget toys, ear defenders, woking alone etc and has never struggled socially although he does seem to act immaturely (to my eyes anyway, he has a great sense of humor and some lovely kind/patient friends) Academically he's very bright - taught himself to read fully aged 2, always top set although handwriting not great as he has hypermobility.

So I went to the primary school and GP in 2018 and 2019 with my concerns and asked for a referral to get a diagnosis. We were sent on a parenting course and told MindWorks and CAMHS were not accepting referrals at that time. School started to look into things but then COVID hit, school closed and nothing more was done. I asked the SENCO for a progress update at the beginning of yr 6 and she said oh yes, I meant to observe him but because of Covid I never did (he was in school during Covid time as the child of a key worker) then due to SENCO workload he was never observed and left primary.

When he started secondary school I gave a detailed overview of his behaviours and my suspicions of ADHD as well as hypermobility diagnosis. All his school reports since the start have shown negative in the areas of focus and concentration and he has got a couple of detentions recently for impulsive behaviours - he's never been in trouble at school before. I went again to the GP and school last week to ask for a referral for ADHD assessment or diagnosis but again was told that MindWorks and CAMHS are not accepting referrals

I just wanted some advice on what to do now - is a diagnosis necessary and if so, how do I go about getting one? I am just concerned that as he gets older more will be expected of him socially and academically and having all these constant negative comments about lack of focus on his school report is really upsetting him as he says he's trying his best - combined with what seems to be an escalation of sanctions at school with the detentions. The secondary school SENCO is really helpful but cannot refer either so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Sorry it's so long!

You are being fobbed off. Push for a referral. If they won’t refer you in area request to be referred out of area.

Support in school is based on needs, not diagnosis. The school must make their best endeavours to meet DS’s SEN now. They don’t need to wait for a diagnosis. What support is the school providing? Request a meeting with the SENCO.

Thank you for your response -Do I go back to the GP or the school to ask for an out of area referral? Will request a SENCO meeting in the new year.

The GP.

Personallly I wouldn't wait for the new year. If he's in school this week ask tomorrow, if you can.

Thanks - term ended last week but will arrange a SENCO meeting in the new year and go back to the GP. Appreciate your responses.

Is there anyway you can go private given your son's age? Or ask if your GP has Right To Choose option.

We had similar issues with Covid etc with DD 14.

GP was happy to refer but it was a 2-3 year wait for an appointment here, so he recommended we find the money and a private provider given the high likelihood that she would get the diagnosis and GCSEs less than 2 years away.

Medication is really the only answer with ADHD - once they are medicated you can then add in strategies on top.