DS2 (9) really struggling to read

[TheKitchenWitch]

Not in the UK, so system is different but:

DS2 has speech and language difficulties, he goes to a special school for it. And he has AD(H)D. He repeated his first year at primary school as it the ADHD was only diagnosed once we all realised he couldn't concentrate on school work at all.
He has a 1:1, gets lots of support, is absolutely in the right learning environment but still, he is really really struggling to read and I can't really see why or what I should do about it.
His teacher says DS is just about doing OK, but will find next year very difficult if his reading doesn't improve. He knows his letters and sounds, but just doesn't seem to be able to join them up fast enough iyswim. He can sound out words, but doesn't seem to have progressed at all since the first year. We practice but it doesn't seem to make any difference - I get the feeling the problem isn't lack of practicing, it seems to be a different sort of difficulty I can't quite figure out.
He's ok at maths, doesn't have problems with forming letters or writing, we just don't seem to be getting anywhere with reading and I'm beginning to panic a bit - it's the key to all other learning!
Any suggestions or advice would be very gratefully received.
(NB the ADHD concentration problems fluctuate greatly, but we have good ways of dealing with them, so I don't think that's necessarily what's impeding learning to read)

[Headfirstintothewild]

Has DS been assessed by an educational psychologist?

Alongside learning to read, has he tried text to speech software?

[TheKitchenWitch]

Yes, he has (or the equivalent of that here). The non-hyperactive ADHD assessment came via them, and they noted he also has some sensory issues.

They don't use any ipads or software at school, but we do get access to practice sites for both Maths and German (we are in Germany). Generally though he gets even more distracted when on that and learns/practices even less than if it's a book or printout.

[Headfirstintothewild]

Totally irrelevant to your post, but it is interesting educational psychologists can diagnose DC with ADHD in Germany.

[TheKitchenWitch]

The person who diagnosed him is part of a SEN centre which deals with all forms of SN/SEN. We were referred to them by our paediatrician.

Funnily enough, right after posting this, he did some (voluntary!) reading that was astonishingly fluent and a lot closer to what I'd be expecting at this age....

[TheKitchenWitch]

Who would diagnose that in the U.K.?

[Headfirstintothewild]

It would be a psychiatrist or paediatrician (or less commonly a specialist clinical psychologist) who diagnoses ADHD in the UK rather than an educational psychologist. Although an ed psych &/or clinical psychologist is sometimes part of neurodevelopmental multi-disciplinary teams.