Advice on school support after private ADHD screener for 12-year-old son

[SandyToes46]

Hi, my son is 12 and we've just had the results of a QB test which we did privately as a screener to check that what we were seeing in our son was valid as his school is of the opinion "he's fine"
It's come back as highly likely for inattentive adhd.
We will now contact our gp and set the ball in motion there but I'd love some advice on on what we should ask for the school to put into place or if they should based on just results of a screener? He's dyslexic also and it's been a slog to get them to put the most basic of support into place for that.
I've had several meetings saying that he feels overwhelmed, stressed in class and all she's says is well I think he enjoys the extra attention and that he'd probably abuse a time out card ( which they refused to give him)
I've been very polite but firm and I'm sure she thinks his issues are all in my head!
So any advice at this point would be so welcome 🙏

Support in schools is based on needs, not diagnosis.

Request a meeting with the SENCO. If you don’t get anywhere, speak to the member of the SLT with responsibility for SEN. If you have the teachers’ email addresses, contact them directly too.

Is there anything in particular that DS is feeling stressed by within the classroom?

Examples of support could include using a laptop and looking at assistive technology, looking at placement within the classroom, providing handouts/power points rather than expecting copying from the board, key worker/mentoring to support organisation/study skills, pre-teaching new vocabulary, looking at exam access arrangements, not cold calling, looking at the homework load, movement breaks, and use of noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders. But it depends on DS’s needs and what the school can offer at a SEN Support level. You could consider requesting an EHCNA.

Many schools can’t provide it at a SEN Support level, but you could also look at dyslexia specialist tuition.

Thank you this is helpful

What is the QB test? And how can you get one please?
I didn't know you could book one by itself

And how much was it?

It is a test that is often used as part of ADHD assessments. You would either need a referral on the NHS or RTC if RTC ADHD referrals haven’t been paused in your area. Your GP will be able to refer. The assessment may or may end up including a QB test. Or you look privately. If you go private and just want a QB test, you would need to ask if they did that. Some won’t. Some will only do a QB test as part of a full assessment.

Hi yes I know that
I just didn't know what the actual QB test was,v what the content of it was and how to go about getting one in its own and how much it is

It is a task on a computer. You have to respond to a sequence of coloured shapes by pressing a button. It measures response time, attention, and impulsivity. You also wear a headband and a camera tracks movement.

To get one on its own, you will need to find a private provider who is willing to just offer that. If you google QB test and your local area, you should be able to find someone. Prices vary wildly, from a couple of hundred up to well over £500 up to a couple of thousand from some companies if it is part of a full assessment.

Thank you

It's not uncommon for someone with one ND condition to also have a second ND condition - or for that to be masked at school.

The idea that support in school is based on need is very lovely. But the student would have to be making 'the need' very, very obvious to get any support, ie you only get noticed if your behaviour is causing major problems or you're so far behind that it's getting ridiculous. Any student masking and struggling through the day is extremely unlikely to get picked up or supported in any way. That's why it's just meaningless bullshit really. DS certainly required a diagnosis (ASD/dyspraxia) to get any kind of support and even then it was extremely hard work to get anything put in place.

If you think he's going to benefit from a time out card, and going to be able to manage it then I'd push for a trial on the basis of his screening. I can understand the reluctance to give them out though because it is so easy for kids to over use it and going back once you've left can also be difficult. There's also the possibility of missing important input.

Is he sat at the front of the class in front of the teacher? DS can't filter out distractions and this made a huge difference to him. Mind you it took literally years for us to manage to get even that put in place.

It's not uncommon for someone with one ND condition to also have a second ND condition - or for that to be masked at school.

The idea that support in school is based on need is very lovely. But the student would have to be making 'the need' very, very obvious to get any support, ie you only get noticed if your behaviour is causing major problems or you're so far behind that it's getting ridiculous. Any student masking and struggling through the day is extremely unlikely to get picked up or supported in any way. That's why it's just meaningless bullshit really. DS certainly required a diagnosis (ASD/dyspraxia) to get any kind of support and even then it was extremely hard work to get anything put in place.

If you think he's going to benefit from a time out card, and going to be able to manage it then I'd push for a trial on the basis of his screening. I can understand the reluctance to give them out though because it is so easy for kids to over use it and going back once you've left can also be difficult. There's also the possibility of missing important input.

Is he sat at the front of the class in front of the teacher? DS can't filter out distractions and this made a huge difference to him. Mind you it took literally years for us to manage to get even that put in place.

Any school &/or LA refusing support because the pupil doesn’t have a diagnosis is acting unlawfully. Parents don’t have to accept unlawful behaviour.

The QB test is as described above and we paid £175 to have it done privately just as a piece of evidence to help us decide on next steps as the teachers/senco say he's fine and is doing OK academically but our son tells us he isn't and I want to understand what's going on so now we have this evidence I can go to the gp and start that process.
School are another matter entirely! It would probably be easier if he was causing chaos instead of trying to please everyone with how helpful and eager he is. One teacher even said that it's so good he's aware of his mental health and that he can ask to step out to regulate himself... which yes of course it is but doesn't that one comment suggest that he is struggling in classes to need to step out to regulate
I'm hoping that the school will support an assessment but I'm not hopeful