Help for my teenager

[lovethesun247]

My son is 17. Just before Easter he got his school report and it was showed a decline in his subjects.

I contacted the school to arrange a meeting and in the meantime he had been referred to learning support for an assessment. I was only told about the assessment by him after he had attended the appointment. The school hadn't contacted me to let me know.

In the meeting they said they referred him to check to see if he would need extra time in his exams, but he passed the assessments (I think it was for slow processing) so this wasn't necessary.

They then mentioned ADHD as he loses concentration and has to repeatedly be told the same thing and he doesn't seem to take it in.

I contacted our GP and was told to get an assessment on the NHS would take a long time and I have looked into getting him assessed privately, but there wasn't any immediate appointments available.

Would I be able to request that he be allowed extra time in his exams while he is waiting for an assessment for ADHD or is this only granted to children who have been diagnosed?

Extra time for testing is separate to the diagnosis. There is a strict process for getting g extra time (called exam access arrangement / eaa). If he doesn't qualify, he doesn't qualify. What was he like when doing GCSEs? I think some children aren't suited to A Levels and would be better on a more vocational route.

Well you can certainly request it but you may be better asking about this in the SN Teens section.

Did they test for dyslexia?

I don't think they tested for dyslexia. But I will ask them.
They didn't tell me he had been referred for anything. I only found out after my son mentioned it when he came back from school. He didn't give any details. Just said he had to do an assessment in learning support

Have a look at 37 signs of dyslexia - if he has slow processing (or not) this is what they are testing for. Plus reading spend and hand writing.