Son with ADHD

blcummins

Hi my son is 12 and has been diagnosed with ADHD. He is in a mainstream school with little or no support. My worry is that they now want him permanently excluded because of his low level disruption in the classroom 
and behaviour in the corridors. 

He is currently on a 5 day extension for his behaviour. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle trying to keep him in school. 

Adrian_Scope

I'm sorry to hear how much stress this is probably causing you @blcummins. It must be very difficult for you to see your child struggling and facing the possibility of permanent exclusion.

Have you tried speaking with the school's SENCO about his ADHD diagnosis and the need for support? There are many accommodations and strategies that can help children with ADHD, such as additional breaks, a quiet space to work, fidgets and modified work. It's possible that your son's behavior could improve with these interventions in place.

If you feel like you're not getting the support you need from your son's school, you may want to consider speaking to IPSEA. 

Scope also have a free service called Navigate which is a mentoring service offering emotional support for parents and carers of disabled children who have been diagnosed in the last year. 

Remember that you are not alone in this struggle. Many parents of children with ADHD (myself included!) face similar challenges and there are resources and support available to help. Keep advocating for your son and seeking out the help he needs to succeed.

L_Volunteer

Hi @blcummins. It is really sad to hear they are thinking about excluding your son, especially as he has little or no support.

Do you know the types of support that would be preferable? Could you ask your local authority for an EHCP assessment - very early prior to exclusion?

It is illegal to exclude when there are unmet needs and if you can prove this, you could potentially prevent your son's exclusion. 

It might be worth reaching out to your son's SEND department if you haven't already and as I say the local authority too.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything we can do to support you and your son through this. We are all here for you and listening to you 

Emmamayelliott

Hello I would really like some help with my son his got ADHD he has not been diagnosed yet iv filled out forms his always getting in to some sort of trouble at school his 11 and his been exclusud from school loads of times cyder bully nane calling police taken phone from him because of an insetdent at school involveong 30 children on Snapchat nothing ever got done he won't sleep wants to change his room every other day includeding furniture

Emmamayelliott

  

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @Emmamayelliott

I'm so sorry to heat your son is struggling. Can I ask, you mentioned filling out forms, is that for CAMHS? Can I also ask, what support are you getting at the moment from his GP and school? 

onebigvoice

Adrian_Scope said:

I'm sorry to hear how much stress this is probably causing you @blcummins. It must be very difficult for you to see your child struggling and facing the possibility of permanent exclusion.

Have you tried speaking with the school's SENCO about his ADHD diagnosis and the need for support? There are many accommodations and strategies that can help children with ADHD, such as additional breaks, a quiet space to work, fidgets and modified work. It's possible that your son's behavior could improve with these interventions in place.

If you feel like you're not getting the support you need from your son's school, you may want to consider speaking to IPSEA. 

Scope also have a free service called Navigate which is a mentoring service offering emotional support for parents and carers of disabled children who have been diagnosed in the last year. 

Remember that you are not alone in this struggle. Many parents of children with ADHD (myself included!) face similar challenges and there are resources and support available to help. Keep advocating for your son and seeking out the help he needs to succeed.

  HI Hi @blcummins.
  I have quoted the above and in reading the post others from Admin have also given some good advice,  Please note that you may feel that you are alone in the struggle to get help, but let me tell you you have made the first steps to helping your son.  I have had the same problems and also recently with my Daughters Boy who is now 19.
  He was so disruptive that he was banned from school made to attend a room by him self so as not to influence others during school, been made to collect him from school and forced into home tutoring.
  I home tutored him for a long time and some one that has this it is hard to keep their concentration or get them to do things which others take for granted and would cause havoc rather than do a simple task.
He stayed with me at this time and the first thing you have to find is what triggers the episode, you also need to continually talk to him even when an episode is on and ask what's wrong?  Never pre judge what he says as his mind thinks differenly, find out what interests "him", her boy loved the Titanic so I bought the video and we sat there watching that.  As the film was on I asked about the size of it and he started by saying that he saw a book on the Titanic and wished he had that, I got it for him and straight away things changed.  Without realising it he had to read the book..... and I told him if there is anything he does not understand ask, this book was about an inch thick and he read it?  in a week, the best we used to play a game, what do you know.  I would ask him a question and then he waould ask me a question.  By the time an hour had gone it was ask me another, simple things like how did you remember that?  made him read more, and the titanic was the key.
  Maths: I asked him I wonder how far it need to go to turn round, and he rattled off how long the boat was what speed would be needed to turn safely all from memory.  It then became a pop the question,  I would ask him things like I bet you dodn't know how much the Titanic weighs he would not only tell me that but told me how many riviots were used?
  My point being is gaining the trust is one thing but opening his eyes that english and maths are needed for starters to read about other things that are to come.  He went back to school the school as said can get funding and are actually asked to provide a special needs teacher for this as for others who I have also coached this special needs officer/teacher is required to administer any medication that may be needed while on their premesis.  I do not know whether your son has medication while at school and if so who administers it.  You cannot expect your son to remember to take medication at certain times?  His teacher/teachers must keep a log of any episodes and also log reason and outcome of the episode.
  If as you say this is not isolated do you have the same at home?  Under the Duty of Care Act the school and the council must provide help, even if its to protect others at school where they are attacked ( my words) whether physical or verbally and children see this and begin to wonder if he can get away with it so can I, and the disruption becomes the whole class.
  You really need to speak to the school and see what is available and if there is nothing then the school can apply for funding to get this brought into their school.  He can't be the first person that has been diagnosed with this at that school and by discussing it with them a plan that getting him to school and realising every body need to go may be the first small step in breaking the cycle.  
  As a result my daughters boy has just finished his third year at College doing computer programming, because he felt that because he could work things out in his head and was being held back by just writing the answer to maths problems say is it right, well then? He is also number 3 in the world for a program called Halo, and completes the course all levels in 26 hours, and have a video of him 6 years ago where its like guitar hero that you have to hit the notes in the order that they come down the screen in the right order and in the right spot?  All I see is a blur, he says he is waiting for the note to come down, the machine was set to expert and was still waiting so he up graded the game by reprograming his computer to go even faster and has 4 cooling fans running when he wants to have fun with the computer and see who is best?  
  

Emmamayelliott

Hannah_Scope said:

Hello @Emmiamayelliott

I'm so sorry to heat your son is struggling. Can I ask, you mentioned filling out forms, is that for CAMHS? Can I also ask, what support are you getting at the moment from his GP and school? 

Yes iv filled out cams form school isn't helping much at all 

Hannah_Alumni

@Emmamayelliott I am sorry to hear that. Have you spoken to the school board as well? Can I also ask, with the forms, have you filled out a EHC plan application too?