Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone,
I was sons consultant recommended I join the NAS community.
My 4 year old son has recently been diagnosed with ASD & ADHD. I am very lucky that his school has been proactive and the process of applying for a EHCP has already been started.
Along with his final report/diagnosis, the consultant wrote a 'Not fit to queue' letter, advising that my son is unable to wait in line etc.
I was wondering, in terms of support when we are out, si there is any type of card or ID that I can get to prove he has ASD/ADHD? Or do I need to carry around the final report (12 pages) and 'Not fit to queue' letter?
For example, he would love to go to the cinema, but hates loud noises/environments so has never been. I know some so SEN sessions but they ask for proof of SEN. How do I do this?
This is all very new to me and would really appreciate and advise in ways that we can get help / make life easier and get him experiencing new things.
Thanks so much!
Hi,
My 15 year old son has also ASD & ADHD. I'm not aware that there is a specific ID as proof of SEN. Through the years I've found that most places don't ask for proof & it's usually enough to make them aware of his diagnosis eg. At the airport just request a lanyard from special assistance. No queues for him or the family, he is also 1 of the first on the plane (he wears headphones so the engine noise is not a problem). My son also loves the cinema but can struggle with the noise. I book all online so no queuing, I give him paracetamol (calpol) before we go & he has a set of earphones (which no one notices) if the noise gets a bit much.
I'm sure things have changed a lot for the better since my son was 4 but he's getting on well. He takes medication for ADHD & this helps him concentrate (Infact I took him off it for a couple of weeks as he was getting severe headaches, just to see if that wud help but it wasn't the cause of the headaches - anyway while off meds I forgot to say to school & tutor said to me he was unteachable). So hopefully your son is on meds for his ADHD & if not this might be worth looking into.
Sorry I'm straying a bit but I hope this is of some help!
Thank you for coming back to me, this is really helpful! Glad to know no proof is needed. Some websites state that you do need to provide proof, perhaps I will just carry doctors note with me at all times just in case.
So the consultant advised that they don't medicate until the age of 5 so we have another year to wait. He is currently 'unteachable' and is behind what they would expect of his age educationally. He simply can't sit at a table and put pen to paper, he doesn't even sit to do colouring at home.
I have read such horrible stories about the side effects of medication but the consultant has said he doesn't see any way around it for my son. Do you think the benefits out weigh the risks? Did your son experience insomnia or lack of appetite? My son has such a limited diet and I am so worried about the medication effecting it even more.
Unfortunately my son can also be quite aggressive or I like to say 'handsy' and will often hit, kick, sometime bite etc. Did you experience this with your son at all, if so, did the medication help?
Sorry for all of the questions, I haven't spoken to anyone with children on medication before.
Thank you
My son takes a Concerta XL tablet once a day (usually before school as calms him down & helps him concentrate). Before he started the meds we were made very aware that it can cause a lack of appetite & were told that if he's hungry when meds wear off (usually about 5) to just let him eat away. Thankfully this has never been a problem for us & he takes it every day throughout the year. The doctors will also keep a very close eye & he will have regular check-ups. There are some horror stories but I suppose that's all u hear. I'd think that this med wouldn't be available if the majority of users suffered from appetite suppression.
As regards sleep he has no bother and before the medication it was up about 5am so I'd say it's helped him. During the summer holidays you'd be lucky to see him by 11am.
My son would also have hit out but this has definitely eased during the years. I think it's just that they like there own space & lash out at people who invade it. I think school has helped in this respect & perhaps has made him more tolerant. I actually think this was only an issue in nursery school & the start of Primary school. This hasn't been an issue for a long time.
Probably the best learning tool we had as parents was trial & error. What works for someone may not work for your family.
I hope this helps but if you've any other queries please post these questions & I'll try to answer them.
This is extremely helpful, thank yo so much for sharing.
I think we will need to go down the route of medication, although I will be happy with whatever he decides to do hen he is older, I do obviously want him to be able to get a basic education and I can't see that happening at the moment.
I'm so glad it has worked for your son, I really hope we have the same outcome.
He starts reception next week so he is only very young still. Pre school was a bit of a nightmare in terms of him lashing out at people constantly, they reduced his hours and managed to get 1-2-1 support for him but it didn't help much. It is 100% about his space being invaded!
We are really trying to get him to 'use his words' rather than actions but it's just a losing battle at the moment!