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 who is older says the medication helps him to concentrate. Regarding side effects, it affects his appetite during the day, but he makes up for it when he gets home.