Can home educated children be assessed for special needs?

[fishfingericecream]

My son was diagnosed at 8 with ADHD whilst we were living overseas.

We are back in UK now and have no official record of the dx. He is 13 now.

I am not sure that this diagnosis is correct and am starting to suspect he may have aspergers as well or instead.

He is very sensitive to noise and smell, but insensitive to touch. He takes things literally, can't handle change and I find I have to manage him carefully to prevent a meltdown. He has never been hyperactive but inattentive and slow at everything from writing to getting changed when he was at school.

We homeshool now so I can manage him and he seems happy in himself but I am worried about the future, job prospects and exams and the like, and his lack of social skills. He never wants to come to any homeschool groups with me.


Would a diagnosis help him? Do I need it? Is it worth the anguish to him to get one?


When we were abroad he had to have one to one sessions with a psychologist which was really tough for him and do sessions with an occupational therapist, I think it has put me and him off doctors. He doesn't like to talk about his problems at all. It seems a cruel irony that the kids that hate to socialise and hate attention have to endure more attention to get help.

How would I go about getting him assessed whilst he is home educated?



I am posting this on home ed and special needs. Thanks for reading. I know it was long.

[OliviaMumsnet]

Bumping for you

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hi fishfinger.

Personally, this is only my opinion but I would leave it unless you want him to go back to school. The label is only effective if you are seeking help. I am pretty certain my dd is dyslexic but not worried about official diagnosis as at present it would make no difference.

Your ds sounds like mine and he finally had a diagnosis at age 17, much too late for intervention at school. You are really doing the right thing with H.ed as it can be a nightmare for them at school. I wish I had known about H.ed with my ds2, I would never have sent him.

I would seek guidance as to any extra support he may need for exams though if he goes down the GCSE route. Then it might be worth a diagnosis if he would need special requirements.

[ommmward]

There's an email list called he-special needs or something like that - shout if it isn't obvious in a google search and I'll find a link for you.

There are lots of us who he and opt out of the whole diagnosis fight - personally I think that concentrating on helping my children become as well equipped as possible to thrive in the world is the best use of my energy. Since they aren't in school there's no need to be trying to get professional caregivers to understand their needs.

Have you read the book Paths are made by walking? There's some lovely stories in there about home edded children with special needs of various kinds.

[fishfingericecream]

Thank you Olivia, morethan and ommmward.

The whole diagnosis fight that is how it feels.

I have been feeling pressure from family to do something about him, I think they see homeschooling as burying your head in the sand. I need to remember that they just don't get it. It's nice to hear someone say I am doing the right thing.

[fishfingericecream]

Found the mailing list thanks.

[FionaJNicholson]

Hi

There is new support list for home educated children with SEN here
groups.yahoo.com/group/homeeducationandspecialneeds/

Recent topics have included benefits update from DWP (including DLA and Carers' Allowance), learning difficult assessment post-16, personal budgets and direct payments, wording of SEN statements, getting additional help in exams, using educational psychologists, applications to the family fund, and flexischooling for medical needs

[fishfingericecream]

Thanks Fiona, I hadn't seen this group before.

[musicposy]

I think you can, but I'm not sure I would unless there are direct benefits to him. I think it all depends on what help a dx would give him. Might he need extra help in any exams in the future? Might you be able to get any benefits? If yes, I would go for it. Go to your GP first.

I don't think home ed is burying your head in the sand, I think home ed can virtually cure the problem at least whilst they are at home.

I've talked to DD2 about this at length. We've long, long, suspected aspergers and I think had she not come out of school at quite an early primary level, that's what the school would have pushed for as they were making so many noises about her socialization, meltdowns etc. Now DD2 is older we've talked about it together and thrashed through the possible benefits or otherwise of getting a dx for her. Her conclusion at the moment is that she doesn't want to be labelled but if she decides do do A levels at college later she might go for it. She's aware she is a little quirky and not entirely like the crowd and has got to a point where she is comfortable with that, and so am I :)

[fishfingericecream]

Thank you musicposy, I think I will have a chat with my Ds and do as you have done, discuss the benefits of a dx and see how he feels as he gets older.