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•    Your SENDCo, or equivalent member of school/university staff may be qualified to test for Exam Access Arrangements – ask at school first! 
•    The decision of whether to apply for Exam Access Arrangements (EAA)rests with the school. 
•    The EAA must reflect the child’s normal way of working (read aloud, having someone read/transcribe). 
•    Extra time is not always the answer. Some children with SpLDs benefit more from “rest breaks”. Teaching how to use extra time beneficially is vital as it will eat into precious recovery time on days when there is a packed timetable. 
•    I will only share the report with you and relevant teaching professionals. 
•    I will keep the report safely for as long as requested. 
•    I will not use excessive, unsuitable, or unnecessary tests. 

I am not an Educational Psychologist.

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If you have concerns about autistic spectrum disorder, emotional/behavioural difficulties, sensory sensitivity, eating disorders, speech and language impairment you should consult a professional qualified person to diagnose these types of difficulties.

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ADHD

 

This guidance focuses on the identification of characteristics of ADHD in individuals of any age but will lead to different courses of action depending upon their age at the time of the assessment.

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Please note that I cannot diagnose ADHD.

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However I am able to send out questionnaires, detail traits of ADHD, offer recommendations in my report to support intention, concentration etc. and write a referral letter for further assessment. 

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I have also completed SASC approved training to assess for the characteristics of ADHD so that students aged 18+ can request support at university and apply for the Disability Student Allowance. This is done by conducting a formal ADHD interview called the DIVA-5, used to identify the characteristics of ADHD. The interview that I would conduct would not be diagnostic and only to confirm that the characteristic traits of ADHD are present.

 

If the assessment is of a child under the age of 16, the young person should be referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), or in some regions to the Paediatric Services, so that a full multi-disciplinary assessment can make a detailed evaluation. These referrals are usually via the general practitioner (GP), but they may also be directly referred to CAMHS if there is an established link with the school and the educational psychologist.

 

However, as in any diagnostic assessment, the report will detail the reasons for referral and the current concerns of the school, the parent/carer and the young person him/herself and this information would support the decision for onward referral into the medical services.

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For individuals between the ages of 16 years and 17 years 11 months with the characteristic features of ADHD, there should still be a referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), or in some regions to the Paediatric Services, so that a full multi-disciplinary assessment can make a detailed evaluation. However, an assessment report carried out by a specialist teacher or psychologist should also detail the characteristics of ADHD that support the need for educational interventions and, potentially, medical treatment.

For individuals aged 18 or over, the key purpose of identification of characteristics of
ADHD should be to allow them the opportunity to access support for their study or
employment, and appropriate medical management if required.

This information is from the SpLD Assessments Standards Committee (SASC).