OT - help needed for another mum with undiagnosed child

[Guest guest]

Hi. Hoping one of you lovely people will be able to give some suggestions about

an issue someone I know is having:

One of Archie's classmates last year has not moved up to year 1 this year as has

persistently struggled with alertness and concentration and the school feel he

is not ready to move up. He appears to have ADHD traits rather than Autism but I

remember when he and Archie started at preschool together, he was already

undergoing SALT and being assessed by the local CAMHS and that was before Archie

was even diagnosed. Nevertheless, they didn't make any diagnosis, signed him

off, and since then she has been unable to get a referral to have him assessed

again, even with the help of the senco at school. Obviously, his mum is quite

worried by this as he is just not making progress and is showing behavioural

problems as well as poor sleep patterns and subsequent tiredness through the

day, but she cant seem to get anyone to assess him to see if a diagnosis can be

reached. She has told me she is prepared to go private if she can find the right

kind of practitioner. I don't think it would necessarily be the right thing to

recommend her to a nutritionalist or biomed practitioner right off, so does

anyone have any other ideas? I must say, I don't know her or her child very well

but as Archie has progressed so well in the last couple of years, she seems to

be looking to me for advice!! She says she's already stopped artificial

sweeteners and colourings and they have a good bedtime routine etc.