This is very interesting. I am going to
try a creative response to this one and see if there are comments.
Firstly, some students will have been
diagnosed during compulsory ed. So I am talking here of those that
haven’t. When I do assessments I might ‘screen’ for ASD/
ADD/ADHD, then I might indicate that the client has a profile of learning
differences consonant with ………….whichever aspect/s I
was asked to assess for and anything else that might come up Then, because in
my experience clients rarely have a single difference, I talk about their
predominant difference in relation to ‘neurodiversity’. Following
this, because I like to use a social model of disability/difference I talk
about what they need, what support in the past that has been helpful/not helpful.
This is part of what I like to call a learning portfolio/portfolio of
need, that they can add to over the years. This is important, as most
professionals are trained, correctly to ask clients ‘what can I do to
help?’ and, most of clients say to me, they don’t know what they
need and want a professional to help them find out.
I always state that if their profiles are
suggestive of ASD/ and/or any other difference that they require ‘medical
confirmation’ and they can use the report as a basis for a referral
to GP/ASD/Private Psychiatrist etc.
So, strictly speaking, you are correct,
I/we cannot professionally diagnose, and I always inform clients of this. Most
of the time, my clients want clarity about their difference rather than a
‘diagnosis’, and in the work situation regarding disability and
equalities, a diagnosis is not required, and most would like advice around
adjustments of various sorts, training in communications, understanding of
their needs etc.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a meeting
at the National Autistic Society, and it was good to communicate with needs
assessors, of course what I discovered was that there was a range of
experiences and expectatons in relation to what EPs did, and what they expected
of EPs. Therefore imho, if we can communicate effectively to try to find the
best way of accessing these students to support, we may well find an excellent
way forward.
Best regards to all allied professionals
engaged in supporting students with disabilities.
Naomi
Burgess Educational Psychologist
MSc EdPsych.
C.Psychol.AFBPsS
Chartered BPS
HPC Registered: PYL03146
Naomi is a
chartered educational psychologist with over 30 years' experience. She works
with both children and adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. She consults
with two ma
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