Latest news with #EducationandHealthCarePlan
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oxford students with ADHD given 25pc more time on exams without formal diagnosis
Students at the University of Oxford who believe they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are allowed 25 per cent extra time on exams without a formal diagnosis, a report has revealed. Oxford's most recent disability service report from 2022/23 said the university had agreed to 'accept a wider range of disability evidence' for exam requirements due to 'a wider context of extensive and ever-growing waiting times for ADHD and autism diagnostic assessments'. It said that the aim was to reduce 'administrative burdens and barriers to inclusion for disabled students' to enable 'more students timely and essential access' to exam 'adjustments'. Adjustments include 'up to 25 per cent additional time' along with the use of a computer in exams 'where relevant'. It said that students who believe they might have ADHD did not need a formal diagnosis, but instead needed to show 'supporting documentation' of a referral by their GP to an NHS autism or ADHD assessment service. According to the NHS website, a GP cannot formally diagnose ADHD as it requires a 'specialist assessment'. The average waiting time for an ADHD referral on the NHS is three years. Other ways to gain extra time include 'confirmation' of exam adjustments at a previous educational institution, or evidence of a support plan or Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) from another university, school or college. The university said that the changes are expected to have a 'positive impact on equality of opportunity' for students with undiagnosed specific learning difficulties, such as autism and ADHD, of which there are 'more than 100 per year'. A recent report from Nuffield Trust health think tank showed that while there is no national data on referrals for ADHD, between 2019/20 and 2022/23 there was a 51 per cent increase in the number of people prescribed medication for the condition. Oxford's report said that the number of students with a specific learning difficulty such as ADHD has almost doubled between 2017/18 and 2022/23, rising from 1,091 to 1,935. The report also revealed that students with a long-term mental health condition account for the highest proportion of disability service users and make up 26.6 per cent of all students known to the Oxford disability service. After that, students with specific learning difficulties such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia make up the second largest group at 26.3 per cent. The number of students with a mental health condition has also nearly doubled in that timeframe, rising from 1,161 to 1,960 in the space of around five years. A university spokesman said: 'Oxford is committed to ensuring that all of our students have access to an outstanding educational experience at Oxford and that we fulfil our legal obligations by providing reasonable individual adjustments and study support for disabled students. 'We are pleased to offer an environment in which disabled students want to study and can disclose a disability, and the university remains firmly committed to reducing and removing barriers to learning and embedding inclusive teaching and learning practices that benefit all students.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Oxford students with ADHD given 25pc more time on exams without formal diagnosis
Students at the University of Oxford who believe they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are allowed 25 per cent extra time on exams without a formal diagnosis, a report has revealed. Oxford's most recent disability service report from 2022/23 said the university had agreed to 'accept a wider range of disability evidence' for exam requirements due to 'a wider context of extensive and ever-growing waiting times for ADHD and autism diagnostic assessments'. It said that the aim was to reduce 'administrative burdens and barriers to inclusion for disabled students' to enable 'more students timely and essential access' to exam 'adjustments'. Adjustments include 'up to 25 per cent additional time' along with the use of a computer in exams 'where relevant'. It said that students who believe they might have ADHD did not need a formal diagnosis, but instead needed to show 'supporting documentation' of a referral by their GP to an NHS autism or ADHD assessment service. According to the NHS website, a GP cannot formally diagnose ADHD as it requires a 'specialist assessment'. The average waiting time for an ADHD referral on the NHS is three years. Other ways to gain extra time include 'confirmation' of exam adjustments at a previous educational institution, or evidence of a support plan or Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) from another university, school or college. The university said that the changes are expected to have a 'positive impact on equality of opportunity' for students with undiagnosed specific learning difficulties, such as autism and ADHD, of which there are 'more than 100 per year'. A recent report from Nuffield Trust health think tank showed that while there is no national data on referrals for ADHD, between 2019/20 and 2022/23 there was a 51 per cent increase in the number of people prescribed medication for the condition. Oxford's report said that the number of students with a specific learning difficulty such as ADHD has almost doubled between 2017/18 and 2022/23, rising from 1,091 to 1,935. The report also revealed that students with a long-term mental health condition account for the highest proportion of disability service users and make up 26.6 per cent of all students known to the Oxford disability service. After that, students with specific learning difficulties such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia make up the second largest group at 26.3 per cent. The number of students with a mental health condition has also nearly doubled in that timeframe, rising from 1,161 to 1,960 in the space of around five years. A university spokesman said: 'Oxford is committed to ensuring that all of our students have access to an outstanding educational experience at Oxford and that we fulfil our legal obligations by providing reasonable individual adjustments and study support for disabled students. 'We are pleased to offer an environment in which disabled students want to study and can disclose a disability, and the university remains firmly committed to reducing and removing barriers to learning and embedding inclusive teaching and learning practices that benefit all students.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New nursery 'making huge difference' for families
A new nursery for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is making a huge difference, parents have said. Gareth said his five-year-old daughter Peyton struggled when she went to a mainstream nursery at the age of two, and left after a few months. Her development has come on significantly since she started at Dingley's Promise Cheltenham, which opened this month. Gloucestershire County Council, which has given the charity a three-year contract, said investing in younger children will improve their chances in mainstream education. Five year old Peyton should have started primary school last September, but she is non-verbal and has development delays. Her parents believe she has autism and a place within a mainstream school could not be found. Even though she does now have an Education and Health Care Plan, which sets out the extra help and funding a child needs to access education, no place could be found in a specialist school. Gareth said Dingley's Promise has made a huge difference to his daughter, despite her only being there seven hours a week. "If you had met Peyton six months ago, she wasn't making a lot of noise, but now she's constantly babbling, she's communicating with you a lot," he said. Catherine McLeod, the nursery's chief executive, said spending money on Send provision for children under the age of five leads to savings in the future. "If we can get support to children and families as early as possible, they feel more confident, they can also then thrive in a way that in the long term will save us money because we won't be spending larger amounts of money in primary and secondary schools," she said. Dingley's run several centres across the UK, and data shows that ten years ago, 35% of children who left Dingley's went on to mainstream education. "Through all the work we've done on inclusion it's now 70%," said Ms McLeod. "That movement into mainstream education, when you get early intervention, is so important." Paul McLain, cabinet member for education at Gloucestershire County Council, describes it as a "win-win". "Getting in there early really helps. It allows the child to integrate, to hopefully go on to mainstream school. It's everything that makes a difference to that child's life, and also to the family's life." New centre for children with special needs to open Dingley's Promise Gloucestershire County Council Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
BBC News
03-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
A father says his daughter is thriving thanks to special nursery
A new nursery for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is making a huge difference, parents have said his five-year-old daughter Peyton struggled when she went to a mainstream nursery at the age of two, and left after a few development has come on significantly since she started at Dingley's Promise Cheltenham, which opened this County Council, which has given the charity a three-year contract, said investing in younger children will improve their chances in mainstream education. Five year old Peyton should have started primary school last September, but she is non-verbal and has development delays. Her parents believe she has autism and a place within a mainstream school could not be though she does now have an Education and Health Care Plan, which sets out the extra help and funding a child needs to access education, no place could be found in a specialist said Dingley's Promise has made a huge difference to his daughter, despite her only being there seven hours a week."If you had met Peyton six months ago, she wasn't making a lot of noise, but now she's constantly babbling, she's communicating with you a lot," he said. Catherine McLeod, the nursery's chief executive, said spending money on Send provision for children under the age of five leads to savings in the future."If we can get support to children and families as early as possible, they feel more confident, they can also then thrive in a way that in the long term will save us money because we won't be spending larger amounts of money in primary and secondary schools," she run several centres across the UK, and data shows that ten years ago, 35% of children who left Dingley's went on to mainstream education. "Through all the work we've done on inclusion it's now 70%," said Ms McLeod. "That movement into mainstream education, when you get early intervention, is so important."Paul McLain, cabinet member for education at Gloucestershire County Council, describes it as a "win-win"."Getting in there early really helps. It allows the child to integrate, to hopefully go on to mainstream school. It's everything that makes a difference to that child's life, and also to the family's life."
