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After years of struggling to be understood and supported at school, Imogen was finally diagnosed with AuDHD and now has an EHCP. Her mum, Lydia, shares their experience of fighting to get Imogen the support she needs and how Kids helped.
“Imogen struggled to attend school during Year 8, with only 30% Attendance that year. She began self-harming and suicidal attempts, so CAMHS Crisis Team were involved and the school eventually agreed to refer to an Educational Psychologist.
“She received CBT for six months through the Children & Adolescent Mental Health Team, which helped and the doctors referred her for an ASD and ADHD Assessment, which took years!
“She received her Autism diagnosis early in 2025 and then her ADHD diagnosis in August 2026. So she has been diagnosed with AuDHD and now has an EHCP which means in the last year of her education she is finally getting the support she should’ve had all those years previously!
“The system is so broken, and it may well have broken her too, but she is having trauma informed counselling from a therapist outside of the state funded organisations and it’s really helping her to put herself back together. All we can do now is reassure her, so she just feels safe and secure, but it’s going to be a long road to recovery, and she is so unbelievably burnt out, we both are! Healing is our main focus, but she also has her GCSEs! It’s a struggle at the moment.”
“We were not being seen or heard by anyone, not by professionals, teachers, heads, doctors, support workers, nurses or case workers. When she suffered so badly with EBSA/NA in primary school, they began by blaming her and said she brings it on herself!”
“They blamed me and told me I make it too comfortable and relaxing for her at home, so no wonder she didn’t want to come to school and even suggested that I should make it uncomfortable for her so that she felt safer in school.
“Honestly, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing but similar was said again to me when she reached secondary school and I realised then that no one was going to take us seriously or really help us. We had to fight and we fought like hell, but it still took us ten years before she was fully understood and even now the schools still don’t get it!
“Imogen was badly bullied, by both students and staff, her needs were not met and she was just left to deal with it all by herself. Her mental health massively declined and the trauma that she has endured due to the way she’s been allowed to be treated is heartbreaking.
“Only those with lived experience and proper training actually understand what we’ve been through and how much energy it takes every single day just to show up. But that doesn’t matter to the school, because as long as her attendance figures don’t drop, they are satisfied that at least she’s in school.”
Mum and daughter attended a Kids family wellbeing event, where they joined other families for a wellbeing walk around the grounds and house. The event provided an opportunity to connect with others, spend quality time together and enjoy a positive shared experience.
Mum also took part in a Kids Behaviour Workshop, which gave her practical advice and strategies to support her daughter. Following this, her daughter signed up to the Kids Understanding Me youth group, a weekly online programme that helps young people better understand themselves, build confidence and connect with peers who have similar experiences.
This has not only provided the family with valuable support and practical strategies, but also helped them feel heard, understood and connected to a supportive community.
With your help, we can support more disabled children and young people, and their families to feel listened to, understood and supported.
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