The head of a charity supporting people with neurodivergence says plans for a new school in Ipswich for people with ADHD is a start but more change is needed. 

Plans to turn the old register office in Ipswich into a school for 22 people with learning disabilities such as ADHD between the ages of five and 11 have gone before Ipswich Borough Council.

In addition, the borough council has also approved the conversion of a residential care home into supported living units for 15 people with learning disabilities.

Responding to the news, Dr Annie Clements, founder and CEO of Suffolk-based charity, Autism and ADHD, said: "They are a start but there is a long way to go.

"It isn’t just about more places, the issues are much deeper than that."

Ipswich Star: Dr Clements believes that communication and administration needs to be improvedDr Clements believes that communication and administration needs to be improved (Image: ADHD and Autism)

She believes that while education centres are desperately needed, communication and administration need to be significantly improved.

According to Dr Clements, the new £11m special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding in Suffolk should focus not only on education but also on providing solution-based training to everyone from social workers to councillors, along with improving communication with individuals and families. 

Dr Clements also says diagnosis also needed to be made more quickly. 

Currently, children may have to wait up to 62 weeks for a first appointment at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals and then a further 52 weeks for an ASD or ADHD assessment - making the process more than two years long.

Ipswich Star: The school, if approved, would provided education for 5 to 11 year old studentsThe school, if approved, would provided education for 5 to 11 year old students (Image: Jason Noble LDRS)

These delays mean that many students may pass the age of 11 before getting a diagnosis meaning they will not be able to attend the school at the old register office - if it is approved. 

Dr Clements said: "It is very worrying and frustrating for all involved in this situation.

"We still have many schools and workplaces that won't provide adjustments without that diagnosis being confirmed, so children and adults are not just waiting for an assessment, they are waiting for support."