The parents’ obstacle course makes elected officials react

On the occasion of the 20 years of the law known as ” handicap », An elected representative of the minority in Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine) relayed the testimonies of parents whose children are affected by Attention deficit disorders with or without hyperactivity (ADHD). Situations that made it possible to initiate discussions on the subject during the municipal council, Monday, April 28, 2025.

According to the High Health Authoritychildren with ADHD would represent 5 %.

The testimony of a mom

Erwann Rougier began by evoking the story of Adrien (assumed first name), a Young vitrean school in Vitré.

“At the start of his schooling at school, everything was going relatively well. His mother, who has custody, then works daily for the well-being of her child. Then a year, Adrien began to gradually have attention problems. He had trouble concentrating for a long time on a task. His mother also found that he was more and more afraid of adults by isolating himself or by responding to them in an unsuitable manner. »»

Then over the year, Adrien started to respond impulsively to certain adults. His mother at the end of school or extracurricular times is warned of his behavior. But now, his mother is worried and helpless. She no longer knows what to do.

Erwann Rougier continues: “She in exchange with school staff but she does not find a solution. His instits are also suffering. Besides, his mother observes that he has changed class for this reason, but that does not solve the problem. One day, his mother is called: Adrien struck a member of the staff of the leisure center. He will then be excluded there for several weeks. Adrien will also be dismissed from certain school outings. Her mother who works and who is the only one to take care of her child, then finds himself without a day care solution. »»

A dad pays nearly 1,000 euros

His mother consults his general practitioner who, in first intention, does not provide an answer or diagnosis to these disorders. Then links a long and difficult care course to find answers.

“Contacted, the medico-psychological center has between 1 and 2 years of waiting. His mother therefore does internet research, looking for Facebook groups to find answers and professionals that can help her. In the end, after consulting a pediatrician, a doctor, a neuropsychiatric and a psychomotrician, the diagnosis is made: Adrien is suffering from a deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity of the child. A diagnosis finally which allows Adrien to have a treatment and his mother to make a MDPH file. »

Despite this handicap recognized by the MDPH, which could allow school to have a Aesh (Accompanying students with disabilities), Adrien will not be able to benefit from it for lack of recruitment.

From Adrien has a diagnosis but at what price. He is much less in school because his school time has decreased. He is regularly excluded from outings or extracurricular times, dismissed from his comrades, his mother who tries to maintain his professional life as best they can is under antidepressants.

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After reporting this testimony, Erwann Rougier also mentioned the story of Violette (assumed first name).

This student also suffering from ADHD, with the death of her mother as an event, saw her dad paying Almost 1,000 euros for its diagnosis.

“These children did not choose their handicap. Parents did not choose this situation, ”explained Erwann Rougier during the municipal council.

“We can do better”

“It is clear that we still have very strong insufficiency in the matter locally and nationally. So what to do? The town hall will not be able to compensate for the lack of means of national education and the state medico-social sector, but we can do better. We must better understand children with ADHD to better support them as a community. We are fortunate to have a CPTS on our territory bringing together health professionals, liberals and employees but also health and medico-social establishments. The CPTS could then coordinate and train healthcare professionals around these challenges to better support and above all better orient the families concerned to avoid chaotic and expensive care paths for families, ”said Erwann Rougier.

For the elected official, coordination could also go through “a dialogue and a multidisciplinary exchange on this issue by integrating the Academy and the Department. Some academies have advanced more on this subject by making support and guides for families and professionals. The challenge is also to accentuate and intensify the training of professionals. In addition, it is also possible to better support by investing, as we have proposed, in a municipal health center allowing to integrate public health issues. He would have as a benefit, support for families and children. Finally, it seems relevant to us to better communicate with these families, not only on the actions already undertaken to avoid the feeling of abandonment but also on a daily basis to enhance the support of the children concerned. »»

“Dramatic” situations

During the municipal council, the Mayor Pierre Léonardi reacted to the words of Erwann Rougier.

“I salute the perseverance and the courage of the accompanying parents,” immediately replied the elected official. The latter also found that the city of Vitré faced a lack of human resources in schools in order to support these students.

“We have actions on the territory, especially at the Conservatoire, which are dedicated to ADHD children,” said Pierre Léonardi.

Pauline SegrétainDeputy for early childhood, childhood, education and catering explained that she had met “very regularly families affected by these situations […] It is a daily struggle. Public schools must accommodate all children. Opposite, we have staff who are necessarily trained to welcome these children. Our teams adapt, but they are breathless. »»

The elected official says she alerted “very regularly”The Inspector of National Education On these “dramatic” situations.

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