Juniors with autism and ADHD

[Roger Lancaster]

Does anyone else have experience or expertise in this field? My local club is working out how best to handle an 8-y-o who is a relative beginner showing signs of chess ability but, due to autism and ADHD, whose behaviour can be disruptive. In my opinion, allowing for the fact that many chess players are reckoned to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, the behavioural issue is more to do with ADHD. First thought was to decide this was a parental issue but the parent is a single mother with two smaller children who can't stay for club nights. Ideas?

[Stephen Westmoreland]

Does anyone else have experience or expertise in this field? My local club is working out how best to handle an 8-y-o who is a relative beginner showing signs of chess ability but, due to autism and ADHD, whose behaviour can be disruptive. In my opinion, allowing for the fact that many chess players are reckoned to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, the behavioural issue is more to do with ADHD. First thought was to decide this was a parental issue but the parent is a single mother with two smaller children who can't stay for club nights. Ideas?

Email me at [email protected] and I will put you in touch with Rob Mitchell from Meltham. He is a junior coach, classroom assistant by trade and SENCO. He has dealt with a number of SEN kids at Holmfirth and Meltham. He may be able to help.

[Andrew Zigmond]

It is a difficult one but at the end of the day you are running a junior chess club where you expect a minimum standard of behaviour and have to consider all players, not just one. Awful as it sounds the mother's circumstances are her problem not yours.

That said, it depends what the boy is looking to get out of chess. If he is looking to learn and improve or even if he just wants to practice and enjoy playing with other children it may be possible to arrange something for him away from the club. Often the behaviour of SEND children can be driven by sensory overload so he may actually enjoy this more and of course it doesn't prevent him ever attending the main sessions.

[Roger Lancaster]

I've received several helpful replies, some through channels other than this forum, and I thank everyone for their help. One of those offers was from someone relatively local so, where I haven't followed up an offer, it has been for geographic reasons rather than anything else. As to Andrew's thoughts, and while I understand where he is coming from, there is the point that chess should ideally be accessible to all - and, while the thought occurs to me, I'll welcome Owen Phillips on his very recent appointment as ECF Manager for Accessible Chess.

[Andrew Zigmond]

To clarify I agree ENTIRELY that chess should be accessible for all (as should everything else - I am very passionate about how our education system sets SEND students up to fail). Indeed I did suggest that it may be possible to create bespoke sessions for the youngster in question. My point was that you shouldn't be obliged to accommodate him in a group session you might not be able to tailor to his needs.

[Angus French]

Does anyone else have experience or expertise in this field?

I think Richard James might be a very good person to consult.

[Roger Lancaster]

To clarify I agree ENTIRELY that chess should be accessible for all (as should everything else - I am very passionate about how our education system sets SEND students up to fail). Indeed I did suggest that it may be possible to create bespoke sessions for the youngster in question. My point was that you shouldn't be obliged to accommodate him in a group session you might not be able to tailor to his needs.

Fine, Andrew, agreed, and if I appeared to imply otherwise then I withdraw that implication.

[Owen Phillips]

Roger I am glad to see this issue has been raised. As you may know I am the Newly Appointed ECF Manager for Chess Accessibility and one of the areas I am interested in is finding out how many clubs have players who have impairments, and one of the less obvious ones is SEN/ADHD/possible autism.

Please ask the mother if she would like her son to have special training from the ECF.* At the very least SEN children can respond very well to chess in that it apparently often increases their ability to focus on tasks. But it is also possible that her son, if one of the high spectrum children may have a talent well worth fostering at chess, as some ADHD children and adults show exceptional talent for the game.

Please see the latest entry on the front page of the ECF website re my position and the current questionnaire to clubs. there si also a separate page on Chess Accessibility under the communities section of the ECF website.

The ECF wants players of all types to have a seat at the chess playing table. It maybe that this young gentleman may need some special coaching to start with to fit into the club chess scene better.

ATB, Owen Phillips.
* If so ask her to contact me at:
[email protected]

[IM Jack Rudd]

The form in question: https://britchess.wufoo.com/forms/ecf-a ... rm-202324/

[Richard James]

Does anyone else have experience or expertise in this field?

I think Richard James might be a very good person to consult.

Thanks, Angus. I've been watching the thread and was wondering if and how to reply.

I've been working with young autistic chess players on and off for almost 20 years now and have much to say on the subject. However my experience is more with children with social and communication problems than with hyperactive children, who present a different problem.

[Richard James]

It is a difficult one but at the end of the day you are running a junior chess club where you expect a minimum standard of behaviour and have to consider all players, not just one. Awful as it sounds the mother's circumstances are her problem not yours.

That said, it depends what the boy is looking to get out of chess. If he is looking to learn and improve or even if he just wants to practice and enjoy playing with other children it may be possible to arrange something for him away from the club. Often the behaviour of SEND children can be driven by sensory overload so he may actually enjoy this more and of course it doesn't prevent him ever attending the main sessions.

I agree: if you wanted a short answer it would be along those lines.

[Richard James]

To clarify I agree ENTIRELY that chess should be accessible for all (as should everything else - I am very passionate about how our education system sets SEND students up to fail). Indeed I did suggest that it may be possible to create bespoke sessions for the youngster in question. My point was that you shouldn't be obliged to accommodate him in a group session you might not be able to tailor to his needs.

Again, I agree. I'm passionate about how our education system sets up many students, not just SEND students, to fail.

Not relevant to this thread, but I wonder how you think the system regarding students with additional needs (I'm reluctant to use the word Special) today compares with 30 years ago, when there was much less awareness of the concept of neurodiversity, or indeed with 60 years ago, when I was growing up, when children who would today be diagnosed with all sorts of things would be punished and humiliated.

[Richard James]

Does anyone else have experience or expertise in this field? My local club is working out how best to handle an 8-y-o who is a relative beginner showing signs of chess ability but, due to autism and ADHD, whose behaviour can be disruptive. In my opinion, allowing for the fact that many chess players are reckoned to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, the behavioural issue is more to do with ADHD. First thought was to decide this was a parental issue but the parent is a single mother with two smaller children who can't stay for club nights. Ideas?

I have lots of points and questions, based on many years experience in junior chess. As I've never met this boy and his mother they're intended to be asked generally rather than specifically.

• In general there's not always a lot of point in 8-y-os being encouraged to play chess unless they're getting proactive support at home, which, with the best will in the world, might not be available here. If you're only doing chess in a meaningful way once a week you're unlikely to make much progress, and most 8-y-os are unable to teach themselves beyond a very basic level. It could be that simpler strategy games or minichess (games using subsets of the rules/pieces) might be more suitable.

• If your club includes formal instruction and games, then disruptive behaviour will be a problem. If you're running a social junior chess club, as we're now doing in Twickenham Library, then the behaviour threshold is much lower and you may be able to work round it. Such a club, if there's one available in your area, might be more suitable.

• Is this boy at a mainstream school or a special needs school? Does his school have a chess club? Talking to the school's SENDCO/Learning Support teacher might help in several ways - perhaps they could be encouraged to set up a small group of children using chess and/or simpler strategy games to help children make friends, communicate, control their impulses and emotions.

• Do they have contact with local organisations/charities/parents' groups working with autistic/ADHD children? If so, perhaps they could set up a small chess/minichess/strategy games club - and you could advise them.

• What does the boy's mother want to get out of chess? What does he want to get out of chess? Are they looking for intrinsic benefits or extrinsic benefits (helping him to concentrate, control his impulses etc)? Parents and teachers sometimes have unrealistic expectations of the benefits that chess might bring: it's not a magic bullet. Many of the extrinsic benefits might be better acquired through simpler, more age-appropriate games which may not require specialist tuition.

• As mentioned by other posters, private tuition (individual or small group) might well be a good option, provided you have someone available with experience of working with autistic/ADHD children.

Much else as well - I may add some more later if anyone's interested.

[Richard James]

Roger I am glad to see this issue has been raised. As you may know I am the Newly Appointed ECF Manager for Chess Accessibility and one of the areas I am interested in is finding out how many clubs have players who have impairments, and one of the less obvious ones is SEN/ADHD/possible autism.

Hi Owen

I'm very interested in making chess more inclusive and accessible, and specifically in promoting chess for children and young people on the autism spectrum. I have almost 20 years experience working in this field.

If you'd like to get in touch I'd be happy to talk at some point.

[Owen Phillips]

Richard I would be happy to hear any ideas you may have about setting up some training sessions in a SEN school or in one or more chess clubs, and in whether or not you would be available to give any training for the ECF.

Please send your response and any ideas to me directly at: [email protected]

Rather than continuing the thread here.

Regards, Owen Phillips.