Fine motor problem need to type

[Jellybeanwonka]

My 8 year old has been seeing an OT for the last year. He has hyper flexible joints and fine motor problems. He also has planning difficulties.
We've just had a really disappointing multidisciplinary meeting at school where they all agreed he needed touch typing skills. Nobody could give us any direction where to find useful resources and as he is 'not failing' school cannot allocate any resources to support him!
Does anybody know where I can start?
School are happy to allocate him a computer but have no time to teach him to type and don't know where to start.
Any advice welcome!

[strawberryblondebint]

My primary 4 class use bbc dance mat typing. It's excellent and free. We use it as a warm up every time we have an IT lesson

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks - we have been using that one, I'm looking to build on that he gets fed up using the same thing.

[OwnedByACat]

I would look at one of the dyslexia support sites - they will be helpful. My son is the same by the way 8 and needs to learn to type for exactly the same reasons. PM me if it would be helpful

[Keithyoustink]

Nessy fingers is excellent

www.thedyslexiashop.co.uk/nessy-fingers-typing-tutor-home-version.html

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks I'll look at the dyslexia site!
And nessy fingers

[user789653241]

www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3c6tfr

typingclass.co.uk/index.html

www.typingstudy.com/

All free websites.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Messy fingers is good. Dc2 used it and can now type very fast indeed.
Hold a sheet of paper over dc's hands so they can't cheat and look!

[TeenAndTween]

Not on typing, but you may like to look at dyspraxia to see if there are other issues there you haven't realised as linked.

[OwnedByACat]

I agree Teenandtween

[TeenAndTween]

The reason I say this is DD1 was diagnosed with dyspraxia in year 11.
To be honest I'd suspected for about 3 years, but having been fobbed off in y6 when I raised issues (and didn't realise dyspraxia then) I delayed pushing again until things got critical.

As well as

• gross motor skills
• fine motor skills
• planning/organisation

we found the following issues she has were also linked

• listening and taking note simultaneously
• sensitivity to taste and texture
• inference
• following fast paced conversations
• picking up social cues

secondary would have been easier for everyone if we had realised how everything fitted together

[CodyKing]

www.typingclub.com/typing-qwerty-en.html

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks everyone -some great tips here

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks that may be why he's struggling to ride a bike??

[CodyKing]

I can be difficult for bike riding - but look at his arms - if his holding on for dear life it will tip him over - he needs loose arms - and teach him Y shaped legs

Also - look at the dictation tool on the computer and the read back function - it may be more useful that touch typing

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks Codyking the OT did mention dragon dictate.. I'd forgotten that

[IDK]

I second what TeenAndTween says. Mine was 'not failing' so he got no support. It wasn't until I paid for an assessment in Y13 that everyone realised how bad he had it - frankly, it was a miracle that he wasn't failing. He had developed strategies to paper the cracks so that the school hadn't realised how much he was struggling with his dyspraxia. Even he didn't realise how disadvantaged he was.
I came to it through the handwriting problem. I didn't know, until I started digging, that it went deeper than difficulties with writing. Ask to have him assessed.

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thanks the OT didn't feel he was dyspraxic.. I'll have a look for other signs on the web site!
Thanks for all your help..
Our SENCO is worse than useless.. Her other role is gifted and talented and that's where her focus seems to be 😒

[IDK]

He also has planning difficulties.

And that's not dyspraxia? It wasn't motor problems that got my DS his assessment, it was the planning and processing problems.
Is he likely to be taking tests to go to a selective secondary school? - if so, get him an assessment (so he gets appropriate disability adjustment) or else there is a good chance that he won't pass.

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thank IKD I think I need to do some reading as to what dyspraxia is! X

[TeenAndTween]

The Dyspraxia Foundation is a good place to start.

[Jellybeanwonka]

Thank you teenandtween