Children's Occupational Therapists

[Bobbinogtastic]

I have a 4 year old son who started in Reception in September. The GOOD news is that he is happy and loves going to school. The BAD news is that his teacher has concerns about him. We went up to the first parent's evening at halfterm and she just seemed to list out a whole load of negative points - she said he was poor at dressing himself, always got his shoes on the wrong way around after PE, appeared not to listen and gazes around the room or fiddles with his shoes when sat down in the circle, routinely faces the wrong way in circle time (this one puzzled me), has no interest in mark-making, and --and this is the one she seemed to think was extremely pathological - showed no evidence of hand dominance. On a plus point, she said he has an excellent imagination and interacts well on a one-to-one basis.

I found all this quite worrying, esp as no one had flagged up concerns before. he went to an excellent pre-school who had said he was a bit behind with drawing and colouring etc but that he was just a typical boy who would rather be playing with the construction toys. I should flag up at this point that his birthday is end of August and he is by far the youngest in the class.

Anyway, the teacher mentionned to me at the end of school last week that she was now going to refer him to an Occupational Therapist and that also he should have a hearing test. I am 100% confident his hearing is fine, albeit selective !! - but I said "yes ok" but was a bit too shocked to say anything else !!!

I feel confused and upset. I feel like just a few months ago I had a boy who was developmentally normal and getting on really well and now I am being told I have a child with special needs ? It makes me wonder what I have done wrong.

Anyway, does anyone actually know what a Childrens Occupational Therapist does in this context ? Or any other advice ?

Thank you !

[LIZS]

The OT will assess his gross and fine motor skills, abiltiy to follow instructions, concentration etc through games and activities then give practical advice based on her findings, against what is expected at his age. It may seimply be a case of waiting and seeing or he/she may want to set up some sessions - one ot oen or in a small group -to focus on particular areas.

I'd say the teacher is a little premature in judging him so harshly on things like hand dominance which may yet come but it won't do any harm to have an independent assessment as these could point to something like dypsraxia. ds was 6 before he got his and in retrospect ahd a miserable reception year due to a totally unsympathetic teacher. The earlier you get intervention if needs be the more chance you have of him coping longer term and not losing confidence.

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

firstly you haven't done anything wrong! the teacher sounds like she is just keeping an eye out for him, though I can understand it's upsetting for you, especially as you weren't expecting this. For me as a parent, I think I would prefer a teacher to be on the ball and spot any potential difficulties before they become an issue. I have worked in schools where a child got to Year 6 and then the SENCo, (Inclusion Manager whatever they call them nowadays) actually sat up and noticed that they could hardly read, this is not a joke or an exaggeration, I promise you.

Anyway, that's bit off topic sorry. An OT will assess your ds, see what he's good at and where he might benefit from a bit of help - basically all the things you mentioned. I'd be surprised if you got more than a bit of advice and suggestions for games to play and then discharged. It often happens that by the time children get seen, they've improved and no longer really need any help. HTH.

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

sorry, probably shouldn't have made the comment about just getting advice and discharge! that's all they have time to do where I live, but you may be lucky and get more. Or your ds may not need more. Anyway, he sounds lovely! and he's lucky to have a mum that cares.

[beautifulgirls]

DD#1 (started reception Sept) has had OT assessment and some therapy these last few months. The assessment consisted of her copying some shapes, pointing out "the same" shapes (eg size, orientation etc being the same), threading beads etc in a period of time, hopping, jumping, balance in general. It was all play to her and she quite enjoyed doing it. Sadly she failed her fine motor skills part and her visual/motor part too. The sessions she had looked at all parts, but also helped with specifics of fine motor..toys you use to practice buttons, pencil grips of different types to help with writing, how to use a knife and fork with best effect (practice on playdough!) etc.
The OT is currently in the process of writing to us and school with some recommendations for things to help make her school life easier with regard to her motor skills (extra time/supervision, make sure they know to use her special pencil grip all the time etc) Already her confidence is growing and she is doing some things she wouldn't have been able to at the start of term, such as buttoning up her own coat.

Hope things go well - it will not hurt to get an assesment done and if needs be some extra help.

[carocaro]

Don't panic. It seems scary, but is in fact a good thing.

I have a DS1 who is now 7, similar to your DS.

I have to go now as laptop about to run out of juice, but I will return later to post.

[Bobbinogtastic]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am coming around to what you mean and seeing it as a good thing. Thanks for all your positive comments. Cat64 - I definitely was not implying that people who have children with Special needs have done anything wrong - far from it - I guess I was just trying to express my initial thoughts, as irrational as I know they are.

[Bobbinogtastic]

PS. carocaro - would be really interested to hear your experiences

[hippipotamiHasLost75lbs]

Wow, you could be talking about my ds. He too is an August baby and amongst the youngest in his yeargroup at school. He too was never interested in mark-making, could not sit still on the carpet, sat the wrong way, stood on the chairs, and had no hand dominance.
Sooo, they assessed him and he was found to be a typical albeit young boy. School then got one of the SEN TA's to work wtih him. He apparently had a 'weak wrist' or something like that which meant he was rubbish at pen control. I personally put it down to 4 years of mud-pie making and no interest in even holding a pen never mind controlling it!
The SEN TA spent a term or so with him regularly doing writing exercises with him. Apparently this consisted of tracing wibbly lines, making swirly patterns etc.
He eventually chose his dominant hand (left) and began emergent mark making.

Fast forward 5 years. He is now in Y6, has one of the neatest handwriting styles in class (amonts the boys anyway, the girls are in a different league when it comes to handwriting) is academically at the top of the middle and the bottom of the top (if that makes sense) and is doing fantastically well.
Back in reception he was just as you describe your ds - a young 4 year old who is not yet interested in writing never mind deciding which hand to write with

[thecloudhopper]

I would also like to add it sounds like half of the reception boys in the class I am in.. Personally it wouldnt worry me at this stage as some children can be six or seven and still will not have decided hand preference.

With the fiddling thing I am in my 20s and still find it exeptionally hard to sit still. When children are asked to sit and listen young children should not sit still for too long the typical rule until they learn is 2mins plus their age. I would also suggest blue tack if it is a real problem as it helps to keep teh child still.

I would not worry TBH