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SEN

dyspraxia & exams

4 replies

balletgirlmum · 07/11/2015 12:15

Ds has just started secondary school. We strongly suspect he as ASD but due to funding issues in our area we can't seem to get a referral/diagnoses & camhs were useless.

NFER tests taken in primary shiw he is above average academically (exceptional reading) but writing is a huge problem, bith from an unable to use his imagination perspective & a physical perspective.

He struggles with fine motor co-ordination eg using cutlery, his handwriting is appalling & it physically hurts him to write for long periods of time. He produces much better work when able to use a computer. We are wondering about possibly dyspraxia?

He had a meltdown last week in an english writing test (school are monitoring him & he's being observed by an LSA) but he did a maths test & did well (slightly above class average) but basically he got most of the answers correct, he just ran out of time as he writes slowly.

The school did dyslexia screening last week & children who were identified were allowed extra time in the tests. Is there any similar concessions for dyspraxia & if so how wouod we go about this? Ds goes to an independent school so we don't have access to the LA educational psychologist.

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balletgirlmum · 08/11/2015 15:43

Bumping

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kickassangel · 08/11/2015 16:17

Go back to the GP and push for an assessment. An independent school can choose to give him support/accommodations, but if he ever transfers to state school, goes to college etc then having a diagnosis is essential.

Just keep bugging for the assessment. It's the basis for all future allowances and support.

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TeenAndTween · 09/11/2015 16:37

DD1 did test end y9 and was allowed to use laptop for CAs and exams. But didn't use/need for short writing such as science, maths and language exams.

Then in y11 we finally got her seen by an OT (after referral by GP) who said dyspraxia. She has very poor processing and organisational skills.

I asked re extra time and this was awarded Feb y11, after mocks but in time for final exams.

Also friend's son diagnosed dyspraxia in primary with dire handwriting uses laptop for everything in secondary, even maths.

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tomatotoad · 28/11/2015 22:37

You don't need a diagnosis for extra time (school should be using a specialist assessor to assess for extra time where there is no dx ) but if he has a dx of dyspraxia (e.g. from an OT) school can use that as evidence (alongside history of need/evidence of usual way of working).

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