12 year old DS painfully slow at everything

[Callmesausage]

Just about getting to the end of my tether with my DS. He is so so slow at everything. It has taken him two hours to do something that could take 15 mins max, he just cannot seem to focus. Every morning though he wakes early, he is still always late; I get him to pack his bag the night before and he still always forgets something! I try to help him to be organised but am trying to balance this with him
taking responsibility. Any advice please?

[Callmesausage]

Meant to say, he is 13 in a couple of weeks, hence posting in this section

[Dreamfrog]

He may have a processing type of difficulty. It may be worth chatting to the school to see if they have concerns. Does he have difficulty organising work or difficulty moving between classes. How is he at sport. You need to weedle out whether it's lazy or something else. Perhaps make him a list of everything he needs for school and hsve it on the wall where the bags are kept. If he is having organisational or processing difficulties give him one task at a time and give him at least 15 seconds after saying the task to process it before you say anything else. See if it helps.

[Callmesausage]

Thanks Dreamfrog, you may be right actually. I can ask him to do something but it doesn't seem to actually go in. I'll try waiting as you suggest. Thanks again.

[Themoleisdead]

I was going to suggest slow processing - it may be worth talking to the school and pushing for an assessment.

[ReallyTired]

My son is like this and its getting worse. Maybe I need to invest in a cattle prod.

[Callmesausage]

Would I talk to school first, then the GP?

[Callmesausage]

It's hard isn't it ReallyTired!

[ReallyTired]

My son's processing speed is fine in fact it's faster than average. His movement is like a tortoise. We are seeing the community paediatrian.

[Callmesausage]

Help you get to the bottom of it Really. It's funny, this morning he was totally ready on time. I asked to pass me the dog bowls and 10 seconds later he asked do you want the bowl or the lead? I don't know if it's that he can't focus or it's not registering.

[Callmesausage]

Hope you, not help ...

[bigTillyMint]

Has he always been like this or has it just started/got much worse now?

If not always, could be puberty-linked?

If always, then maybe you want to get him checked out - ask GP for a referral to paediatrician/OT?

[Callmesausage]

He probably always has been like this. At primary he got distracted, I just put that down to his age etc, but in year 6, with SATS etc, his teachers said he was very bright but took too long to complete his work. He sat level 6 for SPAG and maths, passed level 6 SPAG, got 100% for level 5 but didn't finish the level 6 paper in time.

Not sure if this is part of the same problem. He's only year 8 now, and it doesn't seem to affect his school work now but in a few years, I don't know what will happen re GCSEs etc.

Also, maybe once every couple of weeks he will wet the bed. Again, not sure if this is connected.

[bigTillyMint]

Ask the school/GP to refer him for a paediatric/OT assessment. You are right, it may possibly slow him up at GCSE, so best to get a dx (if appropriate!) now.

[Callmesausage]

Thank you so much BigTilly. I've emailed his tutor with my concerns. It might be he is just a lazy arse 😀