Random Question

[SaggyHairyArse]

My DS1 is in Y4. I have just had his parents evening and been told he is bottom in all subjects.

I don't have a problem with this per se. I want my DS to achieve his potential and not everyone is academic ya de ya de ya de.

The teacher also said he does not recall answers quick enough in their timed tests.

So along with reading every day, maths every week and a term project I have been told to practice recall of times tables, word searches, including more detailed information in written peices (a diary?), telling the time and probably more besides.

I realise teachers/schools want pupils to achieve government standards etc but my opinion is that if he is at a good school for 6 hours a day and does try hard and is not disruptive, does social activites of an evening, rides his bike, walks his dog what more can I do.

I am a lone parent with 2 other children and quite frankly not every minute of my day is a learning opportunity!

So,my question is this, am I selling my son short if I don't enforce this additional homework/learning opportunities?

[IndigoBell]

I would assume he has some underlying problems which are causing his slow recall, and poor academic performance, and would be trying to fix the underlying problem.

First thing I'd start with is Omega Fish Oils....

Secondly I'd ask the SENCO to assess him to see if she has any ideas why he's bottom in all subjects.

Do you think he should be bottom in everything? Why?

[LIZS]

Presumably they don't think he is reaching his potential. How old are the other dc ?

[sarahfreck]

Well it probably isn't so black and white as you suggest. I think you should perhaps try and do some of what has been asked but maybe one thing at a time and maybe instead of some of his homework - ie practise times tables instead of doing his school maths homework (do keep the reading going though), or keep it short and sweet and only do 10 minutes extra a night. Try and think of fun and active ways to do things ( chalking x tables on the drive? writing them on yourself with bath crayons at bath time?)

The better grounding in basics he can get at this stage, the better he will manage when he is at secondary school, but you know your son best and can tell if he is too tired to do more after school.

[thinkingkindly]

I would do it, actually. DSS was really slow in test situations etc. He was applying for grammar schools so it was important that he got quicker. The only way was through things like word searches and practice papers. We made it fun (well, at first!) by getting him to time how long a word search took and seeing if he could beat his score.

[LIZS]

There are a lot of resources on the internet which could help too - BBC, Woodlands Primary etc - so you don't always have to be the one to interact.

[SaggyHairyArse]

My other children are 6 and 3.

My DS has nystagmus, a visual impairment which essentially means he has tunnel vision. School is a strain for him, he has frequent headaches (normal for someone with nystagmus). He is very sensitive, quiet and thoughtful. For example I still have to cut labels out of his clothes, he has 'food issues' (will not eat foods where everything is mixed up, does not eat sauce, only eats raw vegetables etc) and he does not understand why some of the more challenging children don't follow the rules for example.

He is also very clumsy (this could be put down to his nystagmus), I have asked for him to be assessed for dyspraxia twice and nothing has come of it (???).

He was speech and language delayed, and did not speak til he was 3. WRT his language, everything he says is word for word repeated of something he has heard someone else say and whilst he does now use his own expression sometimes what he says is very 'robotic'.

I don't know whether he should be in the bottom, I have no idea what other children are achieving in his peer group. I can see that he would be bottom because he does not have the speed of thought to process info, construct a response and actualise it.

[LIZS]

In that case I woudl be pushing for an assessment of his senosry issues and any processing disorder such as auditory processing and/or dyspraxia. ds has elements of these, most predominantly dyspraxia, and it does slow down thinking and reaction times, possibly also affecting short term memory. He has struggled with the likes of mental maths and French for example and needed tasks broken down . However such issues can cloud a perfectly acceptable if not high level of intelligence , which may be what they are driving at. School can refer for assessment by OT and/or EP or ask your gp.

[IndigoBell]

Yes, I agree with LizS.

Who did you ask to assess him? School or your GP? You need to ask your GP again. You need to make a list of all his quirks and ask the GP to refer him to a paed.

He certainly sounds like he has Sensory Processing Disorder. But he probably has something else, like dyspraxia as well, as SPD normally exists with other conditions.

I feel so bad for you and your boy. You haven't been properly supported by school. It's very unlikely he should be bottom of the class for everything. It's more likely he has undiagnosed (mild) SN (as well as his Nystagmus), and he needs more support at school.

So talk to your GP, and talk to your SENCO. And the emphasis needs to be on what school and you are going to do to help him.

[SaggyHairyArse]

I asked the school to assess him. He used to see the SENCO as he, basically, had a meltdown when he transferred from Infants to Juniors. He had a NQT in Y3 who did not react to my pleas for my support for him until I went to the Head.

I definitely want to support him but I don't think throwing more work at him is the answer as he is already struggling with the bare minimum. I will write a list of his issues and go and see the GP then, thank you for suggesting that as I hadn't thought to talk to them about it.

How do they test for processing disorders and/or dyspraxia?

TIA xx

[IndigoBell]

I agree about not throwing more work at him. You are fine to stand your ground with this is you are clear why - ie he is too tired after school, and he needs to wind down - what can you (school) do to help him during school.

(But keep on approaching this from you and school working in partnership together, rather than you 'fighting' school)

Getting assessed for these disorders is normally time consuming - but the sooner you start...

Every county is different. But I would start with a referral to a child development paedetrician.

S/He would then decide if he wanted you to be seen by an occupational therapist, educational psychologist, clinical psychologist... Then he will probably see you again in 6 months, read all those reports he's requested, observe your DS again, and make a dx. ( Well if you're lucky that's how it goes)

ASD (Autistic spectrum disorder) / ADHD / Dyspraxia / Dyslexia / SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) all have lots of similar symptoms and overlapping stuff, so he'll probably be sort of assesing DS for all of those at the same time if that makes any sense.....

Make a list to take to the GP with you. Mention the melt downs, hypersensitivity to touch (labels) and food, the clumsiness, the bottom of the class and anything else you can think of (the more the better), and say you think he might have something like ASD / Dyspraxia / SPD etc and can she refer DS to a child development paedetrician.

[SaggyHairyArse]

Thank you!!! I really appreciate the advice :)

[SaggyHairyArse]

Thank you!!! I really appreciate the advice :)

[LIZS]

iirc ds was initially seen by a community paed who did the Griffiths test (?) on him (if you search me from back in about 2005/6 you can probably see). Basically a broad assessmentoif different skills - social, following instructions, playing games, physical coordination - which he scaled agaisnt a typical child of his age. From that we were referred to OT who did a separate battery of tests focussing more on motor skills(fine and gross) and concentration from which she devised some exercises for us to do at home and to do with him during sessions. Both took a case history about pregnancy, birth, health and early development and asked about our concerns.

[SaggyHairyArse]

Thank you Lizs :)

[Michaelahpurple]

Really agree with the comments here. It definitely sounds as though your son has a range of definite issues, some of which could well point to some of the SEN conditions mentioned above. Just giving him more work, with slight undertones "just try harder" doesn't seem the way forward. Obviously, one of these labels is not an end in itself, and will give rise to lots of extra stuff to do, but it will be focussed and tailored to his needs.

If school are not helping (and go in to the head and push hard again anyway), go to your GP and run through the sensory and behaviours you describe above, point out that he is falling behind at school and say that you need a neuro-development assessment to assess whether there are any specific learning or developmental conditions contributing to these factors.

It might also be worth trying a self-referral to the educational pyschology department of your local borough.

Load of luck,

[SaggyHairyArse]

Thank you Michaelahpurple :)

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I agree with everyone else that your son needs a detailed assessment. One thing I will say in the schools defence is that some processing disorders, (my DS1 is 7 - Y3 and has suspected dyslexia) benefit from "overlearning" things i.e. it takes DS1 more goes to get something stuck in his long term memory so repetition over a longer period does actually help. However, in my son's school most the extra work is done in break out sessions from the class rather than at the end of the day (my son is in a private school and I don't know how it works in the state system but I assume it should be similar).
Its difficult to know if the overlearning approach is appropriate until you son has been properly assessed.