Dsypraxia.......what now ?

[heavenis]

I've just got back from seeing the Ed psyc. She says that ds1 has some dsypraxic tendencies. She will write a report which I'll get in about three weeks cos she has a back log of writing to do.
She said that they don't fund children with dsypraxia and he'll get the help the school can afford to give him. She also said that he is not a clear cut case.
I just wondered of other peoples experiences. I maybe wrong but did she only see him in case the school could get extra money.
He's 6 and in year 2.
Any advice gratfully received.

[heavenis]

I can't even spell, dyspraxia

[hasbean]

Hi I don't know much about it but I have a friend who has got two girls with dyspraxia.
One is at mainstream school but recieves one to one help in the class room for 4 hours a day, as well as salt lessons 2 times a week. The other who is 3 is just going through the process of being statemented but recieves SALT once a week at present.

[hasbean]

I've just re read your post and I am not to sure what it is your asking. Do you feel your DS needs more help in school or are you suggesting there is no problem except the school looking for more funding?

[heavenis]

Hi Hasbean.
The school does think he has a problem and has had extra help as in small group work. The help he gets does not seem to make any difference to him.
What is SALT ?
I'm very new to this and I just want him to get all the help he should,and be able to make things easier for him.

[earthtomummy]

Hi Heavenis. I'm wondering what difficulties the school are identifying. Our Ds is 5 and has poor gross and fine motor skills and trouble with number and leterwork. Also diffs. with social communication and processing info. This was identified at pre-school and Inclusion Support got involved to advise the school on how to support him. They have made several visits and assessments and helped with his transition to full time reception. We then decided to take him to see the cons. paediatrician and he has been referred for assessments with Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), OT and physio. He also has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) - not that that seems terribly helpful, but it does mean we have formal reviews which are useful. Did you know before this that there were problems or that he had dyspraxic traits? What help do you think he needs? It just strikes me that your Ed. Psych has not been particularly supportive or helpful and 3 wks is a while to wait whilst you worry, isn't it. We were lucky to get pretty quick action from Inclusion Support etc. but even still I feel we have had to nudge the process along and push for information. Hopefully, when the other assessments are done we'll have a clearer picture. I gues you need to see what areas of difficulty she has highlighted, see if you agree or not or if you feel she has missed stuff etc or not. then it will be easier to look into how you might access the help your DS might need at school. Hope you are ok.

[heavenis]

Hi earthtomummy,
Ds has had IEP and school action plus,although I have had no input with this. It was brought up at parents evening that they though he should be refered to the ed psych. She identified his motor skills,his hold of a pencil.He can't ride a bike on his own.I only thought of dyspraxia after reading up on it on the web. I've always thought there was something with him but not known what. With him being the first I thought that he was fine,but now his brother does things that he never did at a similar age.
I think when I get the report I'll ask to see the SENCO.
The Ed Psych just came across as well this is what I think but there won't be any extra help other than what he is already getting.
I maybe wrong. I just want to make his life easier,he is becoming aware that he can't do things that other children in his class can.
I'm going to arm myself with as much info and get him any help he needs.

[LIZS]

Occupational therapy might help, depending what his problems are. How did the Ed Psych get involved ? Can you ask your gp to refer you to one or a developmental paediatrcian who can further assess and refer, once you get the report.

[rummum]

I didn't think the Ed psyc could diagnose?.. I agree with Liz, he should be assessed by a developmental paediatrcian who can then refer him on to an OT, who will be able to help him more...

[heavenis]

The Ed psych got involved at the schools request. She saw him this morning and did a number of tests. I then went into school and spoke to her about ds.
His problems at school are number work,written.Short term memory,delayed learning.
The ed pysch identified :- Poor number skills,concentration,short term memory,gross motor skills.
The ed psych said to me that he has dyspraxic traits.
I think it would be a good idea to the GP once the her report comes through.

[sphil]

My son (nearly 5 and in reception) has been following a programme called 'Jump Ahead' 3 x a week for two terms. It has really helped his gross motor skills in particular - he can now jump, climb and balance with much more confidence and rode his bike with stabilisers to the park for the first time the other day! (with quite a lot of pushing up slopes...)

His fine motor skills are still quite a way behind his peers, especially anything involving a pencil, but we are seeing gradual improvements in things like dressing, buttons, cutlery use etc.

The web address for 'Jump Ahead' is v long but if you type 'Jump Ahead West Sussex' into Google you should get there. It's being piloted by West Sussex but may be extending elsewhere by now.
May be worth a look!

[earthtomummy]

sphil, my Ds is the same age as yours. I'm wondering if your DS has a diagnosis and if so, when did he get that? Also, how did he get into the Jump Ahead scheme (which sounds brill).

[blueteddy]

Hi, heavenis. Did you suspect your DS had dyspraxia before it was diagnosed?
I read up on dyslexia on the website last night & was alarmed at how many of the symptoms fitted my DS perfectly.
I am going to see if I can get him a referral from my gp. May talk to my HV about this.
Did you go to your gp, or was your DS referred through the school?
I know there is a programme called the fizzy programme that is used in schools to help children with motor difficulties.

[sphil]

Earthtomummy - my DS doesn't have a dx but I've done a lot of reading (my younger son has ASD)and he seems to fit the dyspraxic 'profile' more than anything else. He also has a few traits which would fall into the AS category too - but I know there's overlap.

We are debating at the moment whether to get him assessed or not. He's doing well at school and has made really great progress since Sept. The school is very enlightened about SEN - we would have had him assessed earlier if they hadn't been giving him so much support already. (It was the school who suggested Jump Ahead - the LSA who works with his class had just been on the training.) He goes to school happy, has a gradually increasing circle of friends and seems popular with the other kids. Tbh that's all I would ever have wanted from the reception year.

So at the moment we are not pursuing a formal dx. As I said, if the school had been less sympathetic, then we would have done. Having said that, the paed who sees DS2 is giving us a slot in our next appt with her to talk about DS1. We're just going to talk about what other help might be available for him in the future. Our HV mentioned something called the DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) Assessment which we may go for if we can do it in a way which won't make DS1 feel there's something 'wrong' with him - he's bright and would pick up on any hint in a flash!

I think you can order the Jump Ahead handbook from the website.

[mumeeee]

My 14 year old has dyspraxia. She is not statemented but on school action plus. She recently took her year ninr SAT'ds and had a scribe and extra time for them. I have been told she will be able to have a scribe for her GCSE's if she needs them. When she was in promary school she had sveral lessons a week with the SENCO and had a classroom assistant who supported any children that neded it. She also pccansionly had extra lesons with a specialist teacher who helped her with her English and Reading. She also used a writing slope which actually helped her to write more neatly.
We had to push the senior School for help. They did buy her a writting slope that helped and we also have one at home, but she doesn't like using them now. She has a claassroom assitant in most of her subjects and extra handwriting lesons once a week. Hope this helps you.

[heavenis]

Hi Blueteddy, when school said they would get the Ed psych to look at him I did my research on the net.He fits dyslexia and dyspraxia. He is currently on school action plus. I'm going to wait until I get her report back and if needs be I'll go to the GP and get them to refer to OH.
This is because the pysch said that there isn't funding for children with dyspraxia and dyslexia,but to me the help he is getting at the moment isn't doing anything to help close up the gap in his learning. He has very poor short term memory,but can tell you in great detail what happened two/three years ago.
She thought it funny that he has an obsession (sp) with vaccum cleaners, but he doesn't like them switched on.

[blueteddy]

My DS is like that! He has a very poor short term memory, but can recall an event from when he was two years old in great detail! He still can't pedal a bike very well, has appaulling handwriting, cannot organise himself, cannot proccess more than 1 instruction at a time, is a messy eater, who still likes to pick up food & eat with his hands if he can and he has had stages of being obsessed with things that he is scared of!
I read the dyspraxia symptoms out to my husband the other night & he couldn't believe how many of them described DS1 to a tee.
My DS is only on school action atm, but they are looking what may be wrong & they had someone into observe him recently.
I feel sure he is dyspraxic after reading up on it & have been laying awake thinking about it for the last two nights. I think I may try & catch the SENCO today & see if they can also push for someone to look at him properly.
How did you feel when you were told officially that your DS had dyspraxic tendencies? Did it just confirm what you felt deep inside?

[heavenis]

I wasn't looking for a lable for him,but it helps me to understand why he is like he is.
He too can't follow more than one instruction,he talks constently (although a late talker). He has poor concept of social gatherings and interupt conversations all the time. He went through a stage of wanting soft trousers. When I look back the signs have always been there but he is the eldest and I thought he was ok.
He was also 8wks prem which I don't think has helped. He has had two operations for squints on his eyes. Looking back it's not suprising he used to get so upset. Now he knows what to expect and is much better with the visits.
I too think he has been frighten about the cleaner and this has resulted in him obessing. Now that I know what his problems are I want to find the best way to help him,as he is becoming more and more aware he can't do the thinks his friends can. I just wish I could make it all better for him.

[chocolateannie]

My Son has dyspraxia is thsi something you can get statemented if they are not that bad and can it help by getting extra time in exams?

[heavenis]

I don't know if it can be statemented,I seem to think in my sons case not. But that won't stop me getting the help he needs.

[sylvm]

I have heard of dyspraxic children being statemented but of course it does depend where you live and, dare I say it, how pushy you are. We haven't gone down that path yet but feel we may have to before secondary school (DD is currently Year 4). DD does have social and behavioural issues too though.

I'm not sure that the support the school is giving will "close the gap" but is your son making progress. DD is way behind her peers in lots of ways but she has made loads of progress particularly over the last year or so.

[heavenis]

He has made small amounts of progress. He is 6 (7 in august)and in year 2 and alot of the tests that were done yesterday came out at him being 4-5. I am prepared to become pushy if needs be.

[blueteddy]

I know that feeling of wanting to make it all better for them. Working in the same school as my DS can get a bit much at times, as I see him in the playground. When he is having a good day & mixing with a group of friends, it makes me so happy, but other days like most days this week, I spot him all on his own hanging over the wall looking at the soil, or putting his hands in the muddy water! Days like this he really stands out & I went to bed crying about it all last night. Maybe I will feel better when I know for sure what's wrong.
My DS does the interupting thing too.

[rummum]

My daughter has a dx of dyspraxia and has all the problems that your son has ... Poor number skills,concentration,short term memory, Not only did I want to understand her but I wanted the teachers to understand her needs as well.... It appears in my school that they don't get any help unless they have a label....

be pushy... be very pushy...

[Kittypickle]

Hi Heavenis. My DD is in Year 2 as well and has a diagnosis of dyspraxia. She also has hypermoblity as well which has made it even harder for her to write. We have been very lucky I think. She is under the community paed and the co-ordination unit at the nearby hospitals. She had one lot of physio & OT at the co-ordination clinic when she was first diagnosed. She's just been referred back again by the school so will be having a futher course in the next couple of months hopefully. Her annual check up with the paed is tomorrow.

At school she is on school action plus and has a one on one session weekly with the SENCO. She was going to have SALT but the physio got her going on her speech - her tongue wasn't moving properly, so in the end she didn't need it. She has a writing board and pencil grips, well I think she still has them.

There are a number of things that are a bit of an issue at the moment eg. eating with cutlery (and the mess generally), strapping herself in a car, washing/hair washing/brushing, walking down the road without walking into a lamp post and she struggles with maintaining friendships. However she has made huge progress since starting reception and getting this help. She does drama which has helped her confidence hugely and piano which gives an auditory feedback to the pressure she exerts with her fingers -she found it very hard to make a mark with her pencil and it has also helped her concentration. Luckily the school looks at whether she is achieving her potential, not whether she is within "normal" limits. If they did this she wouldn't get any extra help as she is, but wasn't achieving what she was capable of doing if that makes sense. We have never had to wait very long for appointments - a month or two. I have been warned by the SENCO that I will probably have to push when she gets to middle school in another couple of years. I think we have been incredibly lucky with the help she has got so far. I haven't got time to read what I've put so I hope it makes sense.

[heavenis]

I will ask about a writing board and pencil grip to see if this helps him. I am planning to see the SENCO once I have the report from the Ed psych.
What does a writing board do.
I feel so in the dark but also think that maybe I should ask more questions. I certainly will be from now on.
My ds has one friend and he does play with others.I say to him who did you play with at play time and sometimes he says nobody, just my pretend little boy. That breaks my heart.