Secondary school PE, hair up, autism question

[TheHorneSection]

Sorry if I’ve worded the title wrong, this is all new to us and it a bit of a random question.

DD is heading to secondary school, where her hair needs to be tied up for PE. It’s currently a weird mid-level bob that is growing out, and it’s very fine hair. She’s being assessed for autism and also has something called mixed dominance with her hands, where she uses random hands for random tasks and sometimes really struggles to find a dominant hand for a task - and then add to that executive function issues with some tasks.

Anyway, the crux of it is her hair is too short and fine at the moment for me to put it up in the morning and be sure it will stay up all day, but it’s long enough that they’ll want it back for PE - but she just can’t put it up at all. We’ve tried and tried to reach her but she can’t get it, which is fine.

My random question is, what do we do about this for PE at school? Will she be let off? Can we ask as an adjustment that a teacher helps her? Or just hope her friends will help?

I would mention it to the teacher so she doesn't get in trouble if it's loose and the teacher would help.

But I'd also tell DD to ask her friends for help - if she's making an effort to help herself the teacher surely won't be annoyed if once it is loose. I'm certain they'd help - DD's classmates fought to help her when she had her hand in a cast!

Let the school know. It would surely be a reasonable adjustment for a teacher or someone to help your daughter put her hair up, if her friends can't for whatever reason. I'm sure they'll be able to find a way to help her.

Get her to enlist a friend to help.

And as well as elastic bands to tie it back, get a headband so that if any bits do escape, they won’t fall forwards into her face.

Put it in a half head pony tail (ie just the front and sides). They tend to stay in better, and should be out of her face enough for PE. You can also put some grips in the side to help it stay put.

Thank you. Good shout on the hair and as well, and I’ll get her to explain to her friends and ask for help. I thought that would probably be the answer but good to know others agree it’s a reasonable adjustment to ask the teachers for some slight leeway or assistance.

Would she tolerate either just tying up the front and sides or even a couple of half up half down ponytails or braids, one on each side? Could you use hairspray or gel or a headband to keep the flyaways tamed?

Otherwise if she can get a friend to help her that’s probably the best idea. I’m sure a teacher would help her, but it’s probably less awkward for her if it’s her friend.

She’d tolerate it if I was capable of it 😂 Unfortunately she has very thick but fine hair, like me, that doesn’t stay in many styles. I’ll have a practice over the next few weeks!