AIBU to ask if a visual processing disorder meant you were unable to achieve academically or otherwise?

[ScoutFinchMockingbird]

DS is 6 and hiss teacher recently asked us to organise an OT appointment due to poor handwriting skills and not great coordination in general.

Appointment with OT was very early (8.30) - not DS's best time and I made the huge mistake of telling him about a play date that would follow the appointment, so he rushed through the assessment so he could play with his friend. The results aren't great. He's apparently on the 20th centile for visual perception and 16th centile for visual processing.

I am not denying DS has a problem, but the OT has sent some exercises to work on with him and he has done these so much better in the home environment, at a more suitable time, than he did in the test at the hospital.

This is just background info. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a child with a visual processing / perception problem and whether this has affected them long-term? DS is already a free reader, "exceeding" at maths and just about (by the skin of his teeth, and a generous overlooking of handwriting!) made "expected" for writing. Any reassurance or advice please?

Hi there. I am a tutor working with students, some of which have a variety of issues and difficulties. I'd say..
Don't worry, it doesn't mean he won't achieve academically. Acknowledge both his strengths and weaknesses and let him know often that he is loved for who he it's, not what he does and doesn't achieve. Support his difficulties with writing ( eg by doing OT exercises or whatever) and breaking down tasks into tiny increments for progression. Celebrate and praise his efforts and attitudes to work, rather than achievements. encourage him to see the tiniest improvements in handwriting or whatever being as good as getting star of the week in maths. Practice skills he needs daily but for no more than 10 minutes at a time.

My ds1 was diagnosed with similar at age 17 but more severe (< 2 percentile for both). He sat his final school exams ( not in the UK but equivalent of A levels) and had the option of typing but chose not to. His results were almost as high as it is possible to get in the exam. He's just finished first year in university and while he only got a H2.2, that was more to do with socialising than anything else😉

OT said they develop compensatory mechanisms which is definitely the case. Your dc is young enough to get used to typing for exams etc so I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks both of you. Yes, you're quite right *educatingarti" - we do try and let him know we love him for who he is and I think he does know that.
I agree theymademejoin - I think I have a slight visual processing disorder too (and so do my whole family, so probably hereditary), but we've all done ok in our chosen fields, so have obviously subconsciously made rrequired adjustments. I just wonder whether knowing you have the disorder affects things (and the way teachers etc treat you)?

My ds had nearly finished school so it made no difference to how he was treated. I don't think that did him any harm really. He had one teacher who was really big on handwriting when he was 10/11. She did tell me she stopped giving him a hard time about it as she could see he was trying but just couldn't manage it. She arranged for him to have one-on-one handwriting sessions that helped slightly if he wrote really slowly!