DS has to learn how to write all over again

[Myusernameismud]

AIBU to think I'll need to get him a tutor?

This is a bit of a long one...

DS is 10. When he was a toddler he had several surgeries on his hand after a crush injury. His handwriting has always been awful, but his class teachers have always insisted on 'another handwriting intervention' and 'lots of practice'. It has never helped, and his writing still looks like a reception childs.

We recently moved house, and his new teacher suggested an OT referral. OT said there's nothing they can do and to ask for a plastics referral as they are best placed to decide what can be done.

Plastics have said surgery is the only fix, which I suspected was the case, but glad to have it confirmed. She said he'll need intensive hand therapy after, and he will need to re-learn how to write.

His surgery will happen before the summer holidays, and the vast majority of therapy will happen over the summer. After that he will be in year 6 and obviously will be preparing for his sats.

I'm an early years practitioner and have worked as a reception TA as well, and while I'm confident I'll be able to support him learning to write, I don't think I will be able to teach him as such. And as he'll have 6 weeks off school, I really think having a tutor once a week is the best way forward. DH thinks I'm over-thinking it (entirely possible, I'm a huge over-thinker)
I also think the kind of support he will need when back at school in year 6 is probably more than can be offered at School, athough DS is a pupil premium child, and I wondered whether to ask the head if he could have some more intensive support, paid for with his PP.

AIBU (or overthinking this?)

They should be making reasonable adjustments. So laptop or scribe for the period he's recovering and re learning how to write.

I wouldn't make it the be all and everything though. Physically he'll need to learn but his brain knows how so it's a case of reconnecting the wires and muscle memory. It'll come with lots of gentle practice.

I'm not medical (but have a ds with neuromuscular disorder) and would say he'd get far more from throwing tennis balls, helping you peg out washing or building sandcastles etc. All things where he's naturally using his hands.

The ASD assessment may not be a whole other issue! I am a specialist teacher for children with autism. The vast majority of children that I have taught have had specific difficulties with handwriting. There is some scant research about perceptual and processing difficulties associated with autism also impacting on handwriting.

All of the pupils I teach (many very able) use a laptop. The majority cannot produce longer handwritten pieces comfortably and handwriting practice does not seem to have much impact on this. A significant minority could be co-diagnosed with dysgraphia.

Perhaps your DS's hand injury has been masking this type of handwriting difficulty?

drspouse DS really struggles with keeping his writing small and even too. Well, I say struggles, he just can't and has given up. It also affects how he forms his numbers obviously, and while his classmates all have maths books with small squares, he still uses the large square books, which is another thing he's self conscious about. He's got a lovely group of friends who are hugely protective of him, because he's small and still the 'new boy', but there's 2 boys in his class who regularly make comments about him being an 'acorn' still (acorns is the reception class name). Kids can be so mean, and while we're all happy for him to continue using the laptop, I think his self confidence would really improve if he could just get this issue sorted.

Not to undermine that this is a big deal - but tbh while of course he needs to learn to write - the world is now a keyboard world.

My handwriting has always been HORRIFIC. It is now extremely horrific because I never write. Always use my computer. I'm a senior professional - can't remember the last time i handwrite anything besides a shopping list and a birthday card! So if you're over thinking i hope you're not worried about his future working life!

Please dont panic.
Get the surgery out of the way and then see how quickly he improves with treatment.
Most hand therapy units have the potential to see weekly (or even twice weekly) if needed. He wont be left without follow up and you shouldnt have to be paying for speed up tutoring.
Honestly it really is amazing how quickly kids adapt and improve post surgery, just make sure he sticks to his exercise plan!
(OT 10 years hand trauma experience)

reefedsail how funny you should say that. The handwriting issue came up when we were talking with his class teacher at his first parents evening about referring him for an ASD assessment. She mentioned his 'laboured handwriting' and said it could be another lesser known symptom of ASD which was when I mentioned about his finger. She then suggested the OT referral, and it's sort of gone from there. No further mention of it being ASD related, but yes, it's entirely possible it could actually be something that was always going to be a problem without the injury. Thinking about it, my DDad had aspergers (diagnosed in adulthood) as does my nephew, and they both had/have really messy handwriting.

Hi as an OT, they will be looking at fun ways of learning the skills he needs as well as the actual activity of writing e.g. playing games like noughts and crosses will working the pencil grip but not so intensive on the writing to start with, them playing hangman, do baking but get him to write the shopping list and the recipe, using whiteboard markers on a whiteboard/stuckn on the fridge, sending letters / postcards to relatives etc etc....making it fun yet building up the writing as he will know the letter formation and the spellings etc :) x

Just to second what underactor said - the programme by Teodorescu called Write From The Start is excellent for developing fine motor skills, a bit each day. It's not too babyish - things like tracing triangle shapes that get gradually smaller - so it's fairly abstract, but also a bit cartoony.

Amazon link: www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Ion-Teodorescu/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_lbr_books_authors_browse-bin%3AIon+Teodorescu&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

He needs to learn to type and he needs to be given (and be taught how to use) an emanuensis. If this is used daily and consistently, he can have one in the sats if needed. Other than that, I would imagine the immediate focus should be on hand strength and ensuring functional skills are appropriate.

FFS I think I'm just keen to help him boost his self confidence as much as possible, and this is one thing he currently gets upset/worried about. But yes, in terms of future career prospects, the handwriting issue doesn't worry me. Maybe he'll never be a surgeon, but then I don't think that would ever be on his list of future possible careers!

Thanks Serin. Annoyingly, the hospital is 2 buses and 3 trains away so realistically once a week is the most we'll be able to go. Another thing that makes my blood boil, because had he been referred a few years ago when it first became a real issue, we lived 15 mins away from QVH in East Grinstead so we could have gone every day if need be! But we've already met his hand therapist, and had a nice long chat with her so I'm confident there's a lot of support to be had from the hospital in terms of aftercare.

I saw you also wondered about laptop use in secondary - my DS with dyslexia /dyspraxia related handwriting issues is definitely encouraged to use laptop as he wants in first year secondary. Some schools in our area give a chrome book to every S1 pupil and expect most work from most pupils to be typed.

3 buses and 2 trains rather.

I'm confused. It sounds like his handwriting issues are purely down to the injury he suffered to his hand. As such is it not classed as a physical disability which should have measures put in by the school? And he should have an EHCP for that specific physical disability?

It all sounds very obvious the way you've described it. I'm struggling to understand why the school have been so difficult about it and why there's not an EHCP in place already.

I'm confused. It sounds like his handwriting issues are purely down to the injury he suffered to his hand. As such is it not classed as a physical disability which should have measures put in by the school? And he should have an EHCP for that specific physical disability?

It all sounds very obvious the way you've described it. I'm struggling to understand why the school have been so difficult about it and why there's not an EHCP in place already.

Some great advice from people here OP.
I would never even thought that using a laptop was an option, but can see what PP are saying, less pressure on him to write but more chance of getting his ‘words’ down on paper. You sound like you are supporting him all the way, which will make a massive difference. I just wanted to say that this stood out to me too - teacher has called me in 3 or 4 times to show me a piece of writing he's done that has (in her words) 'blown her away'. The teacher sounds as though she is totally behind him and I’m hoping that the school has the same ethos too. With that, and your support after the surgery, and his friends he will make progress, he’s got everyone rooting for him. Good luck.

Preggo his last school were next to useless, by the time we left they were in special measures and had just been taken over by an academy. One of the main issues was there was a very high level of behavioural issues, and as DS was/is a very quiet and well behaved child, he largely went under the radar for most of his time there.

We moved here last October and since then he's been referred for an ASD assessment, referred to and discharged from OT and the plastics consultant, had his surgery booked in and met with his hand therapist. His school have achieved, in just under 6 months what his last school couldn't achieve in 6 years.

The hospital should offer a teacher while he is off and a home tutor once he is home, they should liaise with the school to make sure he doesn’t keep up. We had this when DD was off, but I also spoke with the school and got work home for her to do.

I agree the school should have been offering him much more help.

Waterfall his teacher is amazing. She's also the school SENCO which helps, it's a very small school, and a hugely supportive atmosphere. I meet with her every other week for half an hour, to discuss DS and how he's getting on and nothing is ever too much trouble.

Might not be quite what you need but have a look at Constraint Induced Therapy; can have great results.

Have him type with laptop for tests etc
Have a scribe
Work on writing separately

He needs to be able to make a mark to sign things but he can get through life typing . He should not be forced to write for academics when he can use technology .
So balance using technology with sessions of fine motor therapy.

I would definitely push for a scribe from now onwards. Both my DS have issues with handwriting and school have provided scribes. DS1 now does homework on a laptop but still has a scribe for core subjects.

What underactor said.

You are well positioned as an EY practitioner to work on the fine motor skills and strengthening. A little and often...

I also think the laptop as a reasonable accommodation should be actively pursued in both primary and secondary. Being able to express himself as he feels fit without struggling with the physical process of getting words down on paper can make a big difference to his level of engagement with school.

I know it's a different kettle of fish, but my DDs' school in the US gives everyone a chromebook and expects homework to be emailed. All assignments are online, many textbooks too. Teachers are contactable with questions. It's the wave of the future.

He should learn to type if at all possible.

My son is disabled and can just about write his 3 letter name. It's written into his ehcp that he should have access to assistive technology - eg laptop with appropriate software - and a scribe.

Surely he'll be using a laptop for everything once he starts secondary?

He has a disability and the school should make adjustments e.g. Scribes, laptops.

I don't think I'd be happy to put my child through surgery for something that won't matter much in a year or two, unless it's stopping him doing everyday things.
GAs are not to be taken lightly, and, having worked with doctors for the last 12 years, I don't think it's massively important. ;)

I have an 18 year old with HFA and a significant injury to his dominant hand and arm. He always had dodgy laborious handwriting and struggled to produce pieces of extended writing, in primary a TA used to scribe for him from time to time.
He was just about managing when a cycling accident led to major nerve and muscle damage in his right arm, with a very poor prognosis at the time. He had to switch to his other hand...to cut a long story short, the physical injury made it a lot easier to get him extra time and IT use in exams, no need to try and quantify the undoubted but variable issues he had with processing speeds and spelling etc. A switch to typing, extra time and a quiet room meant he was able to achieve very good results and it was also straightforward to get DSA for recording and note taking software at university.
He did eventually get a lot of function back, OT gave him therapy putty and exercises and his hobby of painting figures helped, it has really not held him back, the younger generation tend to only use handwriting in birthday cards!