DS1 has been diagnosed with dyspraxia - how do we tell the school?

[ttalloo]

Do we need to give them the formal assessment from the paediatric physiotherapist?

And what kind of support in the classroom should we expect for him?

The school has already been very good in identifying a potential problem, which is why DS1 has now been seen and assessed by a paediatric physiotherapist, and he is attending an after-school club once a week for children with a developmental delay in their gross and fine motor skills, but I don't know what they can or should do for him in the classroom, given that he struggles with writing and PE.

Arrange to meet the SENCO and discuss the contents of the report, you don't need to give them a copy if you commissioned it , up to you but it may be useful to do so. tbh they sound rather more proactive than most already. It is a case of trial and error - writing slopes, pencil grips, flexible cushions and chair/foot supports may help, adapting their expectations of quantity in writing and participation in pe plus supervision in the changing room with reminders as to what to do next to keep him on-track.

Thanks, LIZS - excuse my ignorance, but what's a SENCO?

Special Educational Needs Coordinator - a teacher with overall responsibility for SEN/SN provision and relevant resources.

My DD doesn't have dyspraxia but struggles specifically with writing and PE in school. Agree with LIZS that it can be a case of trial and error with equipment and support. They may not want to statement but an IEP could be useful if he doesn't already have one? We have also requested further OT support as DD may need a laptop for writing longer term and these things take a while to organise. It is great your DS has already been offered extra support - sounds like the school is on the case!

Thanks, ladies. I'll ask the school what provision they can make for writing slopes, pencil grips, etc., and what they can do to ensure he has the right kind of help with un/dressing for PE, not to mention managing their expectations with regard to the fact that he fidgets a lot and has difficulty following instructions.

I'm a bit worried, though, that telling the school may lead to DS1 being 'labelled' as different from his classmates, and that his classmates may tease him if he does have a writing slope, for example, or help with dressing. How have you handled this?