Dyspraxia and handwriting year 3

[ike1]

Can anyone help me and DS? DS is now in year 3. He has been diagnosed with dyspraxia. He has been receiving input from the SALT regarding reading and is now reading to a reasonable level and beginning to do so independently.

Verbally he is very good and has been assessed as having a higher than average intellect. However he just does not want to write in class.

He is left handed so it takes him some time to form letters correctly but when he does they are correct.

I have been to the school previously to discuss the teacher's frustrations regarding his erratic motivation re completing work. Some days he will some days he wont complete his work.

He says he does not understand the requirements of some of the tasks. She claims she always checks that he he understands the task first but that he now just has to 'get on with it'.

I feel I am annoying the teacher by trying to get to the root of the issue as she seems to want to just see it as his 'problem'. She is now sending him to the headteacher where he will then get on with the task in hand, I have a meeting tomorrow what can I do to suggest progress?

Sorry probably not what you want to hear but if he can get on with the task in hand after he is sent to the headteacher then it is his problem for not getting on with it in class.

No i am fine with hearing that. Dyspraxia is a conundrum, so i just need to know whether to use more 'draconian' methods-ie finish at break or bring home to work on what he does not finish in school. I know he gets more tired than other kids cos he has to try harder so it maybe that unless he HAS to do it he just doesnt. So hard to know how to help him cos others find it easier and dont get as tired.

Also is he using strategies that will be making life easier for him are they teaching him these strategies?

Does he see an occupational therapist?

Well he has OT diagnosis - approx 16 months ago but I think we need to re involve them in his case now that this situation has come to a head.

I agree both your son and the school need OT input to support his difficulties.

you could be talking about my son when he was in year 3, his hand writing is awful (still is and he's 13) but I got the OT involved again with the class teacher and the SENCO to make the teacher realise it's a medical problem (i know she probably knew this) but like you felt she was focusing on DS being a problem and not suffering from a problem. OT did loads of paper assessments and it was shown that DS is clinically a slow writer he managed about 5 words in aminute if he wrote tidily if he could just throw something on the paper he got about 8 but no one could read it! he was given loads of strategies to help in school as was teacher and school and he slowly improved. Whilst he's still got atrocious handwriting non of his high school teachers complain as long as they get the work handed in.

I think the fact the OPs son can do the task in hand when he is sent to the headteacher suggests he can write more if he wants to.
I'm actually sat reading an OT report on a pupil with dyspraxia assessed below the 1st percentile and a visual age of minus four years who is normally first finished in every written task and happily produces a side of A4 (I struggle to read it however)