Advice on how to get help for dyspraxic and hypermobile 9-year-old

[DaffyDodo]

Hi all,

My ds was diagnosed a while back as hypermobile and dyspraxic. He had 'growing pains' for years and after a GP referral he got physiotherapy and then the physiotherapist said she strongly urged us to get an OT to assess him. We did and she prepared a report which we gave to his school outlining his difficulties. He is at a private school and they have been very good about dd's difficulties but his class and English teacher is now saying that she really thinks he needs to type his exams (the OT has speeded up his handwriting but he is still slow). She says that we need to get an Educational Psych's report to the school in order to allow him to type exams etc. I thought we'd got all the necessary reports (he has a physio report which shows his physical difficulties - for example he only learnt to jump when he was 7) and we have the OT report which explains his issues with handwriting/dressing etc and recommends that he learns to touch type.

So my question is that before I spend a lot of money on the report - will I need any other reports etc to get him permission to type at school? And do I have to get the report privately? We have been having weekly physio and OT for over a year now and although it has helped it hasn't been cheap.

Any advice would be great! Thank you :)

Does your DS's school have a SENCO? when I was a teaching assistant I supported a boy who was severely dyslexic, dyspraxic and was also diagnosed with hypermobility. We typed up all the class notes on his laptop and the SENCO made arrangements for him to have a laptop for exams.

Hi BeauMirchoff

Thanks that is so helpful!Yes he does have a SENCO who has been working with us. The school is great but a bit haphazard - for example, ds had a year of speech therapy with a therapist his class teacher recommended who came into school but when we met with the SENCO this year (the speech therapy was two years ago) she had no info on it and hadn't even known ds's speech had been an issue. The recommendation to see the Ed psych was from ds's class teacher who I suspect hasn't spoken to the SENCO so I will speak to her direct and confirm what she can arrange and if we need him to see an Ed psych or not. Thank you!

No he doesn't need another report to touchtype in exams. Even at gcse/a level it only needs to be established as his regular mode of working for the exam board to accept it (refer to JCQ regulations). Are you sure that this school is as supportive and inclusive as it professes