So we've done the OT ....

[LIZS]

ds, now 9, (with motor skill and planning, sequencing , visual tracking type issues) finally had his OT assessment in April , followed by 4 sessions during which he did the various fine and gross motor skill activities. We now have sheets to continue with those at home. The OT is going to do a summary report and speak to the school as to how they could help him in addition to the handwriting and spelling support he already receives.

However I'm left feeling a bit deflated. We can do these exercises and if we have any problems or new issues ring up the dept over the next few months and they would review him but then his case is filed and we'd have to rejoin the queue to get him seen again (18 months wait first time around).

I asked if/how a diagnosis might be beneficial and she was vague but agreed he might find an issue with exam timings and so on further down the line, so have left her to think about that. Presumably we'd need a diagnosis(probably DCD) to argue the case for more time ? I don't want to preempt what she may say in her report and to the school but can't help feeling a bit lost and perhaps not really any further forward .

anyone ? Part of me is relieved that his problems are thought so slight as to not need further attention , part of me is frustrated because I worry we'll have issues further down the line and no way of addressing them quickly as his problems are functional not medical. Do all NHS therapists work this way ?

bump for the evening

GET A DIAGNOSIS!!!!
I have a nearly nine year old DS with Dyspraxia (aka DCD) - like you we had OT sessions with exercises to do at home and then felt very much like we were just left to cope with it on our own. The problem is that DCD is a medical condition and can only be diagnosed by a medic (in our case, the community paediatrician), and the OT people can't diagnose it. It took us a good year to get the diagnosis (this was when he was 6), but was so worth it - he had self esteem problems by then because of his poor handwriting, difficulties at school etc, and just having that piece of paper made me able to prove to him none of it was his fault. Now he has an IEP at school and is allowed a scribe for school exams etc, plus extra time. My advice - go back to your GP and ask for a referral to a paediatrician and just keep hounding them. Good luck.

Thnk you Hassled. We got the OT via a paediatrician so could go back to him I guess. We have moved gp in the meantime so may be better to circumvent atm. He's at a private school so not sure whether an IEP is applicable. We've also been on this road since he was 6 so it suddenly seems as if we have hit a wall !

You don't need a specific diagnosis to get extra time in exams. We had a number of children who we considered required special provision of various kinds, and they were assessed by a specialist teacher who made a recommendation which was then submitted to the exam boards.

Not saying you shouldn't get a diagnosis of course, but an IEP and special exam provision are not dependent on one.

That's helpful to know. ds has had internal exams today and once again didn't finish his story in time so I think the case is proven but whether we can get that officially recognised and how seems less certain. Perhaps we should discuss it with the school once the OT has been in touch.