DS can't write at all - what should I do?

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He's 4.5, and has a dx of ASD. We didn't see an OT until a year and a half after the initial dx, which is also why his statement, which we got fairly quickly (he starts reception in January, MS) has no OT provisions.
DS is making progress with speech and socialization, also because those are the areas we and the nursery have been working on, but he has some obvious problems with coordination skills. For instance, he can't really draw a straight line - when he does a closed line it's by accident iyswim.
The OT said this was not strictly speaking a fine motor skills problem but a coordination/imitation problem.
Now, my question is: what should I do? Is it too early to get worried? Should I leave it to the school - they will help him even without OT in the statement?
I have tried doing some practice at home, but

1. I don't really know what to do, other than hand-on-hand drawing, or doing stickers
2. he hates it, it's a real struggle to make him do any drawing
3. it is time I am taking away from his SALT exercises, or the turn-taking and sharing exercises, which he enjoys. I work FT so time is limited, also because I don't want to be in educational-mother-of-SEN-child mode all the bloody time. Should I get OT privately? Help...

There will of course be someone who knows more than me along in a minute ... but this is what I would do.

If he is hating drawing I would leave working on specific writing things for a while. But there is lots you can do to help his co-ordination -- what's called pre-writing, which actually works on gross motor skils, because you have to have trunk and shoulder strength to hold and manipulate a pencil properly.

So stuff like painting the fence with water, or chalking on a wall is really good especially if he is making large movements. Throwing balls, any kind of swinging by his hands, swimming really anything that strengthens his shoulder muscles is good.

Also anything that helps him to cross the mid-line (essential for making letters such as 'o'), so threading, putting things from one box on the left to a box on the right (without changing hands).

Anywthing that strengthens fingers is also good, playdough, air-drying clay are fantastic.

Tearing paper up is brilliant -- especially if you can then stick the pieces down into a collage. This gets the hands to work together (on hand tears while the other stabilizes the paper).

All this is stuff you can do at home without any special equipment. I really would leave writing to the school though obviously you would be wanting to keep an eye on what support they give him with learning to write.

Sounds like he needs OT to help with this. And it is definitely not too young.

Don't start with writing / drawing at all until he has the hand strength to hold the pencil and core strength to hold himself. To fix these things you need OT.

If he is strong enough and still can't write then start with a program like 'write from the start'

'speed up' and 'handwriting without tears' also are handwriting programs that include OT exercises.

I'd start maybe with a tray of sand and marking marks in that with fingers. You can do the same with flour.

Think 'mark making' rather than 'writing'.

My ds (6, asd) was a reluctant writer (and left handed to make it even more difficult) and we:

1. got some bath crayons to draw on the tiles
2. plenty of playing with playdough (my ds loved bread dough)
3. dot to dot puzzles
4. mazes to draw the route
5. also use paint to make marks

Any manipulation of the fingers will help though.

Move on to letters slowly (and 'write' them in the air first)

I write this as a KS1 teacher, btw.

I appreciate you don't want to be an educational-mother-of-SEN-child all the time!!!

I was warned off private OT myself as if you kick and scream enough you may well get some at the statement review - if you can wait.
If you can't wait and have plenty of cash then I would go for it.

Just a couple more suggestions to add: Covering a tray with shaving foam and drawing in it
Sand pit/ tray fun
Lego - building towers and knocking them down
Collect some stones of different shapes and sizes and just lay on a towel together with the stones making patterns
Use different size bottles in the bath for filling and pouring
Activities that are fun and use fingers and won't seem like hard work to your son - I am sure you can think of a few more as well.

My son's (4.8 and ASD) writing and drawing skills are quite limited and we have been working on them over the summer.

Another hand strengthening suggestion is to hide things in a big tub of lentils. It really works their fingers and my son really enjoys it.

We also followed a recommendation on here and started the "Write from the Start" by Ion Teodorescu programme. You can get it from amazon for just over £20 although if you want to see some of the workbooks first, I have the first 3 scanned. PM me with your email address if you want them.

It took a lot of work getting him willing to do the work, but jelly tots (which he can only have when he is writing) and special Gruffalo pencils (they are triangular, which helps him with his grip) have worked and we are beginning to see the benefits.

Not a lot to add to fab ideas already given.

corn flour and water is great for finger drawing in
sticking string down on paper or making string prints is also fun.

And I just want you to know that one of the best artists I came across was a chap who held his pencil and brushes as if they were a dagger! Wonderful detailed and controlled work!

Thank you so much - so many FUN (as well as educational ) ideas! I was getting rather depressed but you have cheered me up!

Just to encourage you, DD1 is 4.9, and can't do anything other than a circle, a rough line and a cross (only after intensive practicing becuase she was obsessed with it). She can zig zag, but can't control it. NOthing else.