writing programmes for children with visual processing disorders

[skewiff]

Have any of you done of these sorts of things with your children?

Do any of you have children who have been OK with reading, but not with writing.

I am at the beginning with all of this. It seems that DS, who has mild CP, is picking up phonics fine, but not so good with putting pen to paper. He can't visualise and draw shapes and letters very well.

Have any of you got school to help with this in any way?

Thank you.

Have a google at "speed up" its a kinaesthetic programme & good for those with fine motor & visual processing problems my ds2 (mild CP & ASD) uses it at school.

'write from the start' is a writing program for kids 4 - 8 with visual processing problems.

'Speed Up' is also very good. It's more OT based then Write From the Start. I'd recommend both of them - but WFTS only if your child is 4 - 8.

And WFTS is something you can do at home without school's support. So is easier to get started with.

Also you can do vision therapy through a behaviour optometrist. I def recommend that.

Also retained reflex therapy helps.

Or OTs can.

DS had a lot of Visual Processing Problems. But he's fine now. As long as he sits directly in front of the white board, and not to the side. To him his vision is normal and it really doesn't bother him.

Now he's in Y6 for the first time his writing is getting more presentable.

I don't think he wrote anything at all in reception.

Thank you for your replies.

We go to hemispheres and they have assessed DS and say he's behind in all 3 visual processing areas they assessed him on.

They want the school to not teach DS to write until he is ready. So they want him to learn to draw shapes and diagonal lines first. And then to learn letters in a specific order - in categories.

I just wondered whether the school will be open to this ... I wondered whether they might already use their own type of programmes. The school is very good with SEN and we're having a meeting with the SENCO and the teacher about all sorts of stuff to do with DS on Thursday. So I'll ask them then.

I just am gauging, I suppose, before meeting with them how best to put the idea to them.

School are highly unlikely to know about visual processing difficulties in depth.

If they do have a 'program' it will be a generic one (like write from the start) that is rolled out to all kids they suspect have difficulties.

However Write From The Start only teaches shapes, and doesn't teach letters at all. I suspect it would still be very suitable for your DS (And same with Speed Up)

Hemispheres are very good, and you should follow their advice.

I have the first few Write from the Start books scanned. If you want to take a look, pm me your email address and I will be happy to send them to you.

We've found it very useful, but my son doesn't have known visual processing difficulties.

Am using write from the start for my ds1 and it has helped.

Not too taxing either!

speed up was the programme that the OT (specialist sensory OT) recommended for the school as she felt he is not ready for writing, too many sensory, visual processing & other problems.
The school were keen to keep pushing the writing, even sayin at 9yrs he should be joining up.
The school are happily using it now with a group of children who all struggle with writing, although i dont now how much ds2 has improved he is at least ahppy to take part, which is a bonus as he usualy gets so frustrated.

Hello - thank you for everyone's input.

I am trusting hemispheres - I agree they are excellent. I think this is just all very new to me. I am so used to working with my son on a purely physical level.

Also we have had so many professional opinions in the past that we've proved wrong ie 'DS won't be able to do this and that, he'll be slow at this and that etc'. We've just found that when we help him a lot he manages to do stuff that started off being really difficult.

I have been helping DS with writing and so far he can write an 'S' really well. He understands that 'o' and 'a' etc need to be formed clockwise and can write them that way. He can trace all the letters with his finger in the finger phonics books and can trace over letters with a pen. He can also do letters such as 'l' and 'm' and 'e' amongst others.

What I've found with DS is that it takes a lot longer for him to pick things up than other children. He needs more practice with everything. But with the more practice, he eventually gets whatever we are working on. I am worried about delaying writing, when he seems to be doing well, because if we delay it he'll be even later getting it, if that makes sense.

When he did the tests at hemispheres DS was in a very hyperactive and distracted mood. I've seen him like this in eye tests and results are not at all reliable.

I also just have my mother's instincts that say its doesn't feel right to stop practicing letters with him. I understand that its definitely worth doing shapes etc as part of these programmes. But would it be silly to keep practising letters as well? DS is wanting to practise writing and thinks it is fun. He is doing it as part of his learning the phonics - which he's a bit obsessed with at the moment.

School seems to be doing a good job, I think.