What does it feel like when you have low muscle tone/hypermobility/dyspraxia

[Iceflower]

DS frequently complains of feeling unwell in school, and his teachers keep telling him its because he's anxious.

He's getting beyond fed up and exasperated of telling them he's not anxious but feeling physically unwell.

Just to give him the benefit of the doubt, could it be that he IS physically unwell from having to sit and write for hours at school?

He was assessed by an OT has having definite difference in all areas physically and sensory-wise. Being and NHS assessment, the assessment is woolly and there are vague "he would benefit from" stuff.

Ds suffers with both anxiety and physically and sensory difficulties.

His sensory/physical difficulties means he finds it difficult to stand or sit without leaning and finds PE tiring. He finds it difficult to stand still, without leaning or spinning and has difficulties with writing. So yes, i would say feeling physically unwell from his difficulties is possible, especially if it requires a lot of effort because of his difficulties. (some movements during PE make ds feel physically sick too)

Ds often gets physical symptoms of anxiety too, stomach ache, pains in his legs etc.

So maybe even a combination of both is possible too.

Yes, it takes so much more effort for a person with physical & sensory difficulties to complete the same tasks.
I can feel ill if exhausted I'm sure the same must be the same for your ds.

Thanks, claw and mymatemax.

I was of the "anxiety" school too until I realised I must listen, properly listen, to ds when he says he is physically unwell. Because he has AS, everyone assumes it must be anxiety.

So what is the answer? Is it physiotherapy, massage, exercise?

ice, the answer is pacing himself. Work, both academic & physical should be in short bursts with regular structured breaks.
It is very easy for schools (& us parents) to underestimate the effect on a day at school on a child, especially if the child is relatively able & learns coping strategies.
Has he had a full OT assessment both motor & sensory & have they observed him in school?

just re-read your original post re the OT, sounds like you could do with getting a better assessment & more importantly some solutions!

I find with ds it tends to be a combination of the both, he knows he finds something difficult, so that provokes a certain amount of anxiety too.

Although ds does not know that its his difficult that is provoking the anxiety, he just thinks its the difficulty causing the pains if that makes sense.

Also it can work the other way around with ds too, his sensory needs provoking anxiety.

Still im sure you have considered all these things already. OT recommended a daily sensory diet to address his difficulties, movement breaks, laptop for extended work, staff to be trained by OT etc, etc.

Although ds doesnt get any of that.

Thanks for the replies. I have already booked another assessment by an independent OT, because ds is undergoing statutory assessment and I need to have concrete targets.

I also have a meeting with the NHS OT in about a month so will ask her then. I am very disappointed that she has never put forward his physical difficulties as a possible reason for his constantly pleading feeling unwell. I have had a number of long meetings with her, and she has been at TACs where everyone's going on about anxiety and she has not said anything.

What did independent OT recommend last time?

Morning Ice. I didnt read this yesterday, but what strikes me is that your DS has been assessed as having definite differences in sensory processing.
Does he have vestibular and (as someone said upthread) proprioceptive issues?

If so, it's quite possible that he is actually feeling nauseous especially when he is sitting still or having to concentrate for reading. I dont know if you have ever felt carsick or seasick, but those are both the sensations that arise from a disconnect between the vestibular and visual systems.
If he feels like that while sitting reading, or having to process the difference between a horizontal and vertical surface (e.g. copying stuff from a whiteboard) then of course he is going to complain of feeling ill.
Definitely warrants further investigation.

Thanks Porridge. Sometimes our children tell us things and we have to listen very carefully, and not listen to what the general professional consensus is.

Ds has been telling us all along that he feels physically unwell and no one listened . I'm taking him to an independent EP used by another poster on this board for another assessment. Hopefully she will recommend what he needs, not what can be provided, as the NHS one did