School work ?

[notapizzaeater]

My DS (poss PDA - def hyper mobile -poss ASD) has a 25 hr statement. He gets currently gets pretty much 1:1 all e time - he needs prompting and nagging ALL the time. He is an excellent reader but a crap writer and has to be pushed all the time to even write 2 lines (which can take all morning)

Currently he doesn't bring work home - obv when he goes to middle school I understand his TA's will be in the classroom with him but a different one for each lesson but the output expected will be huge - in a day probably far more than he manages in a term currently. Will they make allowances or will he have to step up ?

Am starting to get worried ..... Have a transition meeting in a couple of weeks, the Senco at middle school seems nice just worrying now.

Feel like I am sending him into the lions den and just can't shake this off ....

Has his handwriting speed been assessed?

If not, I would get an OT to assess it and then either
a) therapy and strategies to get his speed improved OR

b) look at alternative means of producing written work....so laptop/alphawriter etc.

Realistically, long term you are probably looking at a mixture of both approaches.

My DS used an alphasmart Neo from Y3 to Y6 for longer writing tasks. It found it less stressful than handwriting. He does tend to do more handwriting in secondary, but can still use a laptop for longer tasks. His handwriting speed is actually been assessed as within normal limits, but it's the reluctance that's the big issue. If using a laptop/WP becomes 'normal practice' then you can use them in exams.

I think he will probably have a scribe ... His handwriting has really improved this year but quantity is dismal ..... He does complain is hand hurts if he does too much (presume the hyper mobile thing)

Tbh school have been concentrating on actually getting him in the classroom this year as its too noisy

The ot gave him some exercises to do (he's dyspraxia as well) and he does do them but not made much difference and we had the one appointment and got discharged ! A lot of it is refusal to actually do the work (he's a perfectionist and petrified of failure) so wouldn't write cos he couldn't read what he'd wrote - this has got much better and can now read what he's put but it's a slow slow process ... So he is now writing more than he ever has but its still peanuts compared to the rest of his class

Will look at erasable pens, he prefers gel pens as he doesn't have to press down as he writes but might be able to get erasable gel pens ?

Ooh just ordered some - ty