HFA and reading difficulties

[tacal]

Hello, my ds is 6 and he is eventually making some progress with reading. Until recently he would not read any books, he would refuse or read a few pages then say it was too tiring. I asked the school if they could tell me his reading test results. The senco told me all I need to know is that ds is making progress with his reading. I suppose they are right. Does anyone know if I have a right to know test results? Maybe it would damage the relationship I have with the school if I push for them.

I am wondering what type of reading problems can be common for people on the autism spectrum. My ds has been quite slow to get started with reading. The school have been giving him some one to one help with reading which has helped. The teacher told me they need to try to speed up his reading before he goes into p3 in august (Scotland).

The school don't give homework and won't give him anything extra to do at home other than one school book a week. I have done some toe by toe with him and then changed to reading eggs. Both have been good for him but the school are not supportive of me doing these things. I am not sure what area he needs help with so feel unsure what is best for me to do with him at home. Do you think continuing with reading eggs and reading the school book is enough? Should I be doing more? It is difficult because he does find reading tiring.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

With the reading, the question in my head is what they have done to find out why dc is finding it so hard. Once you know what reason or reasons (it sounds like there might be more than one) then you can get advice on what approaches are worth using to help, and what approaches are inefficient (or, and I think this is unlikely) counter-productive.

On other learning needs, I would expect to see them considering how dc's social skills could be helped through the conscious channel. So if eg, dc has trouble staying on topic (not of his choosing) then I would hope to see maybe some small group sessions where he is taught to stay on topic and to have this reinforced through the school day.

I am going to stop there as you may be miles ahead of me, and it is only the reading that is a concern. But a lot of schools think educational needs are about reading and maths etc, when in England and Wales the law is clear that a child with ASD may need therapy to learn things that mainstream kids pick up instinctively.

tacal .. that's great news you're seeing Ian soon! I also looked back at our old thread
All 3 of my dc colours have changed over a year. Dd1 used to be 1 green lens, 1 purple - now she has both light blue lenses. Dd2 used to be 1 green lens, 1 yellow lens - now she has both dark blue lenses. Ds2 used to be both dark blue lenses - now he has both dark green lenses. While wearing them their brain starts to wire itself to where it should be. We knew their colour prescription had changed because dd1 started getting headaches and her words were moving again on the page, ds2 words started getting blurry again. Dd1 - hers mainly help with visual stress, without glasses her words move constantly like ants crawling over a page. They help her co-ordination and low field of vision. Dd2 - without her glasses she can't distinguish who's talking in a group of a few girls (all their voices sound the same) but with her glasses on she knows exactly who's talking! If someone is behind her she doesn't hear them talking to her but with her glasses on she does! Ds2 -his glasses stop his words going blurry, they make touch feel softer to him, and help hugely with the words he hears. He OFTEN mistakes words in a conversation. One of the 'tests' Ian did to show us was he said the words dip and pip but placed his hands over his mouth (but a distance away from it) so that ds couldn't see his mouth to lip read. When ds didn't have glasses on he heard the same word, when he put his glasses on he heard the correct words!
If someone had told me these things I wouldn't have believed them. But seeing my dc with their glasses and the difference WE can see is just amazing!
Good luck with Ian

Hi Senvet, thank you for the advice. I will ask the teacher why ds is finding it hard and what extra help they have been giving him.

Ds does have difficulty staying on topic and I think the school have been helping him with this. The teacher told me ds has been much better at remaining focused on his work recently and has needed less help to remain on task, but that is because he absolutely loves the topic they are working on. She might be surprised how things change if he does not like the next topic!

that is amazing frazzled

I am really looking forward to seeing Ian, don't know why I have put it off for so long. I will come back and let you know how ds and I get on.

I am going to try some colours after reading this. I read ridiculously slowly. I actually get bored with reading, the pace I read at.

tacal the school may need to get in a specialist like an ed psych - they may not be trained to identify the 'why'. They may think they know, but their teacher training courses do not cover much by way of SEN. If someone is just slower then average at eg reading or maths then it makes sense to give extra support to go over the early steps to get those secure.

But if someone has a particular difficulty eg is dyslexic, then just extra time going over stuff will make no difference, and school teachers certainly are not trained to diagnose dyslexia.

What is dc's social life like in the play ground etc? Does he socialise the same as the other kids? How does his ASD present itself outside the classroom?

Don't reply if you don't want to, - I really won't mind - but when ASD is diagnosed, it normally suggests that some kind of therapy should be considered by a SALT, and should be put in place. The purpose is not for staying on topic in class, but for getting social communication and/or body language right in a free-for-all playground situation.

I really hope this is helping and please put it straight out of your mind if it is a wind up.

Hi Senvet, I really do appreciate you giving me advice. I don't have !many people that I can chat to about ds who understand.

The school have managed to get ds signed off from all outside help. Salt saw ds three times and concluded that he gets the right support at school and home so they don't need to be involved. He had only been at school for a month or so. I think the school really pushed to have him signed off because it was after the school visit the therapist signed him off. Educational psyc saw him around the same time and was quick to sign him off. School agreed to do occupational therapy exercises with ds at school so the o/t would sign him off. They now say they never agreed to it because they don't have time. It is on his support plan with but does say "time allowing" I didn't realise that meant never!

Ds is very anxious and needs everything to be the same. Daily routines to be the same, food to be the same, people to look and act the same. When things are not the same or there is a lot of noise he becomes anxious. If the anxiety increases he shows signs of having ocd.

Ds likes to follow rules so he is very well behaved at school. He does not tell people if he is unhappy, scared, in pain. So it is really difficult getting teachers to help ds remember to use his ear defenders and do things that will help him not be anxious. Ds will not think to get his ear defenders if he is in a noisy situation at school.

Ds appears to be very sociable. All the staff comment on how friendly he is. He has two good friends he plays with. The school say he is a "normal little boy" when at school. Ds does enjoy playing with his friends but playing is copying them or doing what they tell him to do. His best friend at the moment is a little girl who has difficulty playing with others because she wants everything her way. Ds is the perfect friend for her because he does whatever she says. I don't think this is particularly good for his development. School say they can't force him to play with people he doesn't want to. But ds will happily play with anyone, all he needs is some encouragement to play with others.

Ds has motor difficulties and is always a bit behind others his age when it comes to learning things.

I find it sooooo hard speaking to the school. They want me to leave them to it. They are not very open about what goes on at school which worries me. Though ds seems very happy there except when it is too noisy.

The colour thing is very interesting isn't it. I have booked an appointment to get myself tested. Last time I was there Ian did a very quick colour test on me because the appointment was really for ds. This time I have an hour long appointment so it will be interesting to see what he does.