what is your opinion on this......

5 replies

puccaupunderthemistletoe · 01/12/2006 13:39

My nephew is 9 YO and has mild dyspraxia.

My SIL has fought the school for one to one sessions for him which after a long and difficult fight she managed to get for him, his main problems is with reading and writing and he just wasn't getting the time and effort he needs to improve.

Atm in his one to one sessions, the topic is road safety, and the teacher took him out and about not near very busy roads but i gather it was about teaching him all about the safety aspects of being out and about, he came home from school that day and told my SIL the teacher had put a toddler wrist link on him and had obviously been out in public, what do you think about this?

TIA

OP posts:

Jimjams2 · 01/12/2006 14:22

My ds1 (aged 7, severely autistic) wears a belt and strap if he is near a road and I can't guarantee 2 hands free for him. I know people who use wrist straps with their 10 + year olds. So I would say it would depend on the safety issue. We use it because it isn't safe not to, although in this case it sounds like overkill and presumably your nephew knew he was wearing a toddler strap (the children I know wouldn't have a clue). I would talk to the teacher about her approach and why she has used it. Then take it from there.

coppertop · 01/12/2006 20:08

It seems odd if your nephew doesn't have a history of running off. Is it a mainstream school? I ask because at ds1's m/s school road safety is taught in Reception and children are not given wrist straps to wear. (Ds1 is autistic)

Original poster

puccaupunderthemistletoe · 01/12/2006 21:06

Yes this is mainstream school.

Thanks for replying.

OP posts:

macwoozy · 02/12/2006 00:47

I don't know how I'd feel about this if it happened with my son who has HFA. In one respect I'd feel relieved that the school is concerned enough re safety to take such a measure, but on the other hand I would be worried that by putting a toddler strap on a child of your nephews age would be so embarrasing for him when he's surrounded by his peers. My ds wouldn't necessarily know it was meant for younger children but he would notice that he was the only one wearing it. In his case, with outside trips, there is always a teacher who keeps hold of his hand/wrist. It does seem extreme in a child with mild dyspraxia, I think.

Saturn74 · 02/12/2006 09:57

I agree with Macwoozy, in that it seems very extreme for a child with mild dyspraxia.
My eldest DS has quite severe dyspraxia, but I've never used a toddler wrist link on him - I did hold his hand though, and still do sometimes near very busy roads!
Perhaps it is because the teacher thought it inappropriate to hold his hand?
Even so, it seems rather odd.
Was your nephew upset about it?

Flip