Work refusal.

[Violet44]

My 7 year old ds has learning difficulties and is about 2 years behind academically, he has always been a handful at home but up to this point his behaviour has been good at school. He has EHCP and 1-1 support in mainstream school. Just had parents evening tonight though and have been told recently he is refusing to do his work and missing break because of it. I think he often thinks he can't do something, so won't. He has made good progress but she says he won't continue to make progress unless his attitude to learning changes. I have asked him why he won't do his work but he won't tell me. School are going to do behaviour chart we may try at home but they don't always work before. Previously we did look around specialist units for him , but didn't find one where he would fit, and it is difficult when he doesn't have diagnosis of anything. I don't know what to do to help him.

@Violet44 Are the school making reasonable adjustments as part of his EHCP? They should not be using a punitive approach and keeping him from having his breaks which he is entitled to. Applying blanket behaviour policies to children with additional needs could be discrimination, I am afraid.
As a parent of a child with additional needs I would find it concerning that they are referring to your son's 'attitude to learning' rather than saying what can we do to support him. Challenging behaviour is almost always due to an unmet need.
I would maybe look at getting some advice from IPSEA, SOSSEN and go through his EHCP to make sure he is receiving everything he is entitled to. An urgent review of his plan sounds like is needed.
Hopefully others will be along with advice.

@Violet44 Wondering how you and your son are? 💐
Also asking if anyone else has any advice to offer?

Oh thank you for your responses and sorry didn't reply life gets so busy, with 3 children. The school are actually quite good, and he has a 1-1 assistant and the teacher had said she would talk to the Senco about what strategies they could use. He had refused to do his spelling test last week and he has it again tomorrow, and we have been through his spellings and I said I hoped he would do it, but he says he is no good at remembering the words, so I said it doesn't matter if he doesn't get them all right as long as he tries, but he's now saying he's going to get them all wrong on purpose. I don't really know what to do, I will have to talk to his teacher again.