parents evening, teacher 'implying' attention disorder, not sure whether to worry or if it is just my sons personality. help please

[Psychomum5]

am posting here really for advice, as not sure if I should be worried, or if it is just my sons personality, but he does seem to have certain issues.

I have had a thread recently about his lack of understanding phonics etc. His teacher is certainly concerned about his lack of reading abilty.

she is also concerned about his lack of pencil control.

he is completely unable to start, let alone complete, a task without 100% TA involvement, and even then, he has yet to finish a drawing, book, page of work, in the time given.

he has never yet been able to follow more than 2 instructions without going off into a dream world.

he has been on IEP at school since his second term in reception, he is now in year 1, so on his 4th .

he has made as much progress in his workbooks in 18mths, as all the others in his class made in their first 3-6mths in reception!!

his teacher says that so far they have given him 1-1 support almost 100% of the time, yet this obviously cannot continue, yet they feel he will get so far behind in the next term he will take too long to catch up in yr 2 and so will not be even able to do sats (even tho this should not even be a consideration at this age!)

his lack of cncentration is appaling, even at home, altho he is the younest of 5, and is only 5, so I don;t know if it is just him, or whether he has a problem.

they also said he was extremely 'young' in his ways and abilities, so I asked if they meant immature (not in the sense we use for teens etc, in the sense that to me he seems more at the level of a pre-schooler IYGWIM).....they said YES!

reading between the lines I think they are trying to lead me to ask about ADD, but then.......he is nice natured and not at all 'raging and impulsive' ike my nephew is who does have ADD (altho nephew is also aspergers and dyspraxic, so has other issues, obviously my ability to tell is skewed).

am coming here to see what you lot may think......am I barking up the wrong tree entirely or should I go for further info?????

many thanks in advance

Might be worth getting him assessed . ds was at just 6 and it revealed motor control issues, planning, lack of spatial awareness etc. It is worth doing as much to eliminate things as to find an underlying reason. There are all sorts of conditions (dyspraxia, dyslexia, auditory processing etc ) which can manifest such symptoms. Has he had hearing or visual issues before now or been screened recently ?

It sounds as if they have been proactive thus far, so what do they suggest now ? Early intervention can make a difference longer term but you need some guidance. Ask to meet the SENCO and discuss where to go from here.

thankyou lizs.

the senco lady was also at the meeting today, altho not pre-planned. she popped in to speak to the teacher, and teacher asked her to stay to chat as I was concerned because of dyslexia etc in the family (DD2 confirmed last september, and DS1 just been referred altho his teacher is now 99% certain that he is).

DD2 has also been confirmed as having auditory processing disorder and with visual sequencing problems.

DS2's teacher and the senco have pretty much said that as far as they can tell, he is also going to end up having the same DX in that regard, but it is their concern right now about his lack of concentration that is the biggest problem. he just can't!

every morning at school they have the same routine, and he knows what that routine is, yet every morning (unless the TA helps him), he just cannot complete it........if the TA doesn't step in (and they are leaving it later and later each day in the hope that he 'clicks'), then he is to be found either still in the cloakroom, wandering up slowly to the class, or just stodd fiddling with the fruit tray.........and in all this tie the other children have put away their lunches and fruit and water into the right trays/boxes, put their bookbags in the box, sorted out their homework/reading books and got out their writing boards and sat doing the 'word of the day'. DS2 simply does not get even as far as sorting his bookbag before the TA has to step in so they can start the lesson.......and we have never been late this term unless on DD3's blood test days.

as you can imagine, it isn;t easy for the teachers to wait for him, and as he doesn;t have any type of statement etc the TA is there for the class, not just DS2, so it is in no way practical for this to continue happening.

I don;t think they want to actually TELL me the problem, especially as he already has bowel issues and I am still recovering from my car accident (am recovered almost completely but am still having appointments etc), plus also DD3 is in the midst of twice weekly bloods for the next 2mths for a blood disorder, so I think they don;t want to overwhelm me IYGWIM

I am thinking that they are maybe planting the seed for me to think about................I don;t know, but they hav certainly said that they will be giving him as much help as possible over and above normal still for now, and then see me again mid-term next term for next thoughts.

argh, I am so confused.

oh, and also in answer to your post, he has had hearing issues on the past with ear infections and even has had 2 perferated eardrums.

visually am not sure, altho he seems fine to me and the school are not concerned.......all my daughter are long sighted tho and have glasses, so it would be worth testing him anyway.