dyspraxia assessment for 13 year old - what happens?

jellyhead

I'm just curious about what is likely to happen, tests and stuff, at this meeting.

My son was seen by the CDC from age 2 and was statemented for nursery and KS1 but the doc never gave him a diagnosis, despite seeing him for 6 years. He eventually told me that my boy is clever enough to mask his difficulties and learn how to pretend he is the same as everyone else. It sort of made sense at the time because he had settled into primary school and caught up well, so it was just his handwriting that caused problems really. His IEP also mentioned social skills, eye contact etc.

Anyway, high school came as a huge shock to him and he has struggled ever since. Nobody can read his writing, and every teacher sighs and says 'he's just so disorganised!'

We've seen CAMHS and he had a pupil support plan after an incident in year 8. The teacher had agreed that my son could try using an alphasmart, but it never happened. When they said he didn't need the support plan anymore I said I still think he needs help with his writing, so this dyspraxia assessment is more from me being a pushy parent than school pushing for it, if that makes sense.

I've been asked to come to a meeting next week with the person who will assess him. I've forgotten what was said on the phone (I would probably be diagnosed with dyspraxia myself, truth be told). Who will it be? An educational psychologist, occupational therapist or someone else?

I just wondered if anyone else has had an assessment at this stage of schooling, and what sort of things they will be looking for, just to prepare him a little in advance (not to coach him in how to appear dyspraxic, but to calm his anxiety because he gets upset at unfamiliar situations then won't talk).

emsywoo123

Hi OP,
My daughter was assessed and diagnosed as dyspraxic at 4, so I am not sure the same things will apply.
I am about to dash out, so will post more later, but in the meantime someone with more age appropriate advice might come along

slightlyconfused1

Hi

My son wa diagnosed at the age of 4 and then assessed again at the age of 8.

He is now about to leave school and goes to Uni in September.

He didn't receive much help in High School to be honest. He did get extra time in his writen exams however and could, if necessary, had a scribe. This has to be applied for and so an assessment is really useful from that point. My son worked really hard to overcome his co-ordination problems and so no-one really noticed anything although he does have issues with eye contact etc.

There is a dyspraxia foundation ad they may have more information regarding assessments etc.

Good Luck.

dawnydee73

my son was assessed by physio when he was six, and he gets assessed every couple of years to see how he is progressing and if anything needs to be put in place for him eg. exercises. He is 11 now, his last assessment involved ball skills, balancing, looking at his fine motor skills. Its a very relaxed assessment and he loves going

csh_2

jellyhead wrote: »

Anyway, high school came as a huge shock to him and he has struggled ever since. Nobody can read his writing, and every teacher sighs and says 'he's just so disorganised!'

I've been asked to come to a meeting next week with the person who will assess him. I've forgotten what was said on the phone (I would probably be diagnosed with dyspraxia myself, truth be told). Who will it be? An educational psychologist, occupational therapist or someone else?

I just wondered if anyone else has had an assessment at this stage of schooling, and what sort of things they will be looking for, just to prepare him a little in advance (not to coach him in how to appear dyspraxic, but to calm his anxiety because he gets upset at unfamiliar situations then won't talk).

My DD recently at 13 has been tested for dyslexia and dyspraxia. The results were 'inconclusive'. She is skirting round the edges of both as she lacks the definitive charactaristics of both but has numerous soft markers as it were.

For now the school are making allowances, support plans for her as it is obvious, regardless of the tests that there is something not quite right.

I'm so sick of hearing how 'disorganised' she apparently is! She honestly lacks the capacity to have any concept of time or preparation for anything.

As for the tests themselves, there was some written work, listening exercises and reading. Also she keep going on about being poked in the back?? (lol, must have been checking her balance or something!)

I believe it was an educational psychologist that did the test. Although it was different ones on each occasion.

[Deleted User]

My son is 14 and has both aspergers and dyspraxia. He was diagnosed with dyspraxia at the age of 8 after I asked the GP to refer him for an assessment. If he is being assessed at school I think it will be done by the local educational psychologist. Ask the school who is assessing him, how u can contact them and contact them to ask these very valid questions. It will help u prepare your son. But please don't worry, educational psychologists are usually very skilled in testing children, will be able to do it without making them feel stigmatised. The one who tested my son, I kept in contact with for years and she was a great help with his schooling.

Also I'd strongly recomment u go back to your GP.., and ask for your son to be assessed by your local Child and family health clinic. In my experience they are less 'forbidding' than the more physical doctors and take a more wholistic approach i.e. they ask about how he deals with things emotionally as well as physically and any diagnosis is made from this viewpoint.

I will pm u with my phone number.., please ring and I will try to help. BTW my son has gone in two years from calling himself a retard and refusing school .., to being quite the star of the school and is constantly being given achievement awards.., so don't give up.., my son just had to get the right help for him to show what he could do). lol. My son can barely write (and they kept trying to put him in remedial classes even two years ago).., his English school teacher recently caught him reading Dante and understanding it and nearly fell over ha ha! NOW FINALLY they can see what he can do.., its taken unbelievable persistance but if I can do it, anyone can. It is worth it.

EDITED: I phone my son's school yesterday about some math's homework and was told by his teacher that he is one of the most able children in her class. We are going to work together to get him ready for the Higher Stream of GCSE maths altho his group is supposed to take the lower stream. We had a lot of difficulties with the school the first two years.., they said that I was making him more of a victim cause every time I went to the school 'Aspergers' was coming out of my mouth constantly (he was there 3 months before they realised he had special needs in spite of everything I did to make sure they knew). The second year was almost as frustrating as they tried twice to put him in rememdial classes. Then suddenly they caved in, and gave him some one to one assistance (with scribing) in English and Maths. This was half way thru last year. Nowadays I find I'm on the phone to the individual teachers a fair bit to work out ways around any challenges.., and that seems to be the best way rather than going to the Head or the Deputy Head.., messages don't filter down too well. I seem to get a more flexible approach. I have to be honest, its a lot of work, and it never stops but it is SO worth it to see your child flowering and being given the chances he should have.

concerned43

My son was diagnosed at 10yrs - he had to do balancing expercises/throw some small bean bags into a bucket, do some hand/finger exercises - nothing too daunting so wouldn't worry. He gets physio at school and needs to be supervised when out and about - he receives DLA and this money goes towards activities that help him with his condition.

CrazyTink

My son was diagnosed last year aged 10, was quite clumsy but not overly so, had messy hadnwritingand struggled with fork / knife, and especially art. Teachers had raised the fact that he looked like he physically struggled in gym but when i told them he was getting tested for dyspraxia the laughed it off. had to see a GP, then school doctor who all pretty much dismissed the fact and everntually he was diagnosed by an occupational therapist. He had to do tests with beanbag, ball scooter, some drawing, copying shapes, drawing lazy eights (eights on their side over and over). was then diagnosed with developmental co-ordination disorder and a problem with his midline, which means activities that cross his body makes him struggle ie synchronising arms legs to jump.
He attended a group session for 6 weeks then was discharged, he has a writing slant and pencil grip at school, which he doesnt use due to the fact it makes him different.
I don't think dyspraxia has held him back a huge amount, he won't be an artist but thats fine he learnt to cycle without stabilisers on his 11th birthday, and is the top goalscorer for his football team
He needs extra help wit some things but generally copes well with everything
Hope you get things sorted out for your son, the OT gave me a leaflet to give to the teachers as they didn't have a clue, one of them held up a picture he had drawn and compared it to another childs in front of the whole class to basically take the pi55 out of him, this was before he was diagnosed and didn't help things at all!

jellyhead

concerned43 wrote: »

needs to be supervised when out and about - he receives DLA and this money goes towards activities that help him with his condition.

Mine is 13 and while at 9 he needed to be supervised outside, at 13 he doesn't. They discussed this a bit when he was 3 and decided there was no reason to apply to DLA. He walks to school now and doesn't have problems crossing roads.

I wish there was some help with activities though. He's had a term at guitar club and he loved it but I just can't find the £50 for the next lot of 9 weeks. He would go to trampoline lessons at the leisure centre if I could afford them. There's lots of stuff that would help improve his coordination but as he gets older he wants to do things with other kids, and not with his parents so much.

Last year he asked if he could go to PGL camp but we just can't afford it. I really wanted to say yes, because it would help his social skills, self esteem etc. and because of bullying problems he had to pull out of the school camp at the last minute, so I lost that £200. He says that in a new environment people wouldn't know that he's usually bullied, so they might leave him alone. He was also hoping that the 'type' of people who normally laugh at his ineptness etc. wouldn't be going to a PGL camp anyhow.

Ho hum, I doubt he could get DLA anyway at his age, but I am hoping there might be some sort of special needs activity he could get into for free.

dollydoodah

I am really surprised that you get DLA for dyspraxia - my son is now 11 having been diagnosed at 5 and I was always under the impression that you couldn't claim for it? Can't help with the age appropriate assessment - my son gets assessed yearly and it is fine and gross motor skills, balance, handwriting that sort of thing. Mine goes to secondary school in September and although the school were very impressive at open evening regarding help for him, I hope that they were not just talking the talk.

At 11 he still can't ride a bike, still falls over nothing, organisational skills are zilch, has terrible handwriting (a writing slope in school does help a little) but has mastered the art of tying shoe laces :T A minor achievement for many but a huge deal for dyspraxics.

concerned43

Why the surprise at getting DLA - my son is not the same as a normal 12 year old (DLA words not mine). My son is clumsy and can trip over his own shadow - posing a danger to himself. He cannot use a knife and fork properly and needs supervision at meal times. He does not communicate well (esp. with adults) and needs help to do this and thus can put himself in danger.
The words in italics highlight to the DLA team that my son requires more assistance than his peers - thus why he was awarded DLA - it is not too late to apply for DLA and happy to help you with forms.