dyspraxia assessment for 13 year old - what happens?

[Deleted User]

The situation with your child sounds so similiar to what i dealt with.

Yes, I decided not to, but I was told that as part of the statementing process even if statementing was refused, a list of what the school should be doing will be made. It could make things more focussed on what your child needs. Don't go thru what i did, with the school repeatedly putting your child into remedial classes when its inappropriate (my son had a reading age of 19+ and was put into a class reading four letter words like 'look' and 'like' because his writing was unreadable and still is). This was done twice in one year, and once in the previous year.., with no warning at all and was very distressing for my son. Remember all this affects your child. It broke my heart to hear him calling himself a retard as a matter of course.

I found the main problem with Secondary school was there are so many teachers (all with different policies), then the head teachers, SENCO, heads and deputy heads.., messages don't filter down and the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. Things would be agreed to in meetings with the deputy heads/SENCO but the teachers themselves didn't get to hear about it, so nothing was actually done. Then each year, its a new set of teachers to be broken in ha ha!

Please consider getting your child officially assessed (get your GP to refer him to a consultant in the hospital AND your local child and family health centre if u have one (you should). Obviously this is seperate to getting a statement and probably the first step. However u can call the Educational Psychologist before he has an official diagnosis and also ask them to assess your child. Some LA's say a parent can't do a referral, the school has to do it, but i managed to get thru that bit of red tape with persistence. Labelling is quite an offputting idea but it has been so useful in reality, particularly with the school altho it was just the starting point in our case (you then have to make sure the school does what it should, it rarely just happens). It also helps u have access to DLA options which I know u feel is not needed but its been essential to me to help pay for the extra things he needs.

I forgot to mention, when u phone the educational psychology, u do need to point out that his results have dropped significantly. This is a very good indicator (as if u didn't know already) that the school are not meeting his needs. U could also ask for your son to have access to a lap top at school, alphasmart keyboards might not be an option (my son's school had some but they were so old, three of them lost all his work).

Savvy_Sue

notakid wrote: »

The thing about a label is that it is a protection for you. You will no longer be the over anxious parent they can fob off, you will have rights!

It is worth pointing out that a statement doesn't need a 'label' or diagnosis, and vice versa. Your child may need help, whether anyone knows exactly why or not.

notakid wrote: »

It will make it more straightforward for his entry to college as well.

Although to be fair, colleges are usually pretty good at doing assessments and sorting out special needs. DS1 got through school without a statement or extra help (mild Asperger's), had a panic at Easter in Year 11 to get him extra time in exams for GCSEs, at which point we discovered that none of his current teachers had any idea he'd had a semi-diagnosis aged 12!

However, University talked to me before he started, and to him, agreed he didn't need extra help or equipment to begin with, but as soon as it became apparent that without his Mum around he wasn't meeting deadlines etc (think rabbit caught in headlights!) he was formerly assessed and given a mentor.

If only it were that easy in schools ...

[Deleted User]

Thanks for that savvy-sue, I was wondering what would happen if my son wanted to go to Uni.., no way he'd be able to take lecture notes etc. I did picture myself accompanying him, but a mentor would be very good.

Savvy_Sue

deannatrois wrote: »

Thanks for that savvy-sue, I was wondering what would happen if my son wanted to go to Uni.., no way he'd be able to take lecture notes etc. I did picture myself accompanying him, but a mentor would be very good.

:rotfl: I have heard of Mums going off to Uni to support a disabled child, but it's way better if they can get the help they need without us!

Ask at an early stage about their policies and what they do - you'll find different provision, but IMO the 'best' places would be ready to discuss this with you and your son while he's at the 'making applications' stage, rather than waiting to see if he's got a place. Some will be pro-active if you go to an open day - one of DS1's choices actually invited him to meet with them when they knew he was going to visit, and the place he actually went to phoned and spoke to me once his place was confirmed.

It is worth noting that not all students feel they got the support they needed in their studies, so I guess there's still a bit of 'chance' with it, BUT there is a Disabled Students Grant via the local authority which seems to be much MUCH easier to get than a school statement, and that's how the support is funded.

Sorry to go off-topic, but hopefully it's a bit of reassurance, if you can just get through this bit!

jellyhead

notakid wrote: »

Most Teachers have no special needs training, Keep this in mind, they are not experts, they are overwelmed by the targets set them and have to deal with bad behaviour on a daily basis. There will ALWAYS be a child worse off, maybe with bad parents, or extreme learning problems, however this does not mean that your son should be overlooked. Half the problem is, your child is well behaved and has supportive parents, this means he is lower down on the list for help.

I'm helping in a year 2 class at the moment (part of a level 2 course organised by a high school) and although the teacher is great and works endlessly she can't spread herself as thinly as she'd need to to cover everyone's needs. I suppose in high school there are lots more things for the tutor to deal with too.

It's only his one incident of bad behaviour, ever, that's sparked this support plan. When I agreed to the support plan ending (he needs support in other areas but this plan was to help stop outbursts of temper) I decided to be pushy and it took all of my courage to say that I agreed to it ending AS LONG AS the handwriting etc. was addressed. It's not like me to be assertive, or even to remember my own name half the time.

I will be finding out who'd coming into school to meet me, I assume, when the letter arrives in the post. The SENCO called me on friday to confirm the appointment in case I didn't get the letter in time to rearrange if I couldn't make it.

I need to kick myself up the backside, and get his reports for comparison, so I can show the gradual decline since starting high school. I only have his most recent to hand.

jellyhead

In case anyone's interested, one positive thing to have come from his violent outburst in year 8 is that he's now on someone's radar and has been put forward for the alternative curriculum, which allows him to go to college for one NVQ instead of 1 GCSE. He'll be in a class of around 15 children with a TA for english, maths and RE and also COPE award in place of another GCSE. He'll still do science, PE and 2 other GCSE options as normal with his friends but will have some extra nudging and nurturing, hopefully, in this smaller group for year ten and 11.

I'd never heard of Alternative Curriculum, and we were only given 48 hours to respond (along with choice of NVQ! short notice!!) but others might be interested. I've been told by staff that it's not just for pupils whose grades are low (maths is his best subject, so I was a little worried that he might not follow the syllabus for getting A-C grades). It doesn't seem to be for pupils with special needs either (the few I know have a diagnosis aren't in it) and the pupils whose behaviour is worst also aren't in it, so it's not just a dumping ground for the children they'd rather expel, as was suggested by someone.

nobody really knows why they were picked, but they seem to be the pupils who need extra staff time.

jellyhead

deannatrois wrote: »

It broke my heart to hear him calling himself a retard as a matter of course.

that's horrible

they say 'speffle' here, and my son does say it about himself, in usernames for games/forums etc.

He seems to find it mildly amusing though, oddly. So do I, I suppose, I laugh about not being able to tie my shoelaces or follow directions. My parents always joked about my clumsiness too, in a nice way if that makes sense. "No, the other left", "She could trip over fresh air", "She'll be late for her own funeral" etc.

I hate the word 'retard' though.

daska

I'd also support labelling as being potentially positive. The back story is complicated but basically DS2 was really struggling at school and his dad and stepmum wouldn't take it seriously so I ended up sorting it out from 200+ miles away. The biggest change in him was when the SENCO told him he was dyspraxic and dyslexic and whilst it wasn't a major problem it was a genuine problem and he would be getting help with his GCSEs etc. He now knows that he can ask for help and be taken seriously and he's back to being the lovely, happy boy he was a couple of years ago.

jellyhead

This thread has been great for me (it's all me me me, I have a high autism quotient lol!). If we are fobbed off this week then I'm going to go back through the GP if that's possible (depends on if the person they would refer me to is the same person we see this week I suppose) or even go private to get a label because I think it will be good for his self esteem.

I am even wondering if I might ask about myself too, once my son's sorted. I want to work within the next couple of years but I have no confidence because I just keep thinking "I can't do that" all the time. I feel as if other people have something that makes them capable, that's just missing in me. I feel inferior without knowing why.

jellyhead

daska wrote: »

I'd also support labelling as being potentially positive. The back story is complicated but basically DS2 was really struggling at school and his dad and stepmum wouldn't take it seriously so I ended up sorting it out from 200+ miles away. The biggest change in him was when the SENCO told him he was dyspraxic and dyslexic and whilst it wasn't a major problem it was a genuine problem and he would be getting help with his GCSEs etc. He now knows that he can ask for help and be taken seriously and he's back to being the lovely, happy boy he was a couple of years ago.

That's great :T

My sis is doing a psychology degree and she is currently arguing with a lecturer about labelling - it's such a huge area, so many pros and cons and we can't predict the future.

I'm glad it's worked out well for you and your boy