Public Forums

My DS has some problems with fine motor skills which are a sign of diagnosis that has been confirmed. Just wondering if any assessment is possible which could result in some support. For example suggestion of an OT, although I understand getting an appointment for an OT may take a while.

My son had similar issues for similar reasons around that time - we had referral to OT through GP but it was a long wait for an appointment (1 year). She was excellent - she did exercises around fine motor skills as that was the main problem - and advised things like popping rice crispiest (with opposing finger and thumb) or popping packaging (can’t remember the real name) Also wrote a really good thorough report for the school advising them on various things. She also recommended special cutlery and advised on easy to use clothing etc. I don’t know how much his handwriting really improved long term - he says his hand really hurts when he writes - but as they get older they can use computers more and he had extra time and a reader (I think a reader rather than a scribe but could be wrong - will ask when he’s home) in exams. He also had other learning difficulties though. Another thing she recommended was exercise that strengthens the shoulders - hanging from bars in the park etc or sports that use these muscles - as these are apparently necessary for good fine motor / handwriting skills and if they’ve missed out in crawling etc have not been strengthened in the usual way. I’ll see if I can think of anything else

I am surprised tbh school havn't picked this up!

Yes I know of adopters who have successfully secured a personal tablet for their daughter to use at school funded from her pupil premium plus fund paid direct to school. It really is just for her to use & she can apparently take it home termtime to do homework on. It is a specially modified one...

Sadly I think it is down to parents to know what to ask for in order for ss to step in & try & get that requested support via ASF... I have found that quite annoying, as ever extra research required by parents. School will rarely take it on as they then will be required to fund it. In my experience if school get told about ASF they then are very keen to help spend it on areas they should fund for.!! The ASF is ideal, but you will have to find a relivant suppport service & formally request it... occupational therapy for example is often able to be funded for ( some nhs available support is not as ASF argue they only cover special services not otherwise availible) often it is up to the parents to find the expert the l/a can't/won't....In my l/a we are lacking enough thereapists especially ones prepared to work within ASF system.... this is because the fund takes ages to be unlocked within la collected funds pot, often therapists have 6 months without clearing payment... They are leaving the la in droves thus the lack of therapists available...

Good Luck & happy researching what support will best suit your son...

Xxx moo xx

Thanks all for your comments. I’ll make enquiries about an Occupational Therapist assessment as that seems like a good place to start. Really appreciate you taking the time to post.

It’s good to have time away from the pressures of school expectations at the moment (for me and little one) but feel we need a plan of what we can do to support over the next year as the focus on written work continues to intensify!

We have had NHS OT involvement (plus ASF funded with Sarah Lloyd) and now our 8yo is starting to use a laptop in school for his written work (he is about to go into year 4) on suggestion of our SEN officer (son has an EHCP). His improved with all the work we have done due to Sarah Lloyd on hsi sensory stuff but as neither I (dyspraxia) or my husband (CP) have great handwriting we are more concerned that he can use a computer for some stuff and do his maths. He did is year 2 SATs with a scribe - and will probably have the same for his year 6 ones. My husband had support throughout school and university due to handwriting issues thanks to CP so we know it can be done.

I'd agree with what everyone is saying about OT. We had sensory integration occupational therapy funded via the ASF about 18 months ago - SI OT is not available on NHS, hence the ASF funding. While she was assessing his sensory issues, she also noted that he had poor core strength, so alongside his sensory work, she did a lot of work on that. At the start of the ten sessions he could not do a sit-up - by the end he could lean way back over a therapy ball to pick up bean bags from behind him and then sit back up. I think strictly speaking, if it is just a core strength issue, that should be NHS rather than ASF-funded, but we got around that because of the sensory stuff.

The OT explained to me that core strength is like the foundation on which all children's other strength is built. If that is weak, everything will be weak, affecting gross and fine motor skills. Things our OT suggested included sports that involve balancing and conditioning (I think gymnastics/swimming are ideal but my LO is dead against that so we have stuck with football!), sitting on a therapy ball while watching TV or whatever, lying on tummy while watching TV/playing, commando crawling, and whatever other game-type activities you can get them to do that involve strengthening their core. Also, she said he should have his feet flat on the floor when sitting on chairs to work/eat etc. and if the chair is too tall for that, get him a stool or step to rest his feet on - this helps his posture and stops him getting tired from supporting himself with his weak core. She said she had been called into schools many times to support fidgety, wriggly, disruptive children and often solved that by getting them appropriate support to sit, especially when sitting on the floor during circle time or whatever. I can't say his handwriting is brilliant, but all the work on his core strength has worked wonders with control of his limbs, which previously looked like they were barely connected to the rest of his body, they were so wayward!

We have had a similar experience to Becky of accessing SI OT via the ASF, with the bonus that she did a full assessment initially and picked up on a number of things such as poor crossing the midline, retained reflexes and poor core strength. I do feel that he ought to have been assessed by an NHS OT way back, but even with an FAS diagnosis we have struggled to access any helpful support via the NHS and I didn't know to ask for an OT assessment, so I am grateful that the ASF has funded this.