Help! Occupational Therapy question

[annettemarie]

I received this massive "Service Agreement" (Is that the same as an IEP?) from the school district again because they want to give Michael occupational therapy thirty minutes a week.

He was referred for services because: he had a "unique" pencil grip, difficulty with bilateral motor tasks (clothing fastening and shoe tying), and difficuly with line orientation when writing and with cutting skills.

He was evaluated using the Bendbow Handskill Assessment. There's a three page evaluation that basically says "Michael has a non-fuctional pencil grip, difficulty with line orientation while cutting and writing, can't tie his shoes, has trouble with other clothing fastenings, and can't do something with a puff ball, whatever the hell that means. There was also some tracking stuff with is vision.

She did say he was polite, cooperative, and a pleasure to evaluate.

So... what to do? On the one hand, I know he doesn't do well with lined paper because we never used lined paper. Ditto for cut and paste type activities. I sort of feel like it's silly to give him "services" simpy because he's not used to something. On the other hand, my husband has dyspraxia, with is a sensory-motor disfunction, so I'm a wee bit freaked out that Michael might somehow have it too.

I'm reluctant to have him tracked or labeled so early in his academic career.

I would love it if someone else would teach him to tie his shoes, though. I tried, and I almost killed both of us. The boy couldn't fingerknit worth a damn, either.

I'm leaning towards approving services but also requesting a conference.

[hlkm2e]

I don't know any of this for sure, but I have some ideas.

First, did you know they were testing him or was it a screening that everyone got? Maybe you can call the psychologist or specialist who did the testing. They could explain things to you or at least tell you who to talk to.

Also, I don't think it would be an IEP, because you would have had to go to a meeting where you signed a bunch of stuff and met with a whole team. At least where I taught and I think it's pretty standard.

With the No Child Left Behind Act, schools have been trying to identify kids earlier and more often, because of the testing. If the child doesn't get accomodations in the everyday classroom, then they can't get them on the test. So, it is better to get them identified, so they have those advantages for the massive amount of testing. Does that make sense? I guess what I'm saying is, they may not be trying to label or track him in a bad way, they may be trying to make sure that when he has to take all these standardized tests, that he gets accomadations he needs. There is no doubt it is self serving for the district also, don't get me wrong, they need kids to score as well as possible to not lose funding.

I guess I would lean towards letting him have the therapy also, especially with your dh's history. OT is fun for kids and 30 minutes a week is not going to be a big deal. Also, the earlier things are helped, usually the easier it is and the less time it takes.

Hope some of that helps.

Oh, and definitely request a conference. The school should have a team of people that meet just for this kind of stuff.

[annettemarie]

Thanks, that helps! It was definitely an evaluation just for him. We had been homeschooling, and he only started just before Christmas. I'm definitely going to meet with them, even though DH thinks I am being overly-involved.

[hlkm2e]

You are definitely not being overly involved. You should know exactly what is going on, that's the only way you can help too. I would meet his therapist also. She should have a plan, usually its pretty standard. It will say what his diagnosis is, what are his goals, maybe what order they will work on things. Then you should get pretty regular updates. Also, request for her to give you suggestions for what you can do at home to compliment his therapy. Good therapists like involved parents, it makes their jobs easier. He is only seeing them 30 minutes a week, that leaves a ton of time. His new skills will need to be practiced and reinforced if they are going to stick.

[Karry]

You have to approve services through your IEP meeting. They usually need your permission to evaluate for stuff too. I know with my older ds I signed a bunch of stuff to have his evaualted and then my dh and I met with all of hie evaluators for his IEP. We got to help in setting his goals and they listened to all of our concerns. My ds has his IEP for sensory and behavior issues and also gets OT.

[raksmama]

Believe me, I understand you reluctance to label your child. I was the same way myself. My son was diagnosed with motor skills delay or dyspraxia just about a year ago and at first I was devastated. He started seeing an Occupational Therapist. Once I understood what was going on it made things much clearer to me, for example I knew now that my son was not having tantrums when I tried to get him to dress himself because he was being difficult. It was really difficult for him. We started with occupational therapy once a week but he has improved so much since then that now he only needs to go every few months for a follow up. I can't recommend OT enough and the sooner you start the better! My son only scribbled a year ago. Now he has neat printing and he actually enjoys it! A year ago he was totally uncoordinated now he just got his yellow belt in the martial Art Jui Jitzu!
If your son's school will pay for the OT all the better!
Good luck for you and your family!

[Katana]

My ds had an 'unusual pencil grip' too, when he started K last year, and they recommended OT for him, once a week, for 15 minutes per session.

I freaked out, at first, because I didn't want him labeled, either. I went to two different conferences, both with his K teacher and the Occ. Therapist, before I consented to anything. In the end, it came down to, this will help him, and that's what's important.

He did see the therapist, all of K, and it was really beneficial for him. This year, when he started first grade, he was given the by her, and no longer has to see her.

As for tying his shoes, he just learned to do it, over Christmas last year, at six and a half. I could not teach him, but my FIL showed him, once, and it was like "ding!" and he got it.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but once he started taking swimming lessons, coordination with things like tying shoes, threading beads and other fine motor types of things seemed to improve.

Good luck to you, I know it's rough to have people telling you there's something 'wrong' with your child, even if it can be fixed.

[annettemarie]

Thank you all! Part of me is feeling like everyone is whispering behind their hands, "It's because she homeschooled. She screwed him up and now we need to fix him." Unrealistic, I know, but it's there.

I think this will be good for him!

[chfriend]

AM - all the kids I know love OT! Services that early in the school career don't really lead to long-term labelling because the therapy actually does what it's supposed to a lot of the time. (I live in an extended family of school educators who run off at the mouth, so I'd know!)

The only kids I know who have not liked it have problems with transitions and just don't like stopping and starting it. It doesn't sound like that's an issue for Michael.

On the over-involved thing...I think pre-3rd grade even the teachers don't see very present parents as over-involved. (Although oddly, some teaching assistants do, can't figure that out.) Unless you're busting up the classroom everyday, you're probably just fine!

[lerlerler]

Hey, you are wrecking my self-esteem.

In reading your post I thought "hey, I had an odd pencil grip as well - and I wasn't labelled"

this thought was followed by "but it did drive Mr. Townsend crazy enough that he used to being me over to a table next to his desk at least once a week to help me"

followed by "HEY, I GUESS I WAS LABELLED!! I bet he HAD to help me and no one told me it was OT.. WAAAAH, I am stigmitized"

I guess my point is it doesn't mean your child will be stigmitized.

All this time, I thought I was perfect....

[Katana]

Originally posted by annettemarie
Thank you all! Part of me is feeling like everyone is whispering behind their hands, "It's because she homeschooled. She screwed him up and now we need to fix him." Unrealistic, I know, but it's there.

Aww, . It's not true.

I was told, to my face, that ds had his grip because I hadn't put him in preschool. It was hard to take, even though I knew it wasn't true.

It was really nice, when they evaluated him this year, and decided he was fine, to hear that he was very bright and incredibly able with his hands (drawing and writing).


Lerlerler, . You are perfect, I'm sure.

My dh still has an "odd pencil grip". They commented on it, when they were talking to us about ds. They grudgingly admitted that he had a nice signature, even with his odd grip. But in a way that was like, you're lucky you can write at all...

I can laugh about it now.