Illegible handwriting - update

[BusyLizzie100]

I posted previously asking can it get too late to do anything about illegible handwriting and I've just had a letter back from the Senco in answer to my letter expressing my concerns.

 

I'm disappointed... looks like the school's not going to do much at all.

 

In fact, I don't think she's really got the point of my concern - my child really can barely write, he scrawls at 100mph across the page in an illegible scribble and he can't always read his own writing, and he's 12. For some reason, it appears to be acceptable that his writing is illegible, that teachers say they can't read it and therefore can't mark it. OK, he can use his laptop, altho this isn't always practicable in class and it's being left up to him to sort it out, but he will have to write at some points in his life... why is there this apathy?

 

I requested a handwriting assessment, but the Senco doesn't know what to do about that and has forwarded my request to the LA, to see who would be financially responsible. She says: 'As you are aware, the school receives no specific funding for X, and our delegated budget for predictable SEN is very small.' My son has a Statement and his handwriting issues are included, but he has no 1:1 funding and in any case our LA operates a system of delegated funding.

 

She goes on: 'Of course he can have a scribe for exams. This will gauge how beneficial it will be in advance of public exams.' I had asked about the possibility of voice-recognition software - don't really feel like I've had a very detailed response!

 

With regard to my questions about making the IEP more specific (initially it said he will do handwriting practice in lunchtime study group, nothing specific, measurable of SMART etc), she says: 'The handwriting target can be made more specific when I have seen X to do some work with him. I hope he can come to lunchtime study group this week and we can make a start.' Does that means SHE's going to assess his handwriting? I wouldn't say she's an expert... My son is way past the point of doing additional handwriting practice in an attempt to improve (he is totally unmotivated now) - I want him assessed for posture, pencil control, sensory issues, dysgraphia, etc. And in any case, lunchtime study group is a voluntary thing and he hasn't been in all week...

 

I REALLY don't feel that the school is taking this very seriously at all. I wrote a 3-page letter about his handwriting and I don't feel like anything has been answered!! And I am really annoyed about the reference to funding... grrr.

 

Also, the OT has said she will try to ring and contact school to 'chat' with the Senco about things, but she hasn't managed to do that in the last two weeks and it's half term now. The usual OT that used to see my son has left and not been replaced, so the OT dept is massively overworked at the mo.

 

Now we are planning for his Annual Review in March and I feel like we've barely started on getting the Statement set up! I suppose it's a good thing, because at least these things can be discussed but I get the feeling it won't be a long meeting - an hour is allocated and my son will be present for the second half to discuss targets - so, half an hour to talk about everything, sounds like not long enough for what I;ve got to say!!!

 

Sometimes I feel like my son is invisible.

 

Lizzie xxx

 

 

[Sally44]

Start working towards the Annual Review.

You want to look at the CoP and download the DfES letter on the IPSEA website under law and guidance - to specify.

This is a letter that was sent by the government to all LEAs. So they know all about it.

 

Basically if a need is itemised in section 2 it should state in section 3 how that need is going to be met in school, who is the suitably qualified professional to assess, monitor it etc and how much time they should spend in school seeing your son and his teacher and yourself and how often they review the programme. That applies to every person from the TA to the EP, SALT, OT etc.

I am going through exactly the same thing, but for different issues.

Basically your Statement is currently illegal on that issue (and maybe more if it is not specified).

So at AR is the time you submit your case.

There is also a Statutory Instrument which is part of the Education Act and that talks about 'future needs', so i'll post you the link for that. So Statements should also talk about future needs eg. the difficulty he has with handwriting is going to need x, y and z now and will need x y and z in the future.

 

Find out which professional should see your son for this difficulty (as you say, probably EP and OT to identify the root cause ie. the need - and again the CoP does state that EVERY NEED should be identified, so they have to identify it in the Statement.

 

It maybe, that if his handwriting is going to prejudice his performance in exams that he uses a scribe. But find out how long he has to have used a scribe before he can use it in exams. I am not sure of that myself.

 

Go through your Statement and make sure part 2 and 3 correspond with eachother ie. every need in section 2 is itemised, specified and quantified in section 3. If not put together your 'Parental Comments' and include every amendment that should be made.

[Sally44]

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/AssetLibrary/Downl...As15-Nov-05.pdf

 

That is the link to the DfES letter to all LEAs.

[Sally44]

The Education Act (Statutory Instrument No 3455) item 7 (2) (a) states “the educational, medical, psychological or other features of the case (according to the nature of the advice sought) which appear to be relevant to the child's educational needs (including his likely future needs);” should be sought and specified in the Statement.

 

 

If you google the above extract you should find it. PM me if you don't.

[Canopus]

In fact, I don't think she's really got the point of my concern - my child really can barely write, he scrawls at 100mph across the page in an illegible scribble and he can't always read his own writing, and he's 12. For some reason, it appears to be acceptable that his writing is illegible, that teachers say they can't read it and therefore can't mark it. OK, he can use his laptop, altho this isn't always practicable in class and it's being left up to him to sort it out, but he will have to write at some points in his life... why is there this apathy?

 

I would have quite happily ripped my teeth out one by one with pliers and no anaesthetic when I was 12 to be in exactly the same position. Handwriting was at the root of so many problems at school and the teachers flatly refused to let me use a computer even for homework. The teachers and my educational psychologist just said it was down to laziness and low personal standards. To make things worse, it was a factor that made my educational psychologist recommend a residential school with lots of discipline and no computers.

 

I requested a handwriting assessment, but the Senco doesn't know what to do about that and has forwarded my request to the LA, to see who would be financially responsible. She says: 'As you are aware, the school receives no specific funding for X, and our delegated budget for predictable SEN is very small.' My son has a Statement and his handwriting issues are included, but he has no 1:1 funding and in any case our LA operates a system of delegated funding.

 

There is the issue of whether suitable staff are available to teach handwriting in a secondary school as it's assumed to be an issue already sorted out back at primary school. The statement is technically illegal if the needs are not being met, or are unable to be met, by the school and the LA is the one breaking the law. This should be brought up at the next annual review with a masterplan formulated on how the needs will be met and the timings.

 

She goes on: 'Of course he can have a scribe for exams. This will gauge how beneficial it will be in advance of public exams.' I had asked about the possibility of voice-recognition software - don't really feel like I've had a very detailed response!

 

Scribes are available for exams but voice recognition software is still at prototype stage.

 

I REALLY don't feel that the school is taking this very seriously at all. I wrote a 3-page letter about his handwriting and I don't feel like anything has been answered!! And I am really annoyed about the reference to funding... grrr.

 

They won't take the issue seriously if your son is allowed to use a computer most of the time. There's a good article about handwriting but it's aimed more at a primary school age audience and requires plenty of dedication and practice.

 

[LoubyLou]

Hello Lizzie,

 

I don't have any quick-solution ideas, wish I did. Just feel for you. I have an illegible 10-year-old, Dad & me couldn't write properly but both have nice writing now, it seemed to come with the hormones (later for him though - he has exceptionally beautiful writing now), here's hoping anyway! You did well to get school to allow the laptop. Would he communicate well with the scribe? Has he tried this before? This is being suggested to us as something that was supposed to start in September, then after Christmas....(just for the SATS though), but I'm hoping it will be a laptop as having the confidence to communicate clearly with a scribe sounds a big 'ask' to me. I completely agree, handwriting practise, over & over, is very demoralising, and doesn't cure the pyramid of problems (I've got a nice book with a picture in...) from the brain downwards. It's such a pity Senco's aren't always very clued up. Also the OT definitely should visit school, and should see him working - I would keep knocking loudly on their door & anyone else, it does get exhausting I know. I suppose there might be a privately-funded one but you shouldn't have to go down that route - he has a disability for goodness sake! The only other thought I have which I'm sure you've gone down is ringing the dyspraxia foundation - someone did tell me once that there are courses you can take your child to & would be interested to hear if anyone's tried these.

 

Will continue to read thread in the hope that there are some helpful answers.

 

I know what you mean about invisibility. Is he quiet and otherwise well-behaved?! Not that it's a slur on those who aren't, it just seems to compound the problem with trying to get the message across. It is VERY disheartening when you put your hard-earned time and thought into a long letter and it feels as though it's just been 'filed'. Can't they keep pushing the LA for more funding??! (am not 100% sure of how this works but I thought the school was supposed to address the need & ASK hard on his behalf?!). Now I'm getting angry too!

 

Lizzie

 

 

 

[cmuir]

Hi

 

I recently posted a topic on dysgraphia - a disorder associated to extreme difficulty with handwriting. My son is 8 and I suspect he may be dysgraphic. His school are supporting him fairly well, but I'm fully aware of their reluctance to assess him. I've therefore made a fourth and final formal request stating that I wan to know if my son isn't just a reluctant poor writer, but rather has a disorder and is experiencing physical pain when trying to write. I have dug around and spoken with my son's OT who was quite clear that I should be focussing on his AS. I duly pointed out that dysgraphia may well be part and parcel of that and when it reaches the point when his handwriting is having an effect on his confidence and self esteem then it needs to be addressed. I was surprised by this response, since it is not uncommon for children on the spectrum to have comorbid conditions/disorders eg dyslexia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia. Whilst my son's school are to a point supportive, there is a definite resistance to labelling. Whilst I've tried to weigh this up given what's been happening over the past few years with them, I genuinely feel that they want to avoid labels because it then means there is an obligation to meet that child's need. I feel my son's school isn't taking this seriously at all either.

 

I note that you haven't used the word dysgraphia (of course that could be because he doesn't have it, etc), but I did wonder if your son's school were using the same avoidance tactics of actually ascertaining whether your son does (or doesn't) have it. The following weblink is quite informative:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia

 

Might be worth a look. Might also be worth insisting on an assessment if this hasn't been done already.

 

Hope I don't come across as patronising, etc. it's just I hadn't heard of dysgraphia until recently and now that I've heard of it, I'm astounded that education professionals hae almost gone out of their way to avoid using that term (OT actually said she doesn't use that term).

 

Best wishes

 

Caroline

[Kathryn]

Very frustrating, and worrying if the teachers are saying that they can't mark his work because of it: how then can they assess his progress properly?

 

Your comments about the laptop remind me of L's experience, it wasn't always appropriate to use it, she was left to organise it herself, getting it, taking it back etc, along with everything else she was struggling with, It frequently crashed as well.

 

Can only suggest you get your own assessment done if it's possible - the more evidence you throw at them the better. The school need to start taking it seriously now and not when he does his GCSE's.

 

K x

 

 

[BusyLizzie100]

Can only suggest you get your own assessment done if it's possible - the more evidence you throw at them the better. The school need to start taking it seriously now and not when he does his GCSE's.

 

K x

 

Yes, I think this is the way we're going to have to go . Now, how to track down an appropriate expert...? If anyone has any contacts for Herts or thereabouts, please PM me.

 

Thanks all for your replies, they all really help <'>

 

Lizzie x

[Suze]

I would insist that the school request a local authority rep and someone from OT at the anual review to discuss your concerns about his handwriting.It does,nt seem that the school are taking on board your concerns at all, has he done the Theoderescu writing course??..............this IS supposed to help, although it made no difference with my son at all.My boys handwriting probs lie within SID, he had sensory integration therapy but it only scratched the surface .We had a therapist assess him who looked at the left/right brain relationship and retained infant reflexes.For instance she discovered that although he is right handed he can use his left more efficiently.She had 2 circles on an A4 piece of paper and he had to hold a pen and stab as fast as he could in and out of the circle.He did it with both hands and was more accurate and quicker with his left hand.Hope you can get the school to offer him more help with this, suzex

[puffin]

DD1 (then 11) was in the same position a few years ago - she could not write legibly, hated writing and never wrote more than a sentence. The teacher blamed the whole problem on DD.

 

However when we removed DD and sent her to another school - the new teacher found references to OT being in school when DD was 8 or 9. So new teacher rang said OT and found out that OT had assessed DD in school as part of her diagnosis (which we knew about) but also that she had left detailed recommendations and training exercises with the old teacher to implement - which was never mentioned by old teacher to us and the old teacher had never bothered to implement....... Apparently DD was hampered by motor coordination problems in her elbow, in order to write well her arm must rest on the table - if she lefts her arm she lack coordination and motor control, DD also has a tendency to press too hard making writing look strange as well as writing very tiring.

 

So OT e-mailed a copy of the programme to new teacher - who started to implement it and 8 weeks later she was writing legibly - now 14 her latest hobby is writing plays and stories which she writes by hand in hard covered note books

 

So my advice is to get an OT assessment - also you say that handwriting is mentioned in the statement - are the school doing anything?

Edited February 15, 2010 by puffin

[BusyLizzie100]

Thanks Suze and Puffin.

 

Yes, he did the Theoderescu years ago, and has had NHS OT involvement off and on since he was five (he's now 12), but nothing has really worked or made much difference.

 

I'm realising now that previous assessments have just not been in-depth enough and far too 'generalised'. Our previous OT was very well meaning but I don't think she really had the expertise in the right areas for DS1, or DS2 for that matter. And the primary school weren't interested.

 

I may have solved the problem of finding an expert to assess - I rang DS2's school (independent autism-specific) this morning and asked the school's OT if she knows how to find the right person - and she might be able to do it herself, which would be great!!! Especially cos I already 'know' her through DS2!!

 

And yes, I WILL be raising this at the Annual Review.

 

Thanks <'>

 

Lizzie x

Edited February 15, 2010 by BusyLizzie100

[Karen A]

Hello Lizzie,

 

I don't have any quick-solution ideas, wish I did. Just feel for you. I have an illegible 10-year-old, Dad & me couldn't write properly but both have nice writing now, it seemed to come with the hormones (later for him though - he has exceptionally beautiful writing now), here's hoping anyway! You did well to get school to allow the laptop. Would he communicate well with the scribe? Has he tried this before? This is being suggested to us as something that was supposed to start in September, then after Christmas....(just for the SATS though), but I'm hoping it will be a laptop as having the confidence to communicate clearly with a scribe sounds a big 'ask' to me. I completely agree, handwriting practise, over & over, is very demoralising, and doesn't cure the pyramid of problems (I've got a nice book with a picture in...) from the brain downwards. It's such a pity Senco's aren't always very clued up. Also the OT definitely should visit school, and should see him working - I would keep knocking loudly on their door & anyone else, it does get exhausting I know. I suppose there might be a privately-funded one but you shouldn't have to go down that route - he has a disability for goodness sake! The only other thought I have which I'm sure you've gone down is ringing the dyspraxia foundation - someone did tell me once that there are courses you can take your child to & would be interested to hear if anyone's tried these.

 

Will continue to read thread in the hope that there are some helpful answers.

 

I know what you mean about invisibility. Is he quiet and otherwise well-behaved?! Not that it's a slur on those who aren't, it just seems to compound the problem with trying to get the message across. It is VERY disheartening when you put your hard-earned time and thought into a long letter and it feels as though it's just been 'filed'. Can't they keep pushing the LA for more funding??! (am not 100% sure of how this works but I thought the school was supposed to address the need & ASK hard on his behalf?!). Now I'm getting angry too!

 

Lizzie

 

Hi.

A scribe does not work well for all children.The idea of a scribe was considered for Ben however his previous TA was very clear it would drive him to distraction.Ben thinks very fast and now types as he thinks.He would find the delay in communicating with a scribe very frustrating.He also thinks about things in original ways.A scribe would find it very difficult to follow his train of thought.

In any case I hope I do not sound as though I am putting TAs down as this is not what I intend......but in some subjects unless school found a TA that is a graduate they would find it dificult to keep up and to document Ben's thoughts because he is so able in those subjects.

Now he just touch types at speed.

As I said on another thread I intend to ask about laptop use at Ben's AR in March.Since starting at secondary Ben has been handwriting rather than using a laptop.He can write the amounts of work needed in rather untidy writing and keep up with his peers.However he would not do himself credit in future exams without access to a PC.His English teacher told him he could be an author.So we will have to check what the situation is as regards to future PC use.

As Kathryn mentioned access to a PC can be complicated.We had already been told that Ben would need to be able to transfer stuff onto a memmory stick which would then be downloaded weekly.This was as an alternative to carrying a PC around school all day.

Ben currently looses books at the rate of about one a week and frequently misses guitar lessons which he loves because he cannot remember to get there so I cannot imagine him being able to keep track of a memmory stick.

Ben also does not now like to be seen as different to his peers.Having a laptop makes him stand out which he hates.

I will update with any new ideas after the AR.

Karen.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Karen A

[BusyLizzie100]

Ben currently looses books at the rate of about one a week and frequently misses guitar lessons which he loves because he cannot remember to get there so I cannot imagine him being able to keep track of a memmory stick.

Ben also does not now like to be seen as different to his peers.Having a laptop makes him stand out which he hates.

 

We have lost at least 10 memory sticks since September!!! I am now working on ways to tie them to his person.

[Karen A]

We have lost at least 10 memory sticks since September!!! I am now working on ways to tie them to his person.