Occupational Therapy at School

Thanks for sharing your experience too and for making such a brave decision. I had considered homeschooling for my daughter, who has ADHD. We ended up changing their schools.  

Yes, my son has been diagnosed with High Functioning ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder.  I sent the report from the Occupational Therapist to the SENCO, however, i'm certain she didn't even read it.  

With regards to the funding for 121 hours, would this be part of an EHCP?  

Our son doesn't struggle too much academically, as he is High Functioning. I was always led to believe he would not obtain an EHCP as he doesn't struggle academically.

I shall certainly look into the Thrive programme too. 

Thanks so much for your reply and for being so helpful.

Wow that great and brilliant that she recognises how much it helps her :-)  I'm hoping my son will be able to take it on himself, without guidance from teachers .....but we shall see.

Hi and thank you for sharing your story with all of us. I just wanted to reach out because my son also has sensory issues and while he was in the mainstream (now homeschooled) the teacher was completely uncooperative. She even refused to complete his communication diary. We have been homeschooling since Feb but it still rattles my bones when I think about it. Having said that, I want to be part of the solution too. So reading your post, there are a few unanswered questions in my mind. First, if your son has been diagnosed I'm assuming you're working the school SENCO who should ensure that your child's needs are being met? Is it possible to apply for 1 2 1 hours/funding, with the help of SENCO, for your child? This person would be able to facilitate the sensory diet. Some schools also have Thrive programmes which are designed to support the wellbeing and needs of children. I am not sure if any of this will be helpful to you but I thought it was worth a mention. 

This is similar to the sensory exercises my daughter does she bounces up and down on the spot ( no trampoline would be a recipe for disaster with the other kids!) then does stretching and Co ordination activities then strength pushing against a wall. She does some of these at playtime and lunchtime she started this herself as she felt better after doing them at home so just started doing it at school! 

Thank you. Sorry, to clarify 'Sensory Diet' are activities throughout the day to regulate his behaviour and sensory needs. For example, he bounces on a small trampoline before school to calm him down, otherwise he is jumping and clapping all the way to school. It is something that really works for him. He should also undertake the load bearing/weighty activity to improve his muscle strength.  He is very weak and struggles with some tasks like buttons and clips.  The Occupational Therapist met with the school to explain this, however they had not read the report and even mislaid it. 

Sorry for the confusion and thank you for the reply.

I only know of sensory diets being used in SEN schools. I'm sure there must be children in mainstream that do. Has the school said why they don't want to get on board with it? The exercises he needs to do don't sounds like they would be difficult to integrate into a school day. Do you have a written report from his OT? Who have you spoken to at the school? Just his class teacher or senco etc as well? I would keep pushing it if I were you. Some children would be able to manage it by themselves but others not. He would need some support to get into the routine at least.

If your child is following a special diet surely providing it as a packed lunch would ensure he has it ( this is how we cover it) if child is having school meals normally it is set menu options. 

Not sure what you are meaning by sensory diet, not something I have come across so sorry if I am not much help. As for the sensory exercises my daughter is also about the same age she has learnt a routine of these that she does at playtime and lunchtime would that be an option ? 

Unfortunately, in my opinion,  now closed and integrated into a mainstream school. even though the Education should be the same.

In regard to you son eating sensory food, all food is to some degree sensory, he may have the opportunity to copy other pupils with their eating habits some good some bad presumably.. My son has bolted his food so much so it has to be cut up, It is very difficult to control his eating without a violent meltdown.

Can you communicate and reason with your son?  My Son in his search to understand life, taught himself  with our help using Ceefax on the TV as it was then and was able to read by the age of 7, and put an older brother to shame, but unfortunately he could not understand a word of what he had read out with whatever speech difficulty of attempt Pa Fa etc

He uses the written word to make his lists.

You are an obvious unpaid Carer of last resort. I think this Friday Carers UK is doing publicity for Carers to get their Local authority to make a list of The Carers's needs..

Hi 

Your son I presume to have limited vocabulary and learning to blow will help enunciation of sounds like Pa Fa etc.

My Son did the same blowing , but not as a special regime, we would occasionally make a game of it if that is possible with an autistic Child, who main aim is to make sence of the world he was born into. He went to a special school for Children with communication Problems.