Thanks for all of your great replies. It gives me a lot to think about. I really don't have a "normal" to compare her development too. One brother was writing with perfect spelling and punctuation at 5 and the other could not write anything at 5.
She had been doing Handwriting Without Tears at school and will continue to do it over the summer. She has been doing play doh and dough kneading as well. The teacher saw earlier in the year some issues. She has not really improved with as the year has gone on. She began using the grotto grip I believe in the late fall at the suggestion of the teacher. It keeps her fingers exactly where they need to be. She does not hold the pencil correctly without it. It has help her position with her fingers, but the wrist arching is still present. She complains of pain when writing regardless of the length of writing. I get the feeling somedays she just wants so badly to get something out on paper that she pushing's through the discomfort. She also seems to have a similar sensory thing like her brother. They don't feel pain they way the rest of us do. She gets shots and blood draws without a flinch. Her brother had femur surgery with both legs broken and screwed back in place. He needed no pain meds. It was crazy to watch. I do gather when it's bothering her, its probably really bothering her. She wears the bruised up, banged up knees and shins like a badge of honor. She is of the opinion her bruised legs are a display of how hard she plays.
I called her Pediatrician this morning and got the name of a developmental ophthalmologist to have her evaluated. Her teacher did say she would start with the vision first and then look into processing issues. I do wonder with her ability to occasionally write long passages if processing could really be an issue. I can get her an appointment with the Ophthalmologist in May. I think we will start with that from a medical stand point.
My inclination is to keep the school administration out of it at this point. She probably does not qualify for an IEP. At best with a diagnosis maybe a 504, but I would like to gather the information first. The current teacher will have her OT take a peek at her this week. It can stay informal and off the record. She will send home any suggestions for her. She did look at her informally last fall and said start with fine motor and see if you have any improvement. I have close friend that is also a Special Education teacher. She is willing to spend some time with her this summer working on any motor skills issues.
Overall, I love our school district. We have many wonderful teachers. The administration in this one particular building has been a nightmare for us in the past. My DS that is EG/PG got no GT placement in this building. He has an IEP for hearing loss. The principal does seem to send the IEP kids to the slower moving class rooms and no pull out time. He only got the more advanced first grade teacher because at the time her was coming from another building. The principal wasn't aware of his IEP status only his achievement testing. The staff from the previous building wait until the last minute to send all of his information over to her. We had to fight her the entire time he was in the building. He had 2 years of no GT pull out despite the recommendations of his team. She placed him with a 2nd grade teacher(now retired) that would not allow him to bring books from home to read when he was finished with her classwork. She said,"it was too hurtful to the other children." The majority of the time, I am thrilled with our schools and the amazing teachers my kids have had. Just this one principal has been really difficult to handle. I think I have a better chance get outside evals and working with the advanced teacher next year over dealing with the "Wicked Witch" in the front office. DD has 2 more years in the building and I'd like to keep it peaceful. She is such a social little one and loves going to school. So far DD5's bubbly personality and demeanor has the principal really liking her. I am definitely don't want a war that leaves her unhappy at school.
Thanks again for you input. It so helpful to hear it
