Okay revised with the library incident included (mostly to document disciplining disabilities)... Is this too much?

I believe you may have seen DS' Dyspraxia and Hypotonia at work today during writing. DS was very upset at lunch and told me: "I got a yellow light for not finishing my work in Writer's Workshop! My hand was cramping and I didn't draw a picture. I don't understand how you can get a punishment for not drawing a picture!" He went on to say that he asked for "apple technology to help with the writing so then drawing the picture would be easy." He said I would probably get a call from him later about it and to be sure I answered the phone.


I do hope you will share with me what misunderstandings or missing details are in the explanation I heard today. DS is very proud of his behavior and wants to do a good job in your class. It means a lot to him to follow the behavior guidelines and "stay green".


Last week on the day before we left for our testing trip, DS came home very frustrated and told me that he was not allowed to check out a Hardy Boys book during Library time and had to check out "too easy books" instead because he "didn't come to school with a smile". I'm sure there are some missing details and misunderstandings here as I am sure you would not refuse a child the appropriate reading level because he didn't smile, especially not one with a documented anxiety disorder.


As I mentioned in my letter about his disabilities at the beginning of the year, writing or coloring are often painful and tremendously taxing for him. It is important that he not continue doing those activities when he experiences this pain or begins to get stressed. A break from the activity or an alternate way of completing it usually helps. Fine motor activities will take longer time and greater effort for him to complete than his peers. His OT included suggestions for helping with this in the classroom in the letter I attached to mine at the beginning of the year.


I'd love to hear your feedback about how those strategies have worked or not worked in your class and perhaps others you may have tried. I expect you will soon be a part of his 504 team so I hope we can work together to think of ways to address DS' disabilities and classroom behavior in the days ahead. Anything we can accomplish now should make us even better able to plan the formal accommodations in the weeks ahead.