Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional What would you want in 504 for kid with.....

One of the big accommodations that's really helped my son (because of his PDD-NOS & ADHD) is preferential seating near the teacher. This allows him to quickly and quietly lean over and ask for additional instruction/reminders/clarifications throughout the day. I would definitely recommend you ask for that - it's probably the easiest accommodation to get them to approve and can be incredibly helpful.

Also note, you can call a new ARD meeting to alter the accommodations AT ANY TIME.

Thanks! I need that reminder. Easy to get in to a "now or never" mindset.

My counselor (for the marriage issues we are dealing with right now) gave me some apt advice. She pointed out that his teacher sounded very "rigid" and that it would be easy to get in a power struggle with her.

I am trying to keep in my mind that we have professional scholarly evaluations (several) and recommendations and I am not there to seek her approval. So far she seems to be the fly in the ointment. I'm saving any real discussion for the 504 and IEP meetings ahead.

I get the distinct impression that she does not believe a child could really be so advanced (you know gaps and all) or have any real mental health concerns. Due to these observations, I think implementing may be a challenge if we are forced to stay in her class.

Sweetie-- He would like that... and heavy work is especially good for him.

I found this on the Dypraxia Foundation Website (http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/tips-for-teaching-the-child-with-dyspraxia-or-dcd/):

Tips for Teaching the Child with Dyspraxia or DCD


• Put the child near the front of the class. If this is not possible, walking around the room can also bring the information to the student effectively.

• Speak instructions slowly and repeat if necessary—the shorter, the better. It is often necessary that the student write the instructions down. In addition, it is helpful to break instructions and materials into manageable “chunks.”

• Acknowledge and praise tasks completed correctly. Positive reinforcement is extremely effective with dyspraxic children.

• Allow extra time for assignments. Processing speed is much slower for children with dyspraxia.

• When possible, if the student is required to copy from a board at the front of the room, allow the student to copy from a written handout instead.

• Organization is one of the biggest challenges for these children. If the student has all assignments and homework in one folder, it greatly reduces the risk of losing them.

• For younger students, assist with fine motor tasks. Cutting, coloring, and writing are very challenging and stressful. Encourage stabilization of the hand when writing.

• Lined and graph paper really help the student organize spatially.

• Allow “body breaks” throughout the day. Stepping outside of class to do push-ups against the wall, jumping, pressing the hands together, or even running a short errand enables the student to return to class more focused. Similarly, if the student feels a meltdown approaching, allow him or her to leave the room until the feeling passes. This can be prompted with a simple cue (e.g., raising hand).

• Encourage good posture whenever possible by having the child sit with hips and knees at 90° and feet flat on floor.

• One of the unique characteristics of dyspraxia is that a perfect day can be derailed with one slight mishap. For example, getting a blue crayon instead of a yellow one can cause a meltdown.

• Feedback helps us to manage dyspraxia better. If the child has had difficulty with certain tasks, playground interactions, poor judgment, or managing emotions, sharing that information with us is not received as a criticism but is actually very helpful!

• Don’t underestimate your importance to this child! You may be the reason this child comes to school happy every day. ☺