emma bovary

Hello,

I have a five-year-old son who's very intelligent and creative. He seems like a very typical five-year-old. I took him to see a specialist for his potty training issues and she did an intake of his developmental progress. She suggested that I take him for O.T. because he still couldn't hold a pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms and legs. Having the unschooling beliefs that I do, I wonder if I should even worry about it. Every child develops differently.

My question is should I bother with the O.T. now or just try to work on the writing issue with him myself? Does anyone have ideas on how I could assist him on developing his penmanship skills?

Thanks,
Leslie



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eriksmama2001

Your child knows what he needs. I am reluctant to focus on deficit
development as opposed to facilitating ability. The medical field is
deficit based care.

I am sure that others have lots of suggestions on fun things that
their children like to do with their hands. Fine motor skills are the
same whether they are for something your child wants to do or because
someone thinks your child NEEDS to learn how to do something. I
believe that my child will learn how to do things that he needs or
find a different way to meet the need. I don't want him to feel that
he failed to learn something someone else thinks he NEEDS. I am all
for fun ideas to strew for my son to consider.

Evaluation means judging against someone's measure of right.

Pat


--- In [email protected], emma bovary
<e_bovary@y...> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a five-year-old son who's very intelligent and creative. He
seems like a very typical five-year-old. I took him to see a
specialist for his potty training issues and she did an intake of his
developmental progress. She suggested that I take him for O.T.
because he still couldn't hold a pencil correctly, spell his name, or
draw stick figures with arms and legs. Having the unschooling
beliefs that I do, I wonder if I should even worry about it. Every
child develops differently.
>
> My question is should I bother with the O.T. now or just try to
work on the writing issue with him myself? Does anyone have ideas on
how I could assist him on developing his penmanship skills?
>
> Thanks,
> Leslie
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

eriksmama2001

One more thing. How did your son feel about the interactions with
these individuals? If it was fun and he wants to participate, why
prevent him from it? If not....


Pat

--- In [email protected], "eriksmama2001"
<scubamama@e...> wrote:
> Your child knows what he needs. I am reluctant to focus on deficit
> development as opposed to facilitating ability. The medical field
is
> deficit based care.
>
> I am sure that others have lots of suggestions on fun things that
> their children like to do with their hands. Fine motor skills are
the
> same whether they are for something your child wants to do or
because
> someone thinks your child NEEDS to learn how to do something. I
> believe that my child will learn how to do things that he needs or
> find a different way to meet the need. I don't want him to feel
that
> he failed to learn something someone else thinks he NEEDS. I am all
> for fun ideas to strew for my son to consider.
>
> Evaluation means judging against someone's measure of right.
>
> Pat
>
>
> --- In [email protected], emma bovary
> <e_bovary@y...> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a five-year-old son who's very intelligent and creative.
He
> seems like a very typical five-year-old. I took him to see a
> specialist for his potty training issues and she did an intake of
his
> developmental progress. She suggested that I take him for O.T.
> because he still couldn't hold a pencil correctly, spell his name,
or
> draw stick figures with arms and legs. Having the unschooling
> beliefs that I do, I wonder if I should even worry about it. Every
> child develops differently.
> >
> > My question is should I bother with the O.T. now or just try to
> work on the writing issue with him myself? Does anyone have ideas
on
> how I could assist him on developing his penmanship skills?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Leslie
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Fetteroll

on 7/30/04 11:04 AM, emma bovary at e_bovary@... wrote:

> She suggested that I take him for O.T. because he still couldn't hold a
> pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms and legs.

Does his 5 yo self need to do any of those things?

That's your answer!

Joyce

J. Stauffer

Hi Leslie,

You should leave him alone. Lots and lots of 5yo boys have difficulty
holding a pencil....Check and see if he hasn't improved by the time he is
11.

Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: "emma bovary" <e_bovary@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 10:04 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Question About Occupational Therapy


> Hello,
>
> I have a five-year-old son who's very intelligent and creative. He seems
like a very typical five-year-old. I took him to see a specialist for his
potty training issues and she did an intake of his developmental progress.
She suggested that I take him for O.T. because he still couldn't hold a
pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms and legs.
Having the unschooling beliefs that I do, I wonder if I should even worry
about it. Every child develops differently.
>
> My question is should I bother with the O.T. now or just try to work on
the writing issue with him myself? Does anyone have ideas on how I could
assist him on developing his penmanship skills?
>
> Thanks,
> Leslie
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Julie

** She suggested that I take him for O.T. because he still couldn't hold a
pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms and
legs.**

My son who is now 10 wasn't interested in drawing or colouring until the
year he turned 6. He couldn't write his name or hold a pencil correctly
until he was 6 or so.Your son will do these things when he he is ready, I
wouldn't worry about it.

What has helped develop Jesse's fine motor skills is Lego. He plays with it
for hours every day. I'd just provide lots of opportunities for play with
blocks and drawing and sorting beans or counters.Fun stuff! I saw these cool
brightly coloured dinosaur counters in a catalogue last week. My boys would
love them. Making collage pictures out of beans, seeds and lentils. (if
that's the sort of thing he likes to do) Making necklaces from macaroni or
threading with cotton spools. There are lots of 'exercises' you can do that
are fun.

Julie

eriksmama2001

Have you all seen doctor's handwriting? lol.


--- In [email protected], "Julie" <mjsolich@i...>
wrote:
>
>
> ** She suggested that I take him for O.T. because he still
couldn't hold a
> pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms
and
> legs.**
>
> My son who is now 10 wasn't interested in drawing or colouring
until the
> year he turned 6. He couldn't write his name or hold a pencil
correctly
> until he was 6 or so.Your son will do these things when he he is
ready, I
> wouldn't worry about it.
>
> What has helped develop Jesse's fine motor skills is Lego. He plays
with it
> for hours every day. I'd just provide lots of opportunities for
play with
> blocks and drawing and sorting beans or counters.Fun stuff! I saw
these cool
> brightly coloured dinosaur counters in a catalogue last week. My
boys would
> love them. Making collage pictures out of beans, seeds and
lentils. (if
> that's the sort of thing he likes to do) Making necklaces from
macaroni or
> threading with cotton spools. There are lots of 'exercises' you
can do that
> are fun.
>
> Julie

[email protected]

In a message dated 7/30/04 7:50:09 PM, mjsolich@... writes:

<< Making necklaces from macaroni or

threading with cotton spools. There are lots of 'exercises' you can do that

are fun. >>

And probably the same kinds that the occupational therapists would have
charged you or the insurance company or the government huge bucks to do with him.
<g>

It's only "occupational therapy" to help a young child hold a

pencil correctly, spell his name, or draw stick figures with arms and

legs if the child's intended occupation is to be a school student at grade
level.

Unschoolers are occupied in other ways. Our "occupational therapy" sometimes
is recovery from school!! <g>

Sandra

deedeanne

Hi Leslie,

I don't know what kind of specialist you took your son to, but you
didn't mention any concerns about his fine motor or writing skills
before her "assessment". If he is not bothered by any difficulties
with fine motor activities, leave it alone. If he is struggling,
strew more manipulative activities for him at home, and maybe let him
see how you manipulate small things with your hands. Let him see you
participating in the fine motor activities you enjoy, and let him see
you struggle with them too, and keep going.

Just for clarification, occupational therapists do not only work at
helping others function in their "occupations". Ideally, they use
goal directed activities,or "occupations" that are meaningful to the
person to maximize functional independence in all their chosen life
roles. They started working with war veterans as "restoration"
therapists, helping victims who were unable to return to previous
work find independence and meaning in what abilities they still had.

Yes, I am an O.T. and an unschooler. I think much of the theory
behind O.T. is compatible with unschooling, especially in the area of
instrinsic motivation and self-direction being critical to any
successful outcome.

Sorry to go on so long, but I just wanted to say, don't go looking
for problems. Your son will let you know what is a problem for him,
not some specialist. Then you can decide what to do about it, if
anything.

Deanne

--- In [email protected], emma bovary
<e_bovary@y...> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a five-year-old son who's very intelligent and creative. He
seems like a very typical five-year-old. I took him to see a
specialist for his potty training issues and she did an intake of his
developmental progress. She suggested that I take him for O.T.
because he still couldn't hold a pencil correctly, spell his name, or
draw stick figures with arms and legs. Having the unschooling
beliefs that I do, I wonder if I should even worry about it. Every
child develops differently.
>
> My question is should I bother with the O.T. now or just try to
work on the writing issue with him myself? Does anyone have ideas on
how I could assist him on developing his penmanship skills?
>
> Thanks,
> Leslie
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/1/2004 12:23:50 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
deedeanne@... writes:
Just for clarification, occupational therapists do not only work at
helping others function in their "occupations". Ideally, they use
goal directed activities,or "occupations" that are meaningful to the
person to maximize functional independence in all their chosen life
roles.
==========

I know.
But a six year old is only "behind" in holding a pencil if he's in a
situation in which pencil-holding is required and evaluated.

And a six year old's functional independence in his life role (not chosen,
probably, at six) probably doesn't require fine-motor therapy.

-=-goal directed activities,or "occupations". . .-=-

A goal-directed activity isn't "an occupation."
It's a project, or an activity (there it is) or a task.
If occupational therapy has redefined "occupation" in their own way, add that
to the irritating jargon that those learning in real-life ways shouldn't need
to occupy themselves with. <bwg>

Sandra


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]