PPS and dyspraxia: what to put in the personalized schooling plan
The PPS (a personalized schooling plan, in France) for a child with dyspraxia: what to write so that it is applied day to day, and what is better left out.
In brief
The PPS (personalised schooling plan) is an official document that defines the adjustments and human support for a pupil with a disability. For a child with dyspraxia, it plays a decisive role in fatigue, writing and independence. This article offers what is useful to write in this PPS so that it is applied in class day to day, rather than sitting unused in a binder.
Why a poorly written dyspraxia PPS (personalised schooling plan) is useless
A PPS written in medical terms or too generic does not translate into concrete actions. For a child with dyspraxia, this means a school year spent compensating alone, illegible notebooks, mounting fatigue, and sometimes a loss of confidence as early as the first term.
A useful PPS answers three precise questions:
- what the teacher must do differently day to day;
- what equipment the child needs, and who provides it;
- what extra time is granted on assessments.
The more concrete it is, the more it is applied.
The dyspraxia accommodations that really make a difference
For a child with dyspraxia, certain adjustments change the whole day:
- reducing copying from the board, or providing photocopies;
- allowing a computer or tablet in class;
- seating the child at a fixed spot with stabilised equipment (a notebook holder, an ergonomic pen);
- giving instructions one at a time rather than in a block.
These adjustments do not require any special training, just a clear decision in the PPS and regular application in the classroom.
What is better left out of the PPS
The PPS is not a medical file. Including full assessments, prescriptions or rehabilitation recommendations weakens the document and blurs the priorities for the teacher.
To avoid:
- vague phrases such as "adapt as needed";
- endless lists of theoretical adjustments that are never applied;
- implicit, unwritten expectations, which cannot be followed.
A PPS that is short, written in school language, is always followed better than a long, exhaustive one.
Preparing the commission with your child in mind
The committee that approves the PPS is a moment where several adults talk about your child without them being present. Prepare to carry their voice with a short sheet that describes:
- what they can do on their own, what reassures them;
- what blocks them in class: writing, copying, fine motor skills;
- what tires them to the point of cutting off their concentration.
To pass on this information without having to repeat it to every new adult who comes into contact with your child (teacher, AESH (support assistant for pupils with disabilities), substitute teacher, activity supervisor), some parents use a myHandiQR profile: a single QR code that leads to a profile viewable in a few seconds, with an explanation tailored to the role of the person scanning it. You can create one here: create a myHandiQR profile.
Keeping the PPS alive beyond the commission
A PPS approved in June is not a PPS applied in September. Ask the teacher for a short check-in at the start of the year to recall the three or four key adjustments. Even if the PPS was officially passed on to them, reading through it together for five minutes is far better than sending it by email.
Also plan:
- a check-in in November to verify that the tools (computer, photocopies) are in place;
- a mid-year check-in to anticipate changes and prepare the next committee.
The PPS is a framework, not a magic formula. Its quality depends on the regular dialogue between you, the team and your child.
Key takeaways
- A useful PPS answers three questions: what to do differently, what equipment, what extra time.
- Favour concrete adjustments (reduced copying, computer, instructions one at a time) over vague formulas.
- Do not load the PPS with medical assessments or exhaustive lists that would dilute the priorities.
- Carry your child's voice at the committee with a short sheet on what they can do, what blocks them, what tires them.
- Keep the PPS alive with a start-of-year check-in with the teacher and follow-up during the year.
What you have just read, you should not have to go over again from the start.
Every new school year, every new colleague, every medical appointment: you have to start all over again. Find the right words. Hope to be understood. myHandiQR puts an end to that. You write it once. You will no longer start over from the beginning at every encounter.