Dyslexia [Archive] - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

imported_blackcat

29-11-2004, 2:21 AM

I didn't hear the programme but I do know of one company who uses excercise programmes and seem to have had some good results. The programme costs around £1500 for a year (payable over the year) and there are regular assessments to check progress.

This is the link

http://www.ddat.co.uk/

I've researched this quite a bit as my son has just been diagnosed as dyslexic and it seems that excercises are done for around 10 minutes a day. These are quite simple such as throwing a bean bag from one hand to another. The excercises are suppose to work certain areas of the brain in order to encourage development.

I have had a look at quite a few forums about this and although there are lots of positive feedback about the treatment there are also a few which say it has had no effect. But it seems that the positive comments far outweigh the negatives.

There are other companies who do similar excercises such as INPP http://www.inpp.org.uk and the price seems to be the same.

Hope that helps :)

kolakube_

29-11-2004, 3:58 AM

I didn't hear the programme, but there are detailed descriptions of exercise for dyslexics and links to other sites about it: http://www.dyslexics.org.uk/ - it's a really comprehensive site run by the mother of a dyslexic boy. There is information about all aspects of the condition, it is definitely worth a look (and it is free!).

Murphy_The_Cat

29-11-2004, 10:57 AM

Thank you both so much. I'll log on and give them a try.

MTC
;D ;D

Ticklemouse

29-11-2004, 11:03 AM

You can log onto Radio 5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/

and see if they have the particular show on the listen again section. I think they are available for a week, (but don't know if the particular show you listened to is there) That way you'd know exactly what they were talking about.

If it's there, can you post it (or the show) because I'm sure there will be a few of us who would be interested.

TM

swizzlebabe

27-04-2005, 8:06 AM

Going to talk to his teacher today.

Should I pay for him to be tested? Been recomended some one who charges £60 which I`m told is cheap but she is good.

He is only 5 so still young but if he is dyslexic I would rafer know now than in a few years time. From reading things on the web looks like I am as well. But in my day I just couldn`t spell etc.

If I go through the LEA will it takes months?

Magentasue

27-04-2005, 8:34 AM

It's really difficult to tell with 5 year olds because there is a huge variation in their abilities at that age. My son didn't start reading until Year 2 andthen only thanks to a a school reading recovery program. My daughter was slower than the rest of her class but shot ahead in Year 1. I wouldn't bother with anything much now but wait until September and go in and work out something with his new teacher. Anything you manage to set up now will fall apart with end of term/year activities.

But I wouldn't leave it any later than next term - you need to raise concerns early so his progress is monitored closely. LEA assessment should take weeks rather than months but follow up will vary according to how well off the Special Ed dept is - you shouldn't need private intervention at this stage.

Good luck - all this is only my opinion, of course!

Downsizing _for_sanity

27-04-2005, 8:39 AM

Have a talk with his teacher first to discuss your concerns. The school may have a Special Needs Co-ordinator who will be able to refer him to an educational psychologist, but in the meantime, should be able to help him cope in lessons. You may be able to get funding for an assessment from your GP if they are helpful. Alternatively, some charities offer help towards funding assessments for those on low incomes. Search for "Dyslexia Institute" for more info.

DFS

Ted_Hutchinson

27-04-2005, 8:49 AM

Durham trial (http://www.durhamtrial.org/)
Zipvit Omega Juice (http://www.zipvit.co.uk)
Personally I think it is far too early to begin to think your child may be dyslexic, however as you feel you may have the same problem it would be worth keeping an eye on the situation and also ensure the Omega3 fatty acid supply which is essential for the development and working of the brain is fully available.

bylromarha

27-04-2005, 9:23 AM

Please don't pay for him to be tested...it is a waste of money at his age. Tests for dyslexia aren't effective until your child is at least 7...however people who test for dyslexia will tell you differently and take your money. As a teacher I saw a few children pass through my class at the age of 5 who had been diagnosed dyslexic by outside bodies and they were nothing of the sort. Seeing those children a few years later confirmed what I thought about the "diagnosis"...amazing recoveries from dyslexia all round!

Speaking to the teacher is the best way forward. State specific concerns which are uncommon at the age of 5...eg getting your b's and d' round the wrong way is quite common for a 5 year old;inability to remember a basic instruction "Please put your coat on" is uncommon.

It may be best to write a list of specific issues you feel are showing signs of dyslexia which you can give to the teacher...these can then be discussed. However, it is unlikely your child will be put straight onto the SEN register...if the teacher has concerns about your son they would have already flagged it up with the SENco anyway.

Let us know how it goes.

Spendless

27-04-2005, 11:08 AM

Which year is he in? Reception or Yr 1?

Is it because he's writing some letters wrong way round that you think this?

My own 5 year old (reception year) is doing this with certain letters b and d that's been mentioned, and also z sometimes. His teacher said that it was very common for them to do this at this age.

He is also struggling with his reading but I think that's because he finds other things more interesting rather than anything else.

I'd say talk to the teacher first.

swizzlebabe

27-04-2005, 12:14 PM

Spendless

27-04-2005, 12:34 PM

He is left handed, handwritting is treible- but down to left hand?

He is coming to the end of year one, but he is the youngest in the class he will not be 6 until the end of august.

But saying that he was ready for school.I meant to mention being left handed in my post. Left-handed neice completely mirror wrote, her name and anything else when she first started school. She is now 14 and one of the top students.

So born a few days later he would be in reception year.

We only do one intake in Sept also regardless of birthday- my own son is band in middle being born in March. He too was ready for school as in he needed something more stimulating than nursery/play-groups but that doesn't ness mean he's going to go at same pace as the other kids.

I think you're right to talk to teacher first. Let us know how you get on.

cookie54

27-04-2005, 12:37 PM

have the school said anything as they may already be giving him extra help without you knowing it.this happen to my son . in the end we paid for a special report but he had lots of problems which LEA didn;t accept until we got this report but as he is not yet 6 i would wait a bit but get the school to watch it and maybe go to the doctor as mine gave lots of helpful advise and was able to prove that we had be concerned from an early stage

bylromarha

27-04-2005, 1:10 PM

Thanks for that.

I know he is young, but if he is on the dyslexic side, I would like to know sooner rather than later if possible.

His teacher is away today so will talk to her tomorrow.

He is left handed, handwritting is treible- but down to left hand?
He does get b`s and d`s mixed up- which I know is common.
He is slow to read, but loves books and I have read to him since he was a baby.
He finds it hard to follow more than a simple instruction.
He is a quite child and not naughty and I would say he is bright, but something seems to be missing 0r not connecting.

He is coming to the end of year one, but he is the youngest in the class he will not be 6 until the end of august. So maybe i`m wrong to compare him to children who are 6 mths older? I did ask about delaying his start at school, but was told, that instead of sending him parttime to begin with, he could start when he was full time only. I now know that this is wrong, or atleast leaglly I didn`t have to send him until the term after he was 5.
But saying that he was ready for school.

Left handed children alone don't have awful handwriting, right handed ones do too! Also boys are slower to develop fine motor control than girls (fine motor= small delicate movements with fingers, eg developing pincer grip with thumb and finger) B and d mix up is normal, reading again, majority of boys are slower to develop this skill. The instruction giving however could be an indicator.

You know your boy better than anyone, so if you feel something is not connecting, then sharing these concerns with the teacher...who also knows your son pretty well by now...rather than a stranger who may/may not diagnose something. Said it before and I'll say it again, paying for "diagnostic" tests is a waste of money.

And as he's 5 until the end of august, it must be really hard to not compare him to those who were 6 in september...a whole year older. BTW, the school standardise scores from tests according to their age, so it doesn't affect SATs and things like that.

And joining school when he'd just turned 4 is fine...again you know best that he was ready for it. My niece's birthday is at the end of August and she is the top of her year group for maths and literacy...and left handed, so don't let these things worry you.

Let us know what happens with the teacher when they're back at school.

VickyA

29-04-2005, 7:25 PM

Left handed children alone don't have awful handwriting, right handed ones do too! Also boys are slower to develop fine motor control than girls (fine motor= small delicate movements with fingers, eg developing pincer grip with thumb and finger) B and d mix up is normal, reading again, majority of boys are slower to develop this skill. The instruction giving however could be an indicator.

I'm a left-handed trainee teacher and getting b and d mixed up is normal amongst alot of children. I'm currently in a class of 7 and 8 year olds who like to turn their 3 around. It's normal, but over the year, they've gradually learnt. It's something that takes time.

By the way, my right handed boyfriend's writing is TERRIBLE! So terrible that he only ever writes in capital letters. Thank goodness for the computer, otherwise he'd be writing all day....................

Oh, and my left handed writing is pretty neat, but that's probably also down to me being a girl! ;)

Sarahsaver

29-04-2005, 8:28 PM

This would not be an issue in many countries where the formal teaching of reading doesn't start until the age of 7. Try not to worry too much.

frizz_head

29-04-2005, 9:19 PM

As Sarahsaver has said, I would try not to worry too much. 5 is still very young, as nowadays we expect more and more from our children. My daughter who is in Year 3, is one of the youngest (will not be 8 until end of July), was a very slow starter. She still did not know her alphabet in Year 1, and was placed on The Early Literacy Strategy to help bring her up to speed with the rest of the class.

I did really worry about her then, but in Year 2 she made amazing progress. Alright, she is still not the brightest child, but she works hard and enjoys going to school, and I have learned to concentrate on her skills (she is a fantastic drawer and extremely creative).

I have a friend in Australia with a child the same age, and when I used to tell her how stressed I was getting because Little Miss Frizz was struggling with her alphabet, she said her son was still playing with dinosaurs at Kindy, with no emphasis on name writing or alphabet until the age of 7.

The thing to remember is that they all get there in the end, some children seem to glide through learning effortlessly, and others, like my daughter need lots of coaching and time.

I hope it works out for your son. Please let us know how he gets on.

bylromarha

30-04-2005, 7:53 PM

I'm a left-handed trainee teacher and getting b and d mixed up is normal amongst alot of children.

Slightly off subject, but keep at it Vicky. TP is much more stressful than actually being a teacher. And once you get your first post, you realise, even though it's flipping hard work, that you have the best job in the world!

jazzyjustlaw

25-08-2005, 6:27 PM

Ted_Hutchinson

25-08-2005, 6:43 PM

Testing for a Tenner (http://www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/assess.htm#tenner)
However Dyslexia is primarily a condition which affects the squencing of letters so reading, writing, and spelling are the major areas where dyslexia affects.
If you feel your lack of ability in maths is primarily the result of an underlying disability rather than the result of poor teaching, lack of effort or application then maybe you are suffering from
The British Dyslexia Association - Dyscalculia (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=6&url=http%3A//www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/extra331.html&ei=BwIOQ7reJ8nGwQHPp-mxBQ)

But I don't know if their tenner testing will cover Dyscalculia or not.

mows

25-08-2005, 10:30 PM

I don't know what education stage you're at, or whether you're at school,college or uni, but do know that usually you can be referred to an educational psychologist or specialist dyslexia teacher - normally through student services or equivalent. If you're not part of an educational establishment then normally anywhere offering adult literacy or numeracy classes (often local colleges) will be able to refer you to someone who is trained to diagnose a variety of learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia etc etc). Once you've obtained a diagnosis, quite often unis, colleges etc will provide additional support for exams - for example extra time, or use of a computer rather than having to write by hand.
My brother is very badly dyslexic, and has trouble with maths if he has to write them down, as get confused between left and right, so may add things in the wrong sequence or similar, although has no problem grasping the concepts.
Even if you're not diagnosed dyslexic, often colleges and unis will make extra provision if you have particular difficulties which mitigate against good exam performance...
Hope that helps, and best of luck...mows

Zziggi

25-08-2005, 11:19 PM

I want to know how about getting assessed for dyslexia. Although I am academic I struggle with exams and although I do get some high marks its not easy. I have never got a mark above E for GCSE maths and in lessons were fine. Conversely I am brilliant at spelling. Does this mean I might not be dyslexic.

If numbers are a problem more than spelling i think it is called "discalculor". My cousin was "diagnosed" with this at secondary school and got additional help with Maths.

It depends on your age about how you would get ''diagnosed''. If you were school age then this can be arranged through a school. If you are 16+ then this might be more tricky. I was ''diagnosed'' when i was 17 (in full-time FE) when a teacher commented to me about my spelling (11 years of schooling and no-one had said a dicky-bird!). This was 1992 so things may have changed. As i was 16+ i had to go via my GP (for some reason) he referred me to a clinical psychologist (not an educational psy) who did the dyslexia tests and said i had it and a reading age of an 11 year old (which i found very embarrassing). I went on to higher education and took further exams. Every 3 years i had to have the dyslexia test re-done for exam boards to accept the dyslexia statement so i got extra time in formal exams. Later on this was done free through the adult education dept. where i was taking the exams. So i suppose the way of getting tested depends. If you are post 16, are you in FE/HE? taking adult education courses? if so maybe approach them as they may find ways of getting you tested through them (and probably for free). I believe there are dyslexia institutes who will do testing but at a cost.

BTW dyslexia does not make you thick. I had a real hang up when i saw written in black and white my reading age was an 11 year old. However it is the difference between your reading ability and your oral ability which is a good indicator of dyslexia.

jazzyjustlaw

25-08-2005, 11:53 PM

I am 33 and I have a Business Law Degree. I am currently about to take my level 6 Ilex (i.e. to be a Legal Exec) as I could not afford the LPC to become a Solicitor so aim to be a Legal Exec for 5 years and save money to do LPC.

I get by with exams but I do well in assigments and in class but really badly in exams - I always have been. I did really well in RSA Numeracy got 80% but couldnt get above an E in GCSE Maths so I dont understand. I really get distressed about it. The harder I try the worse I become. At school I was in set two for maths after every exam they put me in the bottom set which was 5 and then after a week put me back up to set two as I was clever in class but crap in exams. I feel so distressed about it I feel like i hate myself. I want to do better.

elisebutt65

26-08-2005, 12:36 AM

That's me to a 'T'!!! Been doing a degree for Marketing Mgt - Yr 2 starts soon, but previously did Yr1 of the HND - Got Student of the Yr award for it - Yeay!!!

However - my exams always let me down - big time!! I get A's or Distinctions on the classwork and assignments but B's max on the exams - it's like my brain can't hold in the information!!! I find revising a real struggle as well - I can only do 20 mins at a time before i have to go and do something to let my brain let off steam - IYKWIM?

Thing is with a 'vocational' subject - ie - you have to relate the studies to the real world - why exams??? I bet I never use the theory when I'm out in the world of work - isn't knowing how to do the job enough????

Prudent

27-08-2005, 5:19 PM

jazzyjustlaw

27-08-2005, 11:31 PM

A full assessment for Dyslexia can cost around £300. The British Dyslexia association has a checklist on their website that might help you assess whether you are likely to be dyslexic. See: http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/

Thanks, I did the checklist and ticked yes to 9 but only 4 were on the 12 important. I think I am dyslexic but i am not sure about paying £330.00 which is what I have been quoted. I think that is a lot of money. I do to mind paying to find out but that seems a lot to me and then what? I do not see how anyone can help me.

Prudent

28-08-2005, 10:32 AM

I agree it is a large amount of money.
If you are taking exams you may get help, extra time or additional marks allowance if you are dyslexic. It may also mean that when a course makes entry requirements they take into account you have specific difficulties that do not reflect your overall abilty.
I live in Scotland and there can be a fair bit of regional variation in provisions for testing for dyslexia, so can't really help with your local situation.

Be aware also that not everyone will take on board the recommendations that come out of privately done assessments.

I am certain my own daughter is dyslexic. I am a teacher of special needs and have done all the screening tesing with her. I am having a long and frustrating time getting the LEA to agree to get an assessment done. I suggested to them I would get it done privately and they refused to recognise private testing. However fortunately new legistation is just kicking in here and they can no longer refuse to get an assessment done themselves.

NixNoo

20-06-2006, 11:39 AM

Anyone know of a good chat room for adults with dyslexia? Been searching and can't seem to find much. :confused:

Thanks in advance.
Nix

kindanice

20-06-2006, 2:53 PM

Have you tried www.beingdyslexic.co.uk? They have a forum on there.

HTH

NixNoo

20-06-2006, 3:41 PM

Thanks Kindanice - you are as your username suggests!

Jimney

26-07-2006, 10:13 AM

nenya

26-07-2006, 10:16 AM

The school your sisters child goes to should be able to test the child for free, and most schools i have been to will provide free speacial classes if needs be. Or at least thats how it was a few years ago when my bro was at school and he has severe dyslexia.

Prudent

26-07-2006, 10:49 AM

Your local education authority may have a legal obligation to do testing if the parent requests it. Certainly this is the case in Scotland. One in ten of the population has a level of dyslexia - she is unlikely to get any direct financial support, but should be able to access suitbale services. Six is very young for a diagnosis, many eductaional psychologists would not consider testing until a child is 7 as children develop at different rates.

Jimney

26-07-2006, 11:06 AM

Thanks Nenya & Prudent I will tell SIL what you said.

notakid

26-07-2006, 11:06 AM

The last post is correct in saying that the age a school will test is seven and above and you best bet is to ask the school to carry out the assessment which the ed ph.
Go to http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
They will have a list of local associations which can help fund testing and tuiton. if you are on a limited income.
I know the local association in Birmingham offers the above but it does depend n area and most assocaitions are very small and need monies themselves!

There is a good book on amazon callled Beat Dyslexia which helps teach dyslexics

janeawej

26-07-2006, 12:45 PM

To help her yourself there is a book called toe by toe it realy helps with learning sounds and recognition I think it is a bit pricey £26 when i brought it a few yrs ago but it is the best! you do approx 15 mins a night with child, at first it seems bizzarre as the words are not realy ones! but persevere it is excellent

your local ed authority should have dyslexia advisor ring up and ask to speak to them

good luck
Jane

Jimney

26-07-2006, 12:59 PM

Thanks Jane & notakid for your most helpful replies, my SIL will be really pleased with all your help.

youngie

26-07-2006, 1:31 PM

my sons are both dyslexic I had to push the school to get help but they did toe by toe was used and supplied by the school and helped my sons progress very well although niether of them is brilliant at written work they both left school with gcse passes and both hold down good jobs.
Your sister in law needs to see if the school has a SENCO at the school (special educational needs co-ordinator) and talk to them if not keep pushing the school for help even write to the board of govenors she should not have to pay to get help for her child,she needs to remind the school it will get a grant if her child is statemented

emg

26-07-2006, 6:40 PM

Every school has a SENCO and has access to a team of specialist teachers from the LEA for assessment and advice, this includes assessing for Specific Literacy Difficulties (Dyslexia) - (in my county the specialist assessment team is called the Inclusion Support Team). Each school also has access to the Educational Psychology Department.

Your sister-in-law should arrange to meet with the SENCo to discuss her concerns and find out what the SENCo plans to do to support the children. If she gets nowhere with the school then she should contact the LEA and ask for the number of the Parent Partnership Service. This is a parent advice service and can give you all the facts about what a child is entitled to and may also provide advocates to come with you to school meetings and help you write stroppy letters, etc.

I would beg your sister-in-law not to part with any money until she has exhausted the school/LEA route. All the assessments and teaching support are available through schools (but in my experience sometimes parents have to be a little bit pushy to make sure they get what they want!).

Ted_Hutchinson

26-07-2006, 7:20 PM

BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - The Omega Wave (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/articles/intelligenceandmemory/omega_three.shtml)
Food and Behaviour Research: Fatty Acids in Dyslexia, Dyspraxia ... (http://www.fabresearch.org/view_item.aspx?item_id=456)
Dyslexia Research Trust - About Dyslexia (http://www.dyslexic.org.uk/aboutdyslexia11.htm)

Research to prove the effectiveness of omega3 in helping dyslexics used Welcome to Equazen online (http://www.equazen.com/) eyeq which is 550mg epa+dha
the EPA can be changed into DHA so you need to ensure that if you decide to use a different source of omega 3 it provides and equivalent effective amount of omega 3. Many of the KIDS chewable Omega Tablets have such a small amount of omega 3 they are an expensive rip off.
Omega Juice from ZipVit Online (http://www.zipvit.com/cgi-bin/vitcart.cgi?cstart) provides 900mg EPA +600mg DHA=1.5g omega 3 for around 8p day.

tw1nklestar

26-07-2006, 7:55 PM

wellington square is also a brilliant reading scheme for children with dyslexia as they r high interest low vocab books - and with each set of books there is a cd rom so u can read the books on the pc and also do lots of activities - seen brilliant results with this scheme

janeawej

27-07-2006, 12:25 AM

they sound great anything that helps a child get interested in reading is a help

Jimney

27-07-2006, 7:43 PM

Hi everyone, spoke to my SIL today she was amazed at all the information you have given her and says thanks for all your help.

kabie

28-07-2006, 12:21 PM

My son has just moved to wellington square at school and he really loves them. He hasn't been diagnosed with dyslexia and we've had a tough time fighting the school over the whole thing but things seem to be on the right track now.

foreveryoung

30-07-2006, 2:18 AM

I am fighting with my LEA at the moment, it is not true that you cannot tell untill the age of 7 that a child is Dyslexic. I am so excuse any spelling mistakes, which is due to my own education not meeting my dyslexic needs. I have a condition called Dysgraphia and Hyperlexia. I have a photographic memory and think in pictures. The LEA have not learnt the early tell tale signs of these conditions, they have to wait untill its SOOOOOOo Obvious and usually at a loss for the child as the child needs more than the others for it to be recognised as soon as they start learning written text. As they lose the primary Educational skills needed to keep up and follow the lessons by the age of seven is discracefull. I am trying to get a public enquiry by petition about this and the damaging effects on our children. I have 5 all with photographic memories all struggling in Mainstream Education. Mainstream Education is set up to be Auditory-Sequential learning, ie: you need to be able to sit still and listen and record facts on to paper being writen neatly. Not a problem unless you are Dylexic or Dyspraxic or Deaf, then you need Visual-Spatial learning ie: you have to visualize what it is you are learning about see it take a picture, then ask about it or touch it or copy it and imprint it into your mind. A third of our school children are Visual-Spatial learners being set up to fail by suffering 2 or 3 years or more in my childrens cases through getting knowhere for a long time. It is Education Discrimination as in my family this has been a gift that through the education system has been crushed untill leaving school, some amazing potential is being lost by Educational Psychologists lying about when you can tell if a child is dyslexic or not. Knowing what I know now you can tell from when your child becomes interested in things and what things they go for. There are many excellent support groups on the net but as for the Lea or Government they want to ignor it so they dont have to change or admit they have got it wrong and they wont admit to the damage they are causing children, Only recently in 2 schools in Surrey kids committed suicide, I sat in Court with 2 other parents on friday being taken to court by the LEA because thier children were refusing to go to school or had time out, both parents were in bits, 1 son was threatening suicide he is 14 and the other a 15 year old girl had started cutting herself. Both parents are being forced to plead quilty because the LAW is a stitch up and gives no room for this to be a valid reason for a child not to be at school, the parents have no choice but to plead quilty. After talking to these parents I helped them uncover some difficulties that thier kids may be having apart from bullying was dyslexia and Auditory Processing Disorder. Again you cant get this information from the NHS or SCHOOL or your DOCTORS as they are trying to not let the cat out of the bag. Well I am gonna blow the lid off as I do not like being lied to ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN who can play chess and cards and use typing programs on the pc and more yet in class they regress !!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to have gone on so much but I am a firm believer in DYSLEXIC INTELLIGENCE these children have such potential in other areas but are being crushed and its got to stop.

ben500

30-07-2006, 2:57 AM

One thing I would recommend she do if not done already is get the childs hearing tested, many children experience learning difficulties simply because they are not hearing sounds correctly, this can sometimes be recognised in their speech also, a child that cannot hear sounds correctly will have difficulties in both reading and writing as a result and can display symptons such as dyslexia and the mythical adhd are responsible for.

blissfulbabe

30-07-2006, 7:18 AM

Has your niece sat her GCSEs yet?

If she has and is considering her next move she may want to think about her local college. Colleges are often very good at offering a thorough screening which identifies the risk of dyslexia and the learner's strengths and weakensses. Although it's not a full assessment it will make sure that your niece would get support, extra time for exams and, if your niece is planning on university, a full assessment so your niece can claim extra allowances when she starts uni.

I work in an FE college which offers excellent support for learners and it makes me so angry at the number of people who go through school and are labelled lazy or slow, when in reality they have dyslexia. Each year we identify at least 30-40 people with undiagnosed dyslexia. Over the last two years I supported a 56 year old who had been labelled unteachable and was functionally illiterate - but he's just completed a HND in Business (including writing a 4 000 word essay) and is going to uni in October. He uses speech to text software to 'write' his work and to help with proof reading and it has transformed his life.

Schools are poor at recognising dyslexia because they use a very narrow criteria for identifying dyslexia and don't seem able to recognise the organisational difficulties that it can cause.

On the other hand (and I am not insinuating this applies to your niece) I do see a sizeable number of people who want to be diagnosed with dyslexia because they are struggling with the course because it just isn't appropriate for them or they have overestimated their abilities. My favourite is the learner who wanted to be diagnosed as dyslexic because they wanted a free laptop!

If your niece is dyslexic she probably has strengths in other areas and would benefit from support to learn how to use them to help overcome her weaknesses. If she is moving on to six form/ college she and your sister should attend any open days or evenings (nearly every college will be open on the 25th August as people will have got their GCSE results) and make contact with the support/ dyslexia services to start the ball rolling ASAP.

Whatever she decides to do wish her good luck from me!

emg

30-07-2006, 9:41 AM

Foreveryoung - I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a fight to get adequate provision for your children. It's true that some LEAs are better than others at recognising and providing for special needs.

The LEA where I live have actually moved on in leaps and bounds over the past few years when it comes to recognising learning styles. The whole 'auditory, visual, kineasthetic' learning styles is a real 'buzzword' at the moment in this area. Around 20% of the population are Auditory learners and schools are starting to set-up their classrooms and design lessons to meet the needs of all the different types of learners.

Another iniative in this area is 'Dyslexia-Friendly Schools'. Schools apply for this award and are audited by experts to ensure that they are using best practise to identify and support children with Dyslexia. To get the award they have to have certain levels of staff training, procedures written into the school policy, special schemes of support available, etc.

I know this is a bit off-topic from the original post and in the past i have experienced that frustration where the LEA wont recognise difficulties until the child is older (it used to be that children had to be 2 years behind their classmates, hence being 7 before any diagnosis was made). But I just wanted to say that the future is getting brighter for these children and the knowledge and expertise in this area is increasing all the time.

You always need to be a bit wary of places that make you pay for assessment. They make their money by convincing parents that the mainstream school system cannot meet their child's needs. While I agree that some mainstream schools have a long way to go, the LEA always has a responsibility to assess a child who is not progressing as expected (and all good moneysavers should at least try the free route first!)

mclaren

31-07-2006, 12:32 AM

i too am dyslexic - found out, that alot of celebs are aswell.....

http://www.dyslexiamentor.com/famousdyslexics.php

Dyslexia is a problem but its easy to get over and around the hurdles ;)

i use a "talker" on the pc so i can hear whats there, so i dont have to attempt to strain my eyes to make out what it says (my eyes btw are 20/20 - so noboyd can say its your eyes being weak btw)

LEA should help out - if they dont, ask why not. if its down to money, then you can have fun by saying that they are refusing education needs.... etc...

Im 20, was not even diagnosed at school, doctor did, the reffered me to a psycologist type person and they done some tests to see how i was at spelling, reading and writing - then they done more tests..... so picking up dyslexia today, is easier than it was back in the late 90's :)

a myth though - is that if somboyd says they are dyslexic, people assume they cant read, write OR spell - which is wrong. if you are dyslexic, it dont mena you cant spell read or write, it means you struggle with it and you need help - but you do "fail" in one of the 3 if not more.... fail is a bad word but the only one i can think of. i cant spell or write properly, reading is poor but can make out mostbut i get very sharp headaches after about 30 words.

dont give up though ;) - the lea wll have to test them for dyslexia - bearing in mind, its more common these days due to what i said above about them not testing in the 90's as much.

now every child in primary school are tested with the teacher passing out certain work - which gets tested and analisist.

good luck :)

spud30

01-08-2006, 2:31 PM

My children are 10 and 8, and neither of them has been tested at school.

I have discussed my lad's problems with his teacher, but nothing has been done. The trouble is, he doesn't disrupt the class, so doesn't get noticed.

He also has quite bad attention problems, and often drifts off into his own little world.

I have no option but to try and help him myself. I have just bought a book called The Gift Of Dyslexia by Ron Davis, which was recommended to me.

I also have a DVD from Dore, which shows how they help people. To attend one of their centres is around £2000 for a course of treatment, but the DVD shows some of the exercises they get people doing.

tw1nklestar

01-08-2006, 4:51 PM

spud30

01-08-2006, 5:23 PM

we do not test all of the children in the school i work, however, we r vert aware of every childs needs and will put special schemes in place if we suspect problems. Children all progress at different rates and we have to give them time to mature - we use balance boards and fine motor skill activities for all children but focus more time on those we think might have potential needs. All children take part in activate (a brain gym exercise) x2 daily and all lessons plans have to be taught around vak (visual audio and hands on) and i would hope this would be the same in all schools.

Could you give some examples of activities and exercises that can help?

I have 6 weeks off with my children, and I would really like to help my son in particular as much as possible.

I already have a wobble board.

Any advice really would be appreciated. :A

rose07

02-08-2006, 8:16 PM

hi

i am dyslexic and dyspraxic, i only have found out this in the last few months, whilst at university.

it is important to spot these learning difficulties when we are young so that we can get the support we need to understand things as we are growing up, things can help like extra tuition, and sitting down and reading through things together and spending the time on the things that count.

hope this helps

take care :D

Savvy_Sue

04-08-2006, 12:10 AM

I don't know if IPSEA (http://www.ipsea.org.uk) has been mentioned: very helpful people for getting appropriate educational support. Also Education Otherwise (http://www.educationotherwise.org.uk) for those who think home schooling would help.

surfsister

04-08-2006, 7:11 AM

surfsister

04-08-2006, 7:20 AM

Hi, my sister in law thinks her 6 year old daughter may have dyslexia. She is divorced and getting working family tax credit. Thing is she has to pay £125 to get her tested and it will be £60 for special teaching if she has it. Question is can she claim any money from anywhere?

Hiya I work in a secondary school with special needs and would not recommend a private paying test as they err on the side of saying kids have dyslexia and then try to sell expensive coloured glasses. If the school refers them and they will if you insist (nicely) it will be free and much more accurate. Then they will have a statement drawn up with goals/plans and how they are to be achieved which will be reviewed annually.

Also if they are diagnosed with any form of special need ask the school how many hours the child is entitled to per week (from a teaching assistant or teacher) on an individual basis and makes sure she gets it. Keep checking poltely but firmly on a regular basis as schools will let if slide if the have more urgent probs eg badly behaved kids who demand the assistant or teachers attention continually.

Some hints to help -patient regular reading every night for just 10 mins will help tremedously, as will reinforcing simple writing eg a diary written up daily or regular letters to grandma or a penpal anything to keep up regular writng/reading. Writing shopping lists can even help with spelling.

Also they will be allowed extra time for SATS/GCSE's to allow for their special need.

Good Luck!

tw1nklestar

04-08-2006, 10:53 AM

Could you give some examples of activities and exercises that can help?

I have 6 weeks off with my children, and I would really like to help my son in particular as much as possible.

I already have a wobble board.

Any advice really would be appreciated. :A

hi spud

the types of fine motor exercises we do are - threading boards, putting pegs on a line with one hand and removing them with the other, having an a5 size piece of paper laying flat on a table and using one hand scrunch it up as small as it will go (then throwing it towards the bin lol) - gross motor skill exercises - balancing on one leg then the other - hopping - mad dancing where we march and then tap alternate ankles with opposite hand - pretending we have handpuppets and making sure they cross over the body (hard to explain) we draw lazy 8's in the air(an 8 on its side) with alternate hands - it is any cross lateral exercises really. kids see them as great fun and it keeps me fit doing the exercises with them. Bats and balls r good as well - balancing ball on the bat negotiating items on the floor - move on do doing this with an extended arm. rolling (sausage roll not forward rolls) up and down the room trying to do it in a straight line. throwing bean bags into hoops - gradually increasing the distance. hope these ideas help

foreveryoung

01-09-2006, 12:18 AM

I have been researching the many definitions of Dyslexia, and why some have it worse or others who have struggled to adapt and keep up without the correct help.
Its quite amazing how the brain processes information, using ALL our sences to get enough information to identify things, MASS, sounds, smell, what it looks like or feels like etc. Then we get the sence of it and understand it, hopefully.
In Dyslexics, as I am and my 5 children, not all of the sensors are working properly, There is a neurological reason for my dyslexia, I have Dysgraphia, I have hearing problems, I also find it difficult to read black on white, I have only one clear focusing eye, I cannot learn through phonics I have to picture the whole word, as I have to see it in my head to make sence of it. I could do with only talking in keywords and leave all the it, the, of, to words 330 of them I cant picture out of the conversation.
I have 2 daughters who mirror right and kept trying to read from right to left. 1 daughter who is extremely intelligent but just cant get her hands to do what she wants them to when trying to write, no matter how hard she tries she cant make her writing smaller. However she can touch type quicker than others can write.
To be able to recieve the same information as the rest of the mainstream children, it has to be presented in an entirely different way. It has to be presented in way that childs sensors can process, My children need to be taught as if you were teaching a deaf person, Visual information, my children cannot sit in a classroom and process Auditory-Sequential information, I taught my children chess by drawing a diagramme showing moves and sat and played with them for a while and it wasnt long before they got the hang of the moves. No need for Auditory messaging, simple but effective quick way of teaching children who struggle with the written text or Auditory messaging process.

pollyanna24

05-06-2007, 8:37 AM

My bf was diagnosed as a dyslexic when he was about 10/11 years old. He is now 27. He has applied for a few jobs where you have to sit a test, and they will give extra time if you are a proven dyslexic. However, we don't really talk to his parents and have no way to prove that he is. After 17 years or so, is there somewhere I can write to for this certificate, maybe a education authority or council or something?

Thanks in advance.

KizzyK

05-06-2007, 11:14 AM

I think he'll have to get re tested. I got tested 3 years ago (at college) and now my uni wants a new report.

pollyanna24

05-06-2007, 11:48 AM

Oh, really? Ooh, that's a bit annoying. Is this something that has to be paid for?

hardpressed

05-06-2007, 8:41 PM

Would it be on his medical records or is it an educational thing? Perhaps he could contact his old school and ask their advice.

looneyleo

06-06-2007, 9:10 AM

It might be worth contacting the Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Institute. These are usually the organisations that carry out assessments and they may still have your OH records on file??? Might be worth a try. Otherwise, you could ask them how much it would be for another assessment. They could also offer support to your OH and often have funding for different initiatives so it would be a good place to start.

spoilt BUT appreciate it

10-06-2007, 9:19 PM

Not that it's anything to be ashamed off, but I feel that he should just be believed as why would you say you were... if you're not?

I suppose the extra time in the test... but really how silly

lil_me

10-06-2007, 10:39 PM

http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/ met a lady from this charity recently, they are very helpful, might be worth contacting.

If he was officially diagnosed then there should be a report in his medical and school records really. A GP could maybe provide a letter to confirm to show at interviews.

That charity also do full assesments, these are usually a few hundred pounds but they can sometimes offer support depending on what funding they have.

eira

11-06-2007, 1:29 PM

Ask for his school records-contact the school he attended or the LEA-he is entitled to these. Dyslexia tests are horrifically expensive. If he joins a local college for a course (could be anything ) and mentions the dyslexia he should get a test for free-colleges get extra money for this so they are quite keen to do them

spoilt BUT appreciate it

11-06-2007, 3:23 PM

http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/ A GP could maybe provide a letter to confirm to show at interviews.

If I asked my doctor to do a letter it would cost £40 .. :confused: not something you ideally probably want to do just for the Interview (test) but always an option I suppose ..

xxdeebeexx

06-07-2007, 7:36 PM

My husband and older son are both dyslexic and, because of so many pointers, believe that my younger son is dyslexic too.

I have not had my younger boy assessed officially (costs £300) but the SEN for the borough assessed him for me and concluded that he was not dyslexic as
1) He could thread beads!
2) He was not sufficiently behind to suggest it and,
3) to have discovered so many coping strategies by himself would indicate that he would have to be incredibly clever. (Heaven forbid, that couldn't possibly be the case now could it!)

The SEN is not allowed to do an IQ test which I believe is an essential part of the diagnosis.

My older boy has an IQ in the top 1% of the population (figures from his dyslexia assessment)

My younger son is 9 1/2
I am completely floored. My younger boy’s end of term report is appalling.
Apparently he does not know his 2, 3, 5, or 10 times table. We have worked hard on these at home and I can't believe that the school is happy to include this failure in his report. Surely they should be looking at ways in which to help him remember them. Surely I should have been contacted earlier so that we could address this problem together. My boy has failed to reach the required standard in all areas of maths and literacy but has exceeded the targets in PE and has met them and exceeded some in Art , Science, Design....well infact everything else.

My question is.... How can I get him to remember his tables ?? Rote doesn't seem to work.

What should I do about the school (if anything)

any other suggestions, help , discussion groups, teaching techniques ????

I am frantic as things will only get tougher for him. ( I know it’s not life threatening but it will eventually affect his self esteem).
Strangely enough all his friends are very extrovert and are in the top group for maths and Literacy.

I just feel that because he is a good boy ,doesn’t fuss or cause any upset he is just left to get on …

TIA

Dx

freda

06-07-2007, 8:01 PM

In my experience:

Threading beads is dyspraxia,not dyslexia
IQ is not a factor in dyslexia.
Not remembering things is not a sign of dyslexia*Some* of the things I would look for in someone who was dyslexic:

Reluctance to read
Inability to put 'meaning' into reading out loud
Muddling up little words, i.e. missing out 'the' 'and'
Difficulty in holding pen and writing neatly
Difficulty to construct sentences, also difficulty writing longer paragraphs
Finding copying i.e. from the board, fairly easy, but creating own writing from imagination much harder
Swapping digits in maths, letters in words, b and d etc
Finding breaking down words into their individual sounds difficult
Often having excellent memory skills - especially in younger children who memorise books that they are meant to be reading in order to hide the fact they can't read them!
Difficulty in putting things in a sequence, for example wirting down what order a recipe is made etc.Regarding the times tables, try explaining to him how times tables work, so that he understands where they come from. If you think about it, times tables are just adding up. So, get out the smarties/counters and sit with him making piles of 3 on the table and adding them up. Do this in lots of different ways over a number of days - for example, drawing piles of 3, making piles of 3 stones in the garden, clapping groups of three claps etc etc till he gets the idea that 6 lots of 3 means 3+3+3+3+3+3 and so on. This approach may well work as he is good at PE etc implies he learns through *doing* things, not by reading or by rote.

There are some games on bbc online that are good for different aspects of maths - you could have a look to find some times tables ones too.

Hope this helps a bit.

BernadetteN

06-07-2007, 8:32 PM

Where do you live?

I watched a series about dyslexia a few years ago where a university lecturer was warning about simply classing literacy difficulties as dyslexia. He advocated a reading intervention scheme which is used in Cumbria, Rochdale and North Yorkshire.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/childrensservices/reading/default.asp

I was quite convinced by this lecturers arguments that dyslexic children require intensive exposure to what they are bad at rather than buying funny coloured glasses and that is what the Cumbria literacy programme is about.

My own eldest son was diagnosed with "dyspraxia" at the age of 4 which can be a useful thing in getting extra help but really I think dyslexia, dyspraxia, aspergers all contain so many similarities that I prefer to look at all these diagnoses as all one condition that manifests itself differently in each child. I can see lots of aspergers traits in our eldest son but he shows no dyslexic tendencies, whereas another child may be diagnosed as dyslexic but share many dyspraxic tendencies.

Sorry I've not been of much help. However, threading beads - that's not going to hold your son back in life is it (unless he seeks a career as a tailor)? Just point that out to the teacher.

TediousPhoenix

06-07-2007, 9:36 PM

I am 22 and dyslexic.

My experience of the educational system is dated now, but for me the schools/ educational authority did not want to provide any help for me because I was not 4 years behind, which anyone with an ounce of common sense will say is a stupid and will have a detrimental effect on any such child; it's far too late to provide help at that stage.

My school did a test on me and concluded I was not dyslexic. They were actually so incompetent - and ironic - that they even managed to spell the name of the test incorrectly. That too did not include and IQ test.

My parents paid for a diagnosis and this time it concluded I was dyslexic. The reason for the negative test regarding your son is no doubt due to available funds rather than his extended welfare; they will wash their hands of him in few years and no doubt 'have worse' children - more than likely with behavioural problems - they have to concentrate their efforts on.

My parents paid for private dyslexia lessons for me and it helped with my confidence. Only a little with the dyslexia, to be honest, but without the confidence and coping strategies there would have been no way I would have got my physics degree from Warwick.

I would say pay for the private diagnosis. Parents always know best, not teachers who will soon forget a child.

TediousPhoenix

06-07-2007, 9:47 PM

In addendum to my previous post, my brother was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (after attending a special needs school for a few years). Although he doesn't have dyslexic tendancies, it has been noted by people close to me that I have more of the 'tick boxes' of Asperger's than he does!

But never should any label be regarded a disability. I would not be who I am or have achieved what I have done without being dyslexic; I see it as a blessing in disguise. (Sort of!) Asked me that ten years ago and I would have laughed and argued, but providing an individual works ten times as hard as that of their peers they can succeed in anything they want to, provided they don't use it as an excuse.

ooobedoo

06-07-2007, 9:51 PM

Can't really help but good luck, I was 27 when I was diagnosed. I am the ultimate underachiever, he is lucky that you are his mum and are helping him so much xxx

TediousPhoenix

06-07-2007, 10:04 PM

I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, ooobedoo.

Schools used to - not sure about now - make children feel like underachievers and they left school believing this. It is *so* not the case and I get angry for all the children who didn't have parents able to fight, and fight, and fight like mine did.

I don't know you, but can assure you that you are not an ultimate underachiever.

...Reading your signature, if you use Firefox you can install an English dictionary. It underlines any word not in its dictionary that you may spelt incorrectly. I too used to be a copy/paste/Word person!

Lindyloo2

06-07-2007, 10:37 PM

smileitconfusespeople

06-07-2007, 10:53 PM

My son (aged 9) has signs if dyscalculia - like dyslexia, only for maths - and he found it impossible to remember his tables.
Last autumn I discovered a cd at this website
www.percyparker.com (http://www.percyparker.com) - it includes songs for all the tables from x2 to x12, and I have to say it has been brilliant - we play it in the car all the time. Now if he is asked a table he can quickly retrieve it from singing the song in his head. This has improved his confidence greatly and was the best £10 I've ever spent!
Even his 7 year old sister knows her tables now!

hope this is helpful - I understand how frustrating this can be, as he has no problem with all his other subjects, but his classmates tease him for being 'dumb' at maths

OMG.....i didnt know there was a medical terminiology for people that have difficulty with numers in particular sequences , :confused: even my telephone number at home i still struggle with :o im 38 and my pin no, for chip and pin etc and as for left and right i still have to look at my hands to tell which is which :eek: .People only really know about this condition with writing and reading i did well at school but i was crap at maths 8% and that was CSE but came out with 6 O 'levels:confused: :eek: ...weired hey..cant thankyou enough

THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:T :A

kolakube_

06-07-2007, 11:01 PM

deebee this site is very good http://www.dyslexics.org.uk/ it is run by the mother of a dyslexic son, she is also now a tutor and I found her very friendly in giving info and answering emails when I was trying to get some help for my sister in law and nephew who is dyslexic/asperger's. The site has got loads of free resources and articles etc too. Good luck and best wishes.

xxdeebeexx

06-07-2007, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by BernadetteN
Where do you live?

I watched a series about dyslexia a few years ago where a university lecturer was warning about simply classing literacy difficulties as dyslexia. He advocated a reading intervention scheme which is used in Cumbria, Rochdale and North Yorkshire.

Unfortunately we live in Middlesex and they have no reading intervention scheme running there.
However it seems very interesting and has given me the idea of making my sons extra reading books simple enough to breeze through so that he can gain confidence. Both my sons use the coloured overlays. They made a fantastic difference as it stopped the words from 'jumping' around.

Thank you all for your replies.

I still haven't decided whether or not to take on the school, find a private tutor or look to become my own expert or some of each.

I converted an idea from the book called 'The Gift of Dyslexia' and gave the two boys a pile of wicky stiks (coloured string covered in wax that keeps its shape when bent) and asked them to form 6x8=48. They worked in different rooms and thoroughly enjoyed the 'making' of their sum. They crafted and formed each number and carefully chose the colours (the results were amazingly different from each other). I then asked them to read out their sum and trace round the numbers at the same time. Up until bed time they could both remember that 6 8's are 48. The real test will be in the morning.

Thank you Lindyloo2 for taking the time to paste the link to Percy parker. I am definitely going to give it a try.

My parents paid for private dyslexia lessons for me and it helped with my confidence. Only a little with the dyslexia, to be honest, but without the confidence and coping strategies there would have been no way I would have got my physics degree from Warwick.

Thank you so much TediousPhoenix you have really cheered me up. Well done for gaining your degree .I don't necessarily want my boys to go to Uni, I just want them to feel comfortable in the education system. As I keep telling them 'Education gives you more choice'

he is lucky that you are his mum and are helping him so much xxx

Thank you ooobedoo the thing is I don't know which way to turn at the moment to try and put things right for him.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I need to formulate an action plan I think

Dx

loopylass

07-07-2007, 9:56 PM

Hi

Just thought i would tell you about my daughter she is 13 and has struggled most of her school life
I said to her teacher when she was 7 i thought she was dyslexic as her dad and all his brothers/sisters and 2 of his 3 nieces are
The teacher said she is very young she will grow out of putting letters/numbers back to front etc this was 1 of the many things she did and still do
I asked for an assessment but never got it, but trusted them when they said shes fine
At middle school she had extra support but i felt she needed more AGAIN i asked for an assessment and was told no so i paid for a dyslexia screening test for my daughter and it said the probability of dyslexia is high
I took the results to the SEN only to be told that the LEA teacher will not do an assessment i also told the LEA teacher i have got the SEN code of practice book which states that every parent has a right to request and get an assessment done for their child she replied your still not getting one
I asked them to do a colour screening test and they agreed and she needed colour overlays and that has helped her reading
I also told them about a book called toe by toe which i was told was very good and the SEN teacher told me she has just purchased a few copies it teaches them how to sound words and to her surprise my daughter didnt know a few of her sounds at the age of 11 and she agreed it might help and it has slightly
I also told the SEN teacher i was going to get a private assessment for my daughter and she said she wont get any extra help even if you do
My daughter has struggled through all of her school life she is going to upper school in september and she still struggle with reading and her maths is very bad she still doesnt know all her times tables she needs to use a number square for addition as working a sum out she puts the numbers back to front so the sum ends up incorrect i am very worried for her especially with exams as if the question is long and not straight to the point she wont understand it

If i had the money i would pay for private lessons but i have 4 children and money is tight i bought a book off amazon maths for the dyslexic and some things are good but again she looks at it and dont understand it really upsets me when i hear of how many children have to struggle and how many parents have to fight to get anywhere for something that should be available to help those children that struggle so they can get a better education so a better life and if they helped children in primary schools then they would have a better chance in getting somewhere when they leave school

sorry for the rant but i feel they have failed so many children and you would have thought things would have got better over the years but it seems that they put children who struggle in the bottom class and leave them because they cant be bothered to give them the extra time they need.:(

Volcano

07-07-2007, 10:22 PM

jacquij123

07-07-2007, 11:19 PM

Hi,
The bead threading that you mentioned sounds like it comes from the Dyslexia Screening Test
http://www.harcourt-uk.com/product.aspx?n=1343&s=1492&cat=1355&skey=2978&gclid=CKrok8q5lo0CFQbilAod5TL23Q

I use this in our secondary school to screen students for Dyslexia. Parts of the test cover things like short term memory, coordination, there's even one part that tests their ability to stand still. It is a very respected test that has been around for a long time.It tells you whether they are at risk of being Dyslexic. It's very hard to have someone difinitively diagnosed as Dyslexic and has to be done by someone qualified eg an Educational Psychologist, even then they tend to be very vague. It's a very difficult area, many students, as soon as they are 'labelled' use that as an excuse to not work, not saying that yours will but it is also quite common for students to be assessed as Dyslexic at one stage but then to later show no signs.

I really can't understand schools that won't assess, I suppose it is a bit of a minefield with some peope denying that it even exists but I have always found that the assessment itself can highlight areas of weakness even if the child is not at risk of dyslexia.

One company that I have come across and I was quite impressed with is DORE, may be worth a look.

Our advice for students whether diagnosed or not is really to overlearn, small steps, eg instead of trying to learn a whole times tables in one go focus on one sum, when they are confident with that add another one but keep going back to those previously learnt.

I hope some of this helps, aware it's a bit waffly.

lil_me

07-07-2007, 11:29 PM

I think I would be considering getting him assessed privately if you are still concerned, some can offer some financial assistance but not all. Many services also a private tuition service aswell. I'm on a low income but saving up so when my son is a little older (advised to wait until he is 7) he can have the assessments and tuition. I have seen such an amazing difference in children I know who have been that I am more than willing to cut spending elsewhere to help my boy.

Savvy_Sue

08-07-2007, 12:01 AM

jacquij123

08-07-2007, 12:07 AM

If you have evidence of Dyslexia from a specialist you can get extra time and even a reader and a scribe in exams. Quite complicated rules and procedures and they vary for the SATS and for things like GCSEs. I would push the school to get him assessed, there should be no need for you to pay for it. Also beware that some private places will find a way to diagnose everyone they see as Dyslexic.

BernadetteN

08-07-2007, 8:47 AM

A system of books I used for teaching dyslexic children by 'synthetic phonics':

http://www.prometheantrust.org/faq.htm

Worked very well with huge improvements in most children and easy for parents to teach at home. However you must use as often as is recommended.

Yes this is more evidence that "dyslexia" is the manifestation of children having difficulty with phonological processes ie the sounds of a language, the same findings of the research done in Cumbria with their reading intervention scheme.

The Cumbria scheme, from what I remember from the Channel 4 TV programme, uses a simple phonological test which it is claimed is far more accurate in determining those children who will have difficulty with English literacy (so it covers all poor reader, not just those who get labelled as dyslexic) than the current methods currently used in the majority of other local authorities. From what I remember the test only lasts about 15 minutes and tests children's abilities to "pick out" individual sounds in words. For those who have difficulties in doing this, these are apparently the ones who then go on to have difficulty with reading and writing, due to written English often having no relation to spoken English.

I have found this article from The Telegraph online which was written 18 months after the Channel 4 programme which featured the Cumbria reading intervention scheme. It gives a far more balanced view than the Channel 4 programme did.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml;jsessionid=FWLAJE141BY5TQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQ YIV0?xml=/health/2007/01/15/hdyslexia15.xml&page=1

Whether you agree or not about the argument over the existence of "dyslexia", this article highlights that the earlier the intervention the better and concentration on getting help for reading difficulties is far more beneficial than getting a "dyslexia" diagnosis.

However, I know what it is like myself with my dyspraxic and possibly aspergers son. They refuse to give him any extra help without a diagnosis and after 6 years of waiting for the professionals (he was actually assesed by them at age 4 as below the 5th centile with co-ordination skills which by definition is a significant delay), he was kicked of the lists for being within the norms (yes below 5% is within norms!) and now we are now looking toward at least an 18 month wait for a re-assessment, far too late for him as he is starting Grammar school in September.

TediousPhoenix

08-07-2007, 4:25 PM

For all the people here who are having problems with schools and children with specific/non-specific learning disabilities, try seeing your local MP. Talk to him/her and ask if they could write a letter to the school (if the school is being uncooperative) - you'll be surprised how helpful a school can turn.

The worse thing teachers can do is to tell parents not to worry; that they'll grow out of it. All that happens is that they are hoping for a year to pass by and then they can wash their hands of the situation. Children who struggle need help today, not later. Later is too late.

All I can say is fight, fight, fight - parents know best and know when their children need help, not the so-called professionals who only care about budgets.

TediousPhoenix

08-07-2007, 4:35 PM

BernadetteN, with regards to your son who is about to start secondary school, I would recommend that you organise a meeting with them within the first week of him starting.

I went to a grammar school in the sixth form - I didn't take the 11+ because my primary school told my parents I was average, not a high-flyer and shouldn't be put through the stress of rejection - it was the biggest mistake of my life. But when I did go into the sixth form it was clear that due to the selective nature they weren't very clued up on learning disabilities. But it also meant that they wanted to help in anyway possible, even though their expertise was limited.

Incidentally, one of my friends had Asperger's there. She went on to go to Cambridge.

ooobedoo

08-07-2007, 6:58 PM

Thank you!

I have a form from 'access to work', they are going to come out to work to see what they can do to assist me, I paid for a private assessment as I was struggling with my work(I was working as a assistant project sponsor) I am good with practical things and can talk the hind legs off a donkey but give me a block of writing and it might as well in in russian

xxdeebeexx

08-07-2007, 11:11 PM

Thank you everyone for your replies. jacquij123 the test you mentioned was exactly the one my younger son took.I have re-read the report and still uncertain of what it's saying !

kolakube_ I love that site that you recommended...there is so much on it..Thank you.

I have an action plan :-
1) Get my sons eyes checked.
2) Organise a meeting with the school to get some answers.
3) Continue with the ' multi sensory Times tables'
4) Continue with the 'easy' reading.
5) Arrange for a private assessment at the dyslexia Institute.
6) Carry on with the Eye Q omega 3 fish oils.

I know I won't be able to rest until he has been officialy assessed so I may as well get on with it ! ( I am worried that I will waste the £300.....but peace of mind is priceless)

Have I missed anything out ?
Thanks again every one

Dx

deb54

08-07-2007, 11:24 PM

hi, My daughter is dyslexic, i had her assessed athe dyslexia association in stoke it cost £200 but that was 8 years ago. im glad i had it done coz i had proof at her school that she needed help. it got her a scribe with her SATs, GCSEs and A levels, without this test she would have had no help at all. she also had the coloured dyslexic glasses, they helped too but she tends to use coloured sheets of acetate now.hope this helps

Savvy_Sue

08-07-2007, 11:30 PM

BernadetteN

09-07-2007, 7:17 AM

And Bernadette, I wouldn't wait until the first week of term, I'd be phoning them BEFORE the end of this term and asking to speak to their SENCO to discuss your concerns. AFAIK you don't need to have a diagnosis, just a 'need', in order to get help. although what constitutes a need may be open to discussion!

The SENCO at the Grammar school has known about him for a year now, but they still cannot do anything till he arrives. It's the Occupational Therapy (only one working OT for a population of over 100 000 and no-one to help her so NO assessments have been done for months on any child in East Kent and her list just gets longer) and Speech Therapy services of East Kent that I am waiting for. I'm sure the Grammar school will do all it can, unlike his current school.

ooobedoo

09-07-2007, 2:47 PM

can i ask where you got the acetate from, i want to see what colours are good for me.

xxdeebeexx

10-07-2007, 11:34 AM

can i ask where you got the acetate from, i want to see what colours are good for me.

Hi I bought my sons from Crossbow Education (http://www.crossboweducation.com/#COLOURED_OVERLAYS_FOR_READING_) and I bought a mixed pack of 5 eye level reading rulers so that we could try out all the colours. (The colours that didn't suit were later sold on Ebay)

The whole site seems really interesting.

HTH

Dx

xxdeebeexx

10-07-2007, 12:03 PM

One company that I have come across and I was quite impressed with is DORE, may be worth a look.

Hi jacquij123

Have you had any first hand experience of this company. It seems to keep cropping up in my search for answers. The only reports I can find are those that have been written by the company itself. I was really looking for an independent review. Although it's a charity the course seems very costly.

Would love to know yours or anyone elses thoughts on this.

TIA

Dx

deb54

13-07-2007, 9:43 PM

i think its best to be tested to see what colour is best for you, look for an optician who tests for it. i know stoke is probably a long way for u but i'll find the name out and let u know. i got my daughters sheets from an art shop. when she was tested they found orange was her colour but for others its purple , blue yellow. just put he acetate sheet over black type on white paper and it changes it to black on orange, purple etc.it really helped my daughter.

skintas

13-07-2007, 10:32 PM

my son has just had a sen at school, he has been diagonsed as having dyslexia. he good a good report for maths, science, pe, jsut his wrinting and reading that he has trouble with. this was diagoned last week and he is 7

TediousPhoenix

14-07-2007, 2:57 PM

If you are dyslexic and manage to over-come all the hurdles put in your way by the education system and manage to get to university, then there is a wealth of equipment and help that is thrown at you through an application of the Disabled Students' Allowance - laptop, specialist software, dictaphone etc., as well as Tintavision appointments.

Tintavision - see link below - provides coloured overlays (I think I had 3 sessions and three subsequent overlays) and aims to 'train' the person to be able to read on white paper. I found it very helpful.

It's not fair that the only true funding available for dyslexics is when a small minority reach university; it's too late by then.

http://www.tintavision.com/

loopylass

14-07-2007, 9:03 PM

With exams, you may be able to get extra time. I can't remember if my little bro did or not, but I do know he used to be allowed to write "I have dyslexia which affects my spelling and handwriting" on his exam papers. Loopy, you may find the special needs provision is better in the upper school, could be worth asking now, and also about any extra help your daughter might get in exams.

Hi
I rang up the school as soon as i knew she was accepted and they have said she will get extra help in the exams but its not the fact she cant read it its that if its a long question she will not understand it. It needs to be to the point and as her maths is really bad level2 at the age of 13 im wondering if shes got something else(cant remember what someone said it was called) as well
They have said they are not bothered about the spelling as long as they can understand what she is trying to say
im just worried she wont cope and just guess the answers and put anything down

loopylass

14-07-2007, 9:17 PM

my daughter had her colour screening test done at her school the LEA agreed to do it and now she has coloured over-lays and it has made a difference in her reading
i would advise any parent whose child is struggling to get one of these done and i wish i had not listened to the teachers when i first was concerned when my daughter was 7

My friend paid for her son to have a colour screening test in specsavers i think it was £18 for the test and £60 for the glasses

Savvy_Sue

14-07-2007, 11:48 PM

and as her maths is really bad level2 at the age of 13 im wondering if shes got something else(cant remember what someone said it was called) as welldyscalculia?

BigMummaF

15-07-2007, 8:28 AM

:mad: My family are all grown, but suffered in much the same way because of the ridiculous attitude of our LEA[local educational authority or loada effluented (r)assoles as we call them here!] I tried to get my mp involved, but because the area he covers is predominently green belt communters & I'm not one of them s/he was as much use as a chocolate fireguard!

IMHO-get hold of the latest edition of the Childrens Act, & see what it says about LEAs providing adequate & appropriate education; make a few notes on exact wording & where it appears in the Act; write a letter to the Head of your child's school, sending copies to the board of governors AND the LEA
and asking them what their policy is for SEN. Give them a deadline to reply.
eg Dear Mr Head,
Having read the Childrens Act, Section (?) I would be grateful if you would forward a copy of your policy reguarding SEN and the process you implement to assess such.
I look forward to your reply within 21 days from the date of this letter.

When you get the reply/ies, do the same again requesting your child be considered for an LEA Statement for Educational Needs, as stated in Section (?) paragraph (?) by another date-eg end of the September term.

If they still don't want to play fair, threaten them with High Court Action, the media, Court of Human Rights & removing your child from school to educate at home. THE LAW SAYS A CHILD MUST RECIEVE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN A PARTICULAR BUILDING!
There used to be a very good organisation called Education Elsewhere to help with home tutoring if you are interested in that route.

I wish you the very best of luck, & dearly wished I knew as much then as I have found out since. Each child is a precious individual with a mind that will not and should not, conform to Government Policies.

jacquij123

15-07-2007, 12:27 PM

Anyone that is really concerned that their child may have a special need that requires a Statement can apply themselves to the Local Authority for a Statuatory Assessment. Every LA has to provide a Parent Partnership to help and advise parents and they will go into school with you for meetings. Ring up the LA and they should be able to give you the number.
There's also

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/

who have loads of advice and case studies and campaign for better support for children with SEN.

xxdeebeexx

15-07-2007, 8:33 PM

One company that I have come across and I was quite impressed with is DORE, may be worth a look.

Have you had first hand experience of children/adults using the Dore programme? I'm quite intereste in this.

TIA

Dx

poppyscorner

17-11-2007, 11:13 AM

Hi everyone,

I am not after medical advice of any sort but the child in question has been suspected of having dyslexia for about a year she moved to a new school for autumn term and it has also flagged up here the mum says they are bringing in an educational psychologist but says that school asked about homelife and mum told school that they are tip toing around as if they raise their voices she can't handle it allegedly school said that if child was dyslexic that would explain the temper personally I would disagree but tbh I havent really got a clue.

Dont know whether to point out or not this child is my stepdaughter and my DH is going to go to school next week as he wants to be involved in school life and not just rely on the ex as she is known to bend the truth !

So does anybody have any experience of these matters and generally what is going to happen

Thanks
Poppy x

msmicawber

17-11-2007, 11:49 AM

It's a few years ago now, but my son was assessed by an Ed. Psch. for dyslexia. She spent about an hour with him at school going through a battery of tests and talking to him. He didn't find it upsetting or difficult. Afterwards she wrote a report confirming the diagnosis and making recommendations for what assistance he should get from the school and at home.

I don't quite understand some of your post - does the little girl have a lot of temper tantrums at school, and is the school trying to establish the cause of this? It could very well be related to her educational problems as she may be very frustrated. It just sounds as though the school is trying to provide support and wanting/needing to know exactly what support is required.

poppyscorner

17-11-2007, 12:15 PM

msmicawber

17-11-2007, 1:12 PM

Thanks, Poppy. Poor little soul, though this sounds as though it could well be positive for her.

I can't find my son's report at the moment, but I remember that it included remarks about his low self-esteem and how the Ed. Psych. believed this to be related to his inability to do things that his peers could do and his awareness that he was different. Your step-daughter may well be offered other support - such as counselling - as well as assistance in class to help her get over whatever is causing her this pain.

She's had a lot happen in her short life, so probably feels insecure. From memory, the assessment is intended to look at all and anything that can impede their educational success - physical, mental or emotional. I wouldn't worry about it as it looks as though the school is keen to help. I had to fight with the school to get my son assessed and to provide the support recommended and have come across more parents who have those sorts of problems than parents reporting strong support from primary schools. Secondary schools tend to be more pro-active, though I appreciate that's a bit of a sweeping generalisation based on anecdotal evidence.

Mojisola

17-11-2007, 5:17 PM

A lot of children do have behaviour/emotional problems as a result of the frustration of not being able to do school work. The child is usually well aware that they are not able to make sense of squiggly lines that their friends can interpret quite easily! If the behaviour only shows at home, maybe there is some taunting going on about her not being able to read.

It's brilliant that the school is being pro-active. It's much more usual to hear of parents having to fight to get their child's problems looked at.

The Ed Psych will do a series of tests which will show which areas in particular your stepdaughter has problems with. For some things, like comprehension, my son was years ahead of his age group; for others, like spelling, he was well behind. She will probably enjoy the tests - they'll be things like puzzles (putting things in order), some spellings, a bit of reading and some writing.

Learn as much as you can about dyslexia - it will help OH and you to help his daughter. Bear in mind that because the dyslexic brain works slightly differently, dyslexics might have problems with words but are far better then the rest of us at other things. The dyslexics I know are very original thinkers, often artistic in some form, have brilliant spacial perception and usually have a very quirky sense of humour! They interpret the world in a slightly different way and can often 'think outside the box' and come up with solutions to problems that the rest of us can't see.

If the tests do result in a diagnosis of dyslexia (or more likely, a 'specific learning difficulty' as most Ed Psychs seem to hate the term 'dyslexia') then remember to emphasise the positive things you can see in her. Most dyslexics have had years of feeling stupid before they get diagnosed and need some positive praise to counter all that.

Good luck and best wishes.

MadDogWoman

17-11-2007, 8:27 PM

Hi Poppy,

My DH was assessed as having Dyslexia at the age of 35!

He could write, but not spell or read at all. He went to school in the 70's and was picked on by teachers and pupils rather than given support.

But after a year of help at IDL (Indirect Dyslexia Learning) he went from nothing to a reading age of a 12 year old.

Have a look: www.idlsystem.co.uk/

By doing this he has gained confidence along with a promotion at work as he can now cope with the paperwork.

Have a look here for more information about dyslexia in general:

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

HTH

MDW

floss2

18-11-2007, 4:50 PM

low self-esteem .....inability to do things that his peers could do and his awareness that he was different.

My DS2 is 19 & has just been diagnosed as dyslexic - despite having asked for assessments at both primary & high school, it was his tutor at Uni who arranged for the testing.

The thing about low self esteem was picked up in his report, also that he has always been aware of his limitations and the restrictions it has put on him. This could well have manifested in his anger & temper tantrums as he grew up.

Don't fear the process, once diagnosis is reached procedures must be put in place to give the required help. Once a dyslexic student goes to Uni/post 16 education, they are eligible for an extra (albeit small) allowance, funding for eqipment such as laptop & specialist programs & software, and extended exams & even a scribe to write for them.

At least it is being recognised!