Child tax credit & dyslexia

leese2504

Just a quick question, I have spoken to the Dyslexia association and they have confirmed it is recognised as a disability. My question is I have an 8 year old daughter who is Dyslexic with english and maths, she is falling further and further behind the rest of her peers, I want to help her out with some private lessons but I am in debt at the moment and currently on a DMP. Am I entitled to more Tax Credits because she is recognised as having a disability?

Thanks in advance x

[Deleted User]

You will only receive the disabled element of CTC if your daughter receives DLA or is registered blind.

kazzah

you are unlikely to meet the criteria for claiming DLA as it is paid for how the persons disability affects their ability to CARE for themselves, specifically eating, washing, dressing, toiletting etc
unfortunately your daughter has a learning disability which would not necessarily meet those criteria.

Have you thought of approaching your local Education Authority to see if they can offer any additional tutoring?

Oldernotwiser

You really should address this with the SENCO at your daughter's school, where special provision should be made for children with dyslexia. They should offer her ongoing support through her school career rather than just a few lessons so she can "catch up".

If she's genuinely dyslexic it's not something that's going to go away and as soon as you can get her into the system the better.

leese2504

Thanks so much for your replies, I have spoken to my daughters teacher this morning, he was no help at all!! My daughter has been diagnosed with dyslexia but he states nobody who teachers her specialises in Dyslexia and she just gets extra reading help. Her reading is actually really good, she is struggling more with her maths ( discalcula ) and some english, but her teacher says until she falls further behind she wont get any extra help!!!! Any suggestions who I can speak to for further info? She is being kept behind this year thus leaving all her friends behind, so her confidence is going to be knocked even further!

alwaysonthego_2

As ONW says you need to speak to the SENCO, there should be one at your child's school.

Vicky123

Does she have a statement?
If not then ask to have her assessed.
Vicky

Oldernotwiser

leese2504 wrote: »

Thanks so much for your replies, I have spoken to my daughters teacher this morning, he was no help at all!! My daughter has been diagnosed with dyslexia but he states nobody who teachers her specialises in Dyslexia and she just gets extra reading help.

I'm very puzzled by this response. As your daughter's at primary school she'll normally only be taught by the class teacher (ie him!) so what you've quoted him as saying makes no sense at all!

Who has diagnosed her as having dyslexia and what has been the school's involvement in this diagnosis? Have you discussed things with the SENCO at all or have you just spoken to the class teacher?

Vicky123

Diagnosis does not automatically kick start the statementing process, school should really have done this but there is a move towards phasing out statements, most likely because they are legal bound to provide whatever is included.
They can still be issued though and you yourself should request an assesment although if she is a good reader as you state then they most likely will refuse to statement as dyslexic.
You can challenge that through the tribunal process.
Vicky

bitsandpieces

Yes - get a statement, if you haven't already. If the school doesn't have anyone who can provide appropriate support that's not your daughter's fault: the school should look to get someone in.

The Dyslexia Association (or CAB) would be good places to try for advice on getting appropriate support put in place.

pandora205

I think you need to follow this up with the SENCo as other have suggested. In my local authority, the definition of dyslexia that we use is 'a severe and persistent difficulty with word reading and/or spelling' despite appropriate learning opportunities. These would include additional small group or within class support in literacy, possibly individual support and this documented through a Individual Education Plan. We would expect that the school had used evidence-based approaches to support, such as Sounds-Write or Precision teaching alongside multi-sensory work. Is this in place? Is the difficulty 'severe and persistent'. What sort of reading and spelling levels does your child have?

With regard to advice to request a statement of special educational needs as a means of acquiring additional resources, this is for the 2% of children with the most severe difficulties and the expectation would be that schools had supported from their resources prior to this being carried out. The threshold for carrying out a statutory assessment in most authorities is quite low in terms of curriculum functioning, as the definition of SEN is in relation to learning.