Dyslexic & GCSE choices?

Jo4

My God-daughter is dyslexic and has to make her gcse choices by Thursday coming, 13th March 2014, and she was asking me what gcses I thought she should keep on with a hope to becoming what. She would love to keep on art although what she could do with a gcse in art I am not quite sure. Her Mum attended her parent teacher meeting on Thursday night this week (her Dad was working and unable to make it) and the english teacher advised her that my God-daughter would only get a D in english which her mother is not impressed with and thinks it is the childs fault - although according to what I have been reading online it is normal for dyslexic students to get a grade D in english.

Can anyone tell me what her options are? BTW her two older siblings have both been to university and her mother cannot believe that my God-daughter may not go to university as well.

poet123

Presumably the student has been assessed as having Dyslexia? If so, certain specific learning aids should have been put in place. That would probably include exam concessions, which could be any/all of the following; extra time, a scribe, reader.

In the classroom she may have extra support/additional lessons/ overlays to change the colour of the background to make the text easier to read/laptop and various other strategies to help her. It is by no means a given that someone with Dyslexia cannot achieve at GCSE level.

I would ask her mum if she has had a meeting with the school to see how the issue can be addressed/is being addressed.

Many Dyslexic students do go on to University.

pollypenny

I agree with poet. However, the teacher's estimate is likely to have been based on more than her dyslexia.

susancs

Jo4 wrote: »

. She would love to keep on art although what she could do with a gcse in art I am not quite sure.

One of my DD's friend got a top grade in art at GCSE and is doing Art A level (plus other A level subjects). She wants to become an Art Therapist. She did however say that the workload for art GCSE was far more than for any of her other subjects.

Seanymph

Good grief I am absolutely amazed that this child has such little intelligent adult support around her.

Firstly if she wants to do art that's a fine and dandy subject to take - both of my daughters have Art GCSE's. However a lot of it is theory and research, it's not limited like other subjects - in that you have open ended 'projects' rather than a word limited assignment, and they both said it was exceedingly time demanding.

Secondly as a dyslexic child she can have a range of support put in place at school to gain decent grades - and WITH recognised dyslexia her poor(ish) English score will not handicap her at all!

It's a processing hiccup, not an intelligence hiccup. And with the right understanding from teaching and parenting she can achieve whatever she wants.

For the record I have one child doing a Textiles degree - because she stuck with the creative side, and one, really dyslexic daughter whose reading comprehension is unbelieveably low, well she's doing a degree in Biomedical Science.

Your god daughter has a way of understanding text which can be helped, supported, and she can be TAUGHT to access the understanding so she can achieve her potential along with everyone else in her year.

it's up to others to put the support in place that will ensure she has the same opportunity as everyone else, not to tell her she doesn't have those opportunities.

With a diagnosis she will get extra time in exams, someone to read and write for her if necessary, extra texts. (not that my daughter got any of that at GCSE)

She is probably much MORE clever than lots of kids because she will have trained her memory and learnt coping mechanisms.

My daughter wasn't diagnosed until she was 17 and doing A Levels - she got a C in English at GCSE. And she worked for that like you wouldn't believe.

For a comparison she got A's in German, Maths, statistics, PE - and B's in everything else she took.

She is severely hampered by Dyslexia - but walked away from College with A levels in Chemistry, Maths and Biology once that support was in place.

Do not restrict your Goddaughter - tell her she can still achieve every dream she is ever likely to have - but she may need to make adjustments to do it. Then make sure she has access to every scrap of support you can get for her.

Jo4

poet123 wrote: »

Presumably the student has been assessed as having Dyslexia? If so, certain specific learning aids should have been put in place. That would probably include exam concessions, which could be any/all of the following; extra time, a scribe, reader.

In the classroom she may have extra support/additional lessons/ overlays to change the colour of the background to make the text easier to read/laptop and various other strategies to help her. It is by no means a given that someone with Dyslexia cannot achieve at GCSE level.

I would ask her mum if she has had a meeting with the school to see how the issue can be addressed/is being addressed.

Many Dyslexic students do go on to University.

She was assessed as having dyslexia when she was in primary four, as far as I remember, however when she went to secondary school the support was not in place until she was there for a while. Then last year the school closed and she had to transfer to another secondary school to complete her third year of secondary education. She does not get exam concessions but apparently she will after the teacher meeting on Thursday night. She does not get a scribe or reader either. She does not get additional lessons/overlays to change the colour of the background to make the text easier to read/laptop.

She keeps looking to me for help but I just wish I knew how to help her successfully.

Jo4

susancs wrote: »

One of my DD's friend got a top grade in art at GCSE and is doing Art A level (plus other A level subjects). She wants to become an Art Therapist. She did however say that the workload for art GCSE was far more than for any of her other subjects.

Your DD's friend is right!! I did successfully complete gcse art myself and I remember the teacher had us in on Saturdays from 9am to 6pm.

Seanymph

If there is a parenting partnership or Indigo charity near you then they will help her access the help that she needs.

Jo4

Seanymph wrote: »

Good grief I am absolutely amazed that this child has such little intelligent adult support around her.

Firstly if she wants to do art that's a fine and dandy subject to take - both of my daughters have Art GCSE's. However a lot of it is theory and research, it's not limited like other subjects - in that you have open ended 'projects' rather than a word limited assignment, and they both said it was exceedingly time demanding.

Secondly as a dyslexic child she can have a range of support put in place at school to gain decent grades - and WITH recognised dyslexia her poor(ish) English score will not handicap her at all!

It's a processing hiccup, not an intelligence hiccup. And with the right understanding from teaching and parenting she can achieve whatever she wants.

For the record I have one child doing a Textiles degree - because she stuck with the creative side, and one, really dyslexic daughter whose reading comprehension is unbelieveably low, well she's doing a degree in Biomedical Science.

Your god daughter has a way of understanding text which can be helped, supported, and she can be TAUGHT to access the understanding so she can achieve her potential along with everyone else in her year.

it's up to others to put the support in place that will ensure she has the same opportunity as everyone else, not to tell her she doesn't have those opportunities.

With a diagnosis she will get extra time in exams, someone to read and write for her if necessary, extra texts. (not that my daughter got any of that at GCSE)

She is probably much MORE clever than lots of kids because she will have trained her memory and learnt coping mechanisms.

My daughter wasn't diagnosed until she was 17 and doing A Levels - she got a C in English at GCSE. And she worked for that like you wouldn't believe.

For a comparison she got A's in German, Maths, statistics, PE - and B's in everything else she took.

She is severely hampered by Dyslexia - but walked away from College with A levels in Chemistry, Maths and Biology once that support was in place.

Do not restrict your Goddaughter - tell her she can still achieve every dream she is ever likely to have - but she may need to make adjustments to do it. Then make sure she has access to every scrap of support you can get for her.

In response to "Good grief I am absolutely amazed that this child has such little intelligent adult support around her." I did clearly state I am her God-mother, not her parent.

Imho the support is not in place as I have spoken to a teacher who informed me of what support is normally available and she did say how difficult it is to get the support required.

She has the diagnosis and the english teacher said at the parent teacher meeting on Thursday night that she will get the extra time in exams she needs.

"She is probably much MORE clever than lots of kids because she will have trained her memory and learnt coping mechanisms." I do find it strange that if I tell her anything she remembers it with no problems yet apparently when others tell her things she forgets although it does not matter what has been said to her by either party.

"Do not restrict your Goddaughter - tell her she can still achieve every dream she is ever likely to have - but she may need to make adjustments to do it. Then make sure she has access to every scrap of support you can get for her." I have told her that she can achieve whatever she wants. I have told her that her dyslexia is just another hurdle she has to jump to achieve her dreams and I do compare it to how I walk around attached to a machine to keep me living so I can fight with her another day!! (Btw I don't actually fight with her before someone picks up on this - I wind her up sometimes but she knows it is only for fun). Her five year old brother has said to me that she is always looking for me and she is only happy when I am there but I do not like to visit her any more than for one hour a week as I would feel like her parents would think I am being nosey although her father has asked me to help her in the past. I do hear from her every day though as she will message me and in some of the messages she looks for me to visit.

I do want to support her hence posting on here but as I am not a parent never mind her parent I do not want to overstep the mark.

Jo4

Seanymph wrote: »

If there is a parenting partnership or Indigo charity near you then they will help her access the help that she needs.

Not as far as I know, we reside in Northern Ireland.