How can your child is dyslexic? What flags would signal an assessment?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

And what interventions are available then?

Tia

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Sorry. Having trouble with language myself tonight.

[Zelandia]

The interventions aren't specially for dyslexia.

The interventions are for the symptoms your child presents with.

Poor reading, spelling, memory, organisation.......

Is it reading you're concerned about? Or something else?

School should do an intervention for a child with reading problems whether or not you've paid an EP to tell the school they have dyslexia.

There are a variety of reading interventions. All the modern ones are based on phonics. Which is how school is now meant to be teaching all kids to read.

[ateacherwrites]

Try this if you're looking for help and books.

Everything you'll ever need to support your child with dyslexia

Yes, get an assessment. The earlier the better.

[zaphod]

With my ds the teacher felt he should assessed because of his disruptive behaviour in class. At least that's what he told us. Ds would also add words to sentences he read, or miss out words, but always get the jist of what he was reading Hle would score well below what was expected of him in standardised english tests. And he was 8 years old which they have to be before they can say he is dyslexic.

None of this was obvious to us at the time, but once he was assessed it was clear that he was clever enough to hide his reading problem from us, but iit was stressing him, because suddenlyhe was struggling with his reading and writing when the rest of the class was not. Thus the bad behaviour.

Since then it's like a weight fell from his shoulders. He always behaves in class now, and gets the help he needs.

I don't know what the English situatiion is, but we had to get him assessed privately because our school is only allowed so many assessments a year, based on need, and we would have waited at least a year.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Yes, he adds words to sentences and often reads words backwards and sometimes can't see the blends in words though he's brilliant at them when isolated.

Reading with him is such a struggle though I don't know if he finds it hard or just has had lack of practise.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

It's the reading I'm specifically worried about Zelandia. Though I do know it relates to organisational and memory problems too.

I wish my Dad was still alive. He had severe dyslexia and was a senior lecturer in a teacher training college.

[smee]

Starlight, if your dad was then it's a strong bet I'd think. My son was assessed last year when he was in year 3, so he was just 8 when diagnosed. His teacher suggested it to us, but we were lucky as she was dyslexic herself so recognised the signs. It's helped DS a lot to know why he's a bit different to a lot of his friends and us too as his advocates.

Have you heard of Meares Irlen Syndrome? It affects a lot of dyslexic children, though you don't have to be dyslexic to have it. Ask your son what he sees when he looks at a page of text - ie do the words stay still, or move? I'd never heard of it, so was a bit blown away when my son told me words were zinging all over the place. He now wears special tinted glasses, which change the light frequency and the words have stopped moving. Makes reading a whole lot easier!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Tbh smee, Ds has got quite a few things going on. But I'm more into solutions than explanations iykwim.

[ateacherwrites]

Dyslexic students often get 25% extra time in exams.

I'd highly recommend this book on mindmaps too.

I raised a student from a grade D to an A at AS-Level using mind maps. We also talked through questions (rather than getting him to just read from the textbook). As a parent, the more you talk, getting your child to ask and answer questions, the better.

The school is not going to provide a magic cure, unfortunately.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Starlight
The coloured glasses or overlays may well be one of the solutions that's why smee suggested it.

The Sound Foundations reading schemes like Dancing Bears can help with developing reading skills
www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/

DS1 did Toe by Toe (another scheme) which does help but is a bit dull.

Both work on phonics and have an element of overlearning i.e. multiple reinforcements of letter sounds etc.

I assume you have also had his eyes checked as DS1 was also mildly astigmatic which seemed to add to his problems with finding his place on the page so if he was copying some text you would sometimes get a random word from the line above or below inserted.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Sorry should have added
For some children typing can help and using cursive script can assist (one suggestion is that it helps the child see the word as an interconnected unit rather than a random collection of letters but it may just be that the lead in to writing letters like b and d are so different in cursive script that you are less likely to mix them up).

[smee]

Yes, chaz I did suggest the eye thing it a possible - obviously it's not a cure, but it's helped my DS hugely.

Pushing for an Ed Psych report in full is helpful, as not only will it tell you if your son's dyslexic, but in a way more interestingly it tells you strengths/ weaknesses and a lot about how their mind works, so enables you to find targeted ways to help them develop.

[mrz]

A child can be a good reader and still be dyslexic and they can be a struggling reader and not be dyslexic.
Reading and writing words backwards isn't in itself an indication of dyslexia.

www.nasentraining.org.uk/primary-training/

anniemurphypaul.com/2013/02/the-link-between-dyslexia-and-the-way-the-brain-encodes-sounds/?utm_source=Brilliant%3A+The+New+Science+of+Smart+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2f66bf2505-Brilliant_Report_16_1_2012&utm_medium=email#

[auntevil]

Hello Star
Yes you need a BO dx. You need to know exactly at what point things go wrong or you could be wasting time and money on interventions that would not be of greatest benefit.
DS1 has dyslexia. He totally gets phonics, can write and recognise all his letters (poorly - but that's the dyspraxia). His weakness is eye convergence. The letters jump over the page and he gets lost, so re-reads words, misses out words, loses place, guesses so the text makes sense instead of reading the words written - consequently doesn't always get the correct meaning.
Like your DS, in isolation, words are fine.
Irlens lenses have worked brilliantly. He makes 3 times fewer mistakes in reading random/nonsense text with the lenses. Lenses you have to pay for, but you can get tested on the NHS and they can check as to whether this course of action is constructive for you. They provide colour overlays free and check the choice of colour is the right one.
One of the ex posters on SNMN also can let you have computer programmes free of charge to help with convergence issues.
Simple things like clear perspex/plastic with a permanent black line on it to go over work to keep place helps. You can also make one bookmark shape to go in reading books.
The usual sitting facing screen/whiteboard so there is the minimum of movement.
Visual distraction. Uncluttered work area.
Sensible sized font - ask the CT to get the TA to enlarge.
There are lots of things that the CT can put in place to help the work provided to be more easily read.

[KimBayliss]

Hello all,
You can often tell if a child has Irlens syndrome if whilst they read they get tired or sore eyes - eyes watering is a giveaway, so is talking about painful eyes after a while. You can change the background colours on computers (WORD docs especially) and see if he finds any of them easier to read - it's quick and free, so worth a try.

auntevil - this might be worth a look if your child skips or re-reads lines.

[horsemadmom]

Add to this- Is your DC ambidextrous? DD had poor convergence which was quickly corrected by a behavioural optometrist and her reading took off like a rocket (actually became an obsessive reader within 6 months of dx!). She still has plenty of dyslexia hallmarks, though. The biggest is being ambidextrous which is kinda cool but also means that she is 'wired' in a dyslexic way. Doesn't do linear thinking. Can't cope with a chaotic visual enviornment. Has never mastered left and right. Can't do ball sports as she changes her raquette/batting/throwing side too frequently.
I would also add that a patterned background will make the print disappear. I spent a fortune having books scanned and having visual noise on the pages erased. DD's old school just didn't understand why it was so important to have crisp print. Also, using plain card to cover up as DC reads is really useful. Keep an eye out for graph work- this can be a problem as the info is presented in a way that demands visual organisation that your DC might not have.
Don't panic- most dyslexics are very bright and coping with it makes them very determined and resilient people.