Dyslexia and learning to read.

[JollyPirate]

Not sure whether or not to put this in special needs or here.

DS has had problems with reading and writing ever since he started school to thre extent that he is now very low about both - his self esteem is shot to pieces about it all.

Recently we saw a community paediatrician for the first time and today his assessment letter has come suggesting 1. Dyslexia. 2. Dyspraxia. 3.Social Communication Disorder.

Is there anything MNers would recommend trying to help with the reading? I have some theraputty for finger exercises (he has hyperflexion) to try and strengthen muscles for handwriting.

He has been referred into the Social Communication Group and I am awaiting the first appointment for that.

The OT is going in to see DS at school today and noticed last week that when DS copied out a word he totsally missed out one letter and seemed unable to see that he had done so. Awaiting an optometry appointment as well now!

[ChazsBarmyArmy]

How old is your DS? DS1 is 6 in Yr2 and reading below his chronological age. I have started working through Toe by Toe with him (its a structured reading programme) and the difference is noticable. We started in Sept and his level of fluency has improved noticably. He has moved up from just about managing ORT4 in Sept to ORT 6-7 now. He has even started to read simple books by himself in bed without being asked. Its not a magic bullet but rather a lot of repetition of the basic sounds that make up words that gives kids the building blocks to read. DS1 still has to be reminded to read every letter in a word, has to think about d versus b and sometimes will read half of one word and half of the word below it in a list.
There are some other similar books like "stareway to spelling"
See this page on amazon

[bruffin]

Has he been taught synthetic phonics? DH and DS both have problems with word recognition. DH was 10 before he learnt to read once they finally stopped insisting on Look and Say. DS was taught jolly or synthetic phonics from the very beginning and reads really well. However DS still can't spell and can spell the same word differently 3 times on the same page.

DS also had a problem copying from a board as he would forget what he was copying between looking at the board and looking down at the paper.

[bruffin]

School used Stareway to Spelling with DS as well but he was 10 in YR5 so a bit older.