Background: DS (aged nearly 8, in Y3) has always struggled with literacy. Slow, halting reading; stumbling over words; not recognising basic words; reverses letters and numbers all the time; goes to pieces in any sort of test situation such as SATS. We had some private assessments done a year ago which showed that there was an issue with the ways sees/processes information (problems with visual processing). This is particularly evident when he has to do a written comprehension exercise: he just goes to pieces. Can't comprehend how to interpret what's on the page and answer questions about it. He can't read the questions on his own, ever. His spelling is atrocious. He is not, and never has been, remotely interested in trying to read anything by himself - e.g. when we are out and about he will not try to read road signs, shop signs etc, and if he is playing a computer game he won't even try to read the instructions (unless they are simple words such as "Enter," "Stop" etc). Whenever homework is mentioned he has a complete meltdown.
He is a bright boy (I know, everyone says this about their child, but his assessment proved it! and he is engaged with what he's learning, and has a good imagination, and excels at maths - he recently got over 120 on whatever those tests are that kids take every so often, but that's because the teacher was allowed to read the questions out. On the literacy tests, when he had to read the questions himself, he scored in the 90s).
In his Y2 SATs he only achieved level 1c for literacy - and even that surprised me, given how poor his reading is.
Until a month ago he attended a small private school which had zero SEN provision. We have finally got him into a fantastic state junior school and I've had a chat with the SENCO who is a marvellous man . He rang me today to say that they have completed their initial in-school assessments of DS and he scores ABOVE AVERAGE on everything. I was completely flabergasted. What this means is that DS does not even qualify for additional one-to-one reading in school, and yet HE CANNOT READ!! He really, really can't. His reading is so slow, halting and painstaking that it is painful to listen to. His eyesight isn't great but it is fine with glasses (he has been seen by the optician and eye specialist and there is no problem there). Whenever any of his friends come round to play they can read EVERYTHING - all the homework instructions, words on the computer screen, EVERYTHING - wherease DS struggles to read level 6 books in the Ginn 360 series. (Our DD, who is in Reception, is on level 4 - she's 3 years younger than him - I'm worried that this could become a problem for him).
So - why can't he read?! Is he just lazy? Does he just not understand WHY he needs to be able to read? What do I need to ask for? How to I get him the help he needs when he apparently doesn't qualify for it? The SENCO said that they will wait for the results of the Y3 SATS (which he's taking next week) and then see what to do after that, but as things currently stand DS does not qualify for any additional help with anything. I have insisted on getting referred to whichever NHS service it is that assesses children for learning disabilities (is that the right term? and sorry I don't know exactly who we've been referred to, I find it all very confusing) so we are waiting to hear back about an appointment, although apparently the waiting list is very long.
Argh!! Four frustrating years since DS started school and he still can't read or write properly. I just don't get it, and I don't know how to help him. I'm crying tears of frustration as I type this. Could the fact that we didn't find out about his poor eyesight (we'd missed the sight test in Reception due to moving house and moving schools) until Y2 be significant?
Please help - what do we do?
Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.
SN children
Argh!! If DS isn't dyslexic, why the **** can't he read???
MrsMcEnroe · 22/05/2012 18:49
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