For parents with children with Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, ADD, dysgraphia) what is your experience of your child's school and education?

[katieweston1996]

Hi all, I hope this is okay to post here.
I am currently studying for an MSc in Inequality and Society at the University of Sunderland. For my dissertation, I decided to research educational attainment and support (and how the latter effects the former) for those with specific learning difficulties. I chose this topic because I am a teacher with dyspraxia, so it's a really personal topic for me.
I am using a questionnaire for adults with SpLDs of their experiences through school, teachers to find out what their training is like and parents to find out how they find the current level of support in schools. I will also be interviewing adults with SpLDs and teachers.
At the moment, I am really struggling for responses from parents - something I didn't think about when planning this is, as a 24 year old, I don't actually know very many parents of school-aged children, so someone suggested I have a go posting this here.

If you do have 5 minutes to kill and are happy helping me out (the questionnaire is totally anonymous!), this is the questionnaire link: sunduni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6xmb1V6h6izESTI?fbclid=IwAR0HiSygqTaOXjvJdRfFu9j60sowJ_Vepvf2WjwQDTK5HXe6tmnyWVuRWqc

Thanks!

Katie

[Londonmummy66]

Thank you for this - so nice to see dyspraxia in the list of SpLDs - it is so often overlooked/ignored.

[katieweston1996]

@Londonmummy66

Thank you for this - so nice to see dyspraxia in the list of SpLDs - it is so often overlooked/ignored.

I have no idea whether this is the correct way to reply to comments, but I've noticed it's sometimes missing. Diagnosable dyslexia is obviously more common than diagnosable dyspraxia/other SpLDs, but I feel like it gets so overlooked. My teacher questionnaire is going to be really interesting because there is a specific question on whether some SpLDs get taken more seriously than others in their school. Also on dyspraxia specifically, I went undiagnosed until I was 21 and I can't help but wonder whether that was to do with the dyslexia and possibly ADHD focus.

[EL8888]

I’m also glad dyspraxia has been included! Funnily enough l was also diagnosed at 21 when l was at university, so quite far through my education. I never knew what l had actually had a name. I thought it was just me

[AvocadoPlant]

DD was only diagnosed with dyslexia and slow processing in Y13. It had been completely missed up to that point as she was bright & able to cover it. It was only when they started timed essays for A-level exams that they spotted the disparity between her homework/class work, and the quality of the essays produced in timed conditions.

[houselikeashed]

OP - my daughter is ASD with ADHD 'tendencies'. Does she count?

[Londonmummy66]

@katieweston1996

There was a facebook post doing the rounds for some sort of learning disabilities week - it mentioned almost every condition you could think of except dyspraxia. How can a condition be ignored even by organisations seeking to raise awareness for SpLD.

If you're doing a questionnaire for teachers can you ask them if they'd even know what to look for in a child with suspected dyspraxia as there is widespread ignorance even at SENCO level let alone in the classroom?

[EL8888]

@AvocadoPlant same. My parents used to get mixed reports at parents evening about me e.g. how amazing my reading was (first to finish the entire reading scheme) and excellent spelling. But my writing and organisational skills etc were woeful, me being left handed was offered up as a theory at one point apparently

[Lanbury]

The experience has been totally and utterly horrendous. I can only describe the whole school experience as comparable to serving a prison sentence. Constant focussing on the negatives, never any or very little positive feedback, constant barriers and hurdles. (I actually posted not long ago about yet more barriers being unable to now access college without the “magic” English and maths grades) more than happy to complete survey and I am happy that this area is being highlighted.

[AvocadoPlant]

@EL8888 that’s dreadful! I feel very angry on DDs behalf that she had to work so much harder all the time to get her grades. We’ve had a full Ed Psych assessment done now for university and it’s quite shocking and leaves me feeling both sad and guilty, at how much she had to struggle, but because she was always near the top of the class her issues weren’t spotted by any of the professionals, or by us.