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Is there any point in sending a dc to school who has dyslexia?

32 replies

onlyoranges · 04/07/2018 14:58

My dc has been diagnosed with dyslexia. I am really concerned about his self esteem. I volunteer in school and when some of his peers discover his results I hear some of them whisper etc. He’s due to go to high school in a couple of years and I worry about his experience there. He works really, really hard at school but no matter how much he tries he does not reap the academic benefits. Over time that’s going to affect you isn’t it? He has a fantastic friendship group and I know they help so much by primary school and high school are different places aren’t they. I don’t imagine he will get any GCSEs so would he just be wasting his time and damaging his self esteem in the process?

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CramptonHodnet · 04/07/2018 18:34

I think you really need to talk to the SENCO at Secondary and see what help could be offered to your DS but I can sympathize.

DS has undiagnosed dyslexia and, quite likely dyscalculia, too. He was falling further and further behind in primary. We took him out and are going slowly at his pace. He probably won't go to Secondary. He'd never cope with the work load. I think he might eventually get some gcses but we won't rush things.

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Noqont · 04/07/2018 18:37

I'm wondering the same myself. I'm considering taking DD out of school and home schooling her. The school just doesn't seem to know how to support her.

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MeanTangerine · 04/07/2018 18:39

The vast majority of children with dyslexia get GCSEs. Many of them go to university and have successful professional careers. At secondary school your ds is likely to encounter staff with specialist training in teaching children with dyslexia. All be used to making reasonable adjustments to enable him to access the curriculum. He will be entitled to special arrangements to help level the playing field in exams. He will meet other children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

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MeanTangerine · 04/07/2018 18:40

*All staff should be used

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HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 04/07/2018 18:40

I don’t imagine he will get any GCSEs so would he just be wasting his time and damaging his self esteem in the process?

I appreciate you are worried but what a sad thing to say about your little boy. Thousands of children have gone to secondary school who have dyslexia and gained GCSE, A-Levels and then on to Degrees. Speak to the schools you are interested in regarding how they support children with Dyslexia, don't just write him off he's not even 11 yet.

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stormymcstormface · 04/07/2018 18:48

I have dyslexia and dyscalculia

I struggled at primary school and yes, I did get very behind

I did eventually catch up and not only did I get GCSEs I got A levels and I went to Oxbridge

Please, please, please do not make a diagnosis the end of your child’s academic career. That will be far worse for their self esteem

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LEMtheoriginal · 04/07/2018 18:53

My dd is severely dyslexic and was completely illiterate in year 5. Thanks to an amazing tutor she has just chosen her options in year 8 and has been accepted onto triple science gcse. She is working at a gcse pass grade already. She also gets fantastic support at school and is able to use a laptop rather than write notes in class.

Please dot write your ds off die to the fact he just needs to learn in a different way.

My dd says she is glad she is dyslexic as it defies how she learns and she is by far the bright spark in the family. Im so extremely proud of her

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LEMtheoriginal · 04/07/2018 18:55
  • i am not dyslexic. I just have fat fingers and a stupid phone
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Stopyourhavering64 · 04/07/2018 19:20

Dh has dyslexia ( although wasn't diagnosed until he was 38)
He has 3 University degrees and is now a highly qualified and well paid legal professional
All 3 of our dcs also have dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and have all gone to Uni ...eldest was told by SENCO at her first secondary that she'd be lucky to get a few GCSEs...she got 10, 4 A levels, an MA and has MSc from RG uni and is now better qualified than that teacher
dd2is on placement year and Ds has just finished first year at Uni
It was tough getting them support and you have to be their advocate and push like crazy in some instances, but there is a lot of support out there now....homeschooling may not give them the coping strategies and techniques that will be useful to them in future careers

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Branleuse · 05/07/2018 09:46

Are you confident you can teach your child to read and write yourself, knowing that they are dyslexic?

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Branleuse · 05/07/2018 09:48

I think this reads like youre writing your child off as if theyre not going to acheive anything at a really young age.
If your child actually enjoys school and has a decent group of friends, then id say let them try high school, because he may find his passion studying subjects at a higher level than primary.
You can always remove them if and when problems arise, without pre-empting them

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Sarahjconnor · 05/07/2018 09:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 05/07/2018 09:54

Sounds like you’ve written him off already.

Don’t confuse dyslexia with intelligence. Many (most) dyslexic children are more than capable of gaining GCSEs, A levels and degrees. My own son has dyslexia and doing very well in year 7. In fact his just got an award for Science. We adapt some of his learning techniques so he’s reaching his full potential.

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bruffin · 05/07/2018 09:56

Ds is dyslexic, was in top sets for everything and came out with ABB at A level.
No eay eould HE have been right for him, he got so much from school.

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BlankTimes · 05/07/2018 09:58

Looks as though you don't understand what his dx means.

You can always look for specialist provision for dyslexia.

www.crested.org.uk/register.html

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LadysFingers · 05/07/2018 10:02

One of our GPs has dyslexia!

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Branleuse · 05/07/2018 10:03

How do you determine that a guinea pig has dyslexia?

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notenoughbottletonight · 05/07/2018 10:10

Your child just needs the right support in school. Dyslexia is no reason not to go to school. My 11 year old ds is dyslexic and has just achieved level 4's in his SAT's. Yes he's behind his year group and is going into an ALN class in high school this September but at no point have I envisaged him not getting any GCSE's!

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Cadencia · 05/07/2018 10:16

My brother is dyslexic and struggled to learn to read in primary school. He ended up with good A levels and a degree.

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onlyoranges · 05/07/2018 10:17

Thank you for your replies. I knew I would get a wide range of reponses. We haven’t written him off after the recent diagnosis we are gathering information. I understand academic achievement is a small part of who a person is. My dh runs a large successful company and does not have any qualifications. We are trying to work out what’s best for him. Can I ask does anyone apart from crampton HE? His sister was very badly bullied at school to the point we worked with CAHMs for sometime. It was heartbreaking and that’s affected my perspective. His friendship group is amazing and he has good friends but I am worried what will happen at high school. He hates school and some days begs not to go in. I just want him to be happy.

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Noqont · 05/07/2018 10:46

There is a home school Facebook group for children with dyslexia. And a very active homeschool FB group as well. Sadly a lot of children are home schooled because of educational needs such as dyslexia, which some schools put down to laziness, inability, etc which often simply isn't the truth.
Many dyslexics simply can't cope with mainstream schooling unless the school have the knowledge and desire to put the right support in place to make sure these children learn in a way appropriate to them.
On the plus side, many home schooled children do extremely well and often go to university. But it is a big commitment. Obviously. If you want me to give you details of the groups I can message you. As you can see, I'm very close to taking my DD out of school in order to help her catch up through 1:1 homeschooling.

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PositivelyPERF · 05/07/2018 13:29

Don’t lose faith in your child’s future, OP. I know how worrying it is, when you see your child struggling and how you can convince yourself, at times, that their future educational/employment looks bleak. He will find his way, and you can help him. Good luck to you and your boy.

My middle boy struggled all through school and as a result, hated it and acted up. Not to the the point of being a bully or rude to teachers, but just mischievous. He has very severe dyslexia and also has dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADD. He explained to me that he has to read a paragraph a few times, in order to make sure he has read it properly. He said that he would read a paragraph, then reread it and it would seem as if someone has changed the words as it would say something completely different, than it did when first read.

He went to college to study computers, left uni with a first and after a year of work has just landed an excellent job in a very well known fashion company, earning £35000, plus bonus a year. That’s a good very good wage for the area he will live and work. He’s just turned 24. It wasn’t easy for him as he had to revise more than most and I also lost my husband during his uni time.

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Merryhobnobs · 05/07/2018 13:36

My husband is dyslexic. He was diagnosed later and had hit and miss support in his school. Some teachers understood. Others (1 in particular) did not and wrote him off as stupid. He had a really good group of friends at school and is still friends with them. He's also excelled at university and has stayed in academia and is now a senior lecturer at one of the most respected universities in the UK. I wouldn't write your son or school off before he has had a chance.

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Auntpetunia2015 · 05/07/2018 13:38

My ds got diagnosed when he was 9 he’s got As and Bs in his GCSE’s 3 alevels and has just finished his 1st year at university where he is doing of all things Script writing!!

Speak to the school senco, you should get plenty of support.

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Crazybunnylady123 · 05/07/2018 13:45

I think that he should go to school, he will cope with it. He needs to mix with other kids his own age and learn to deal with life. If you find a good school he may thrive. I say this as someone who was bullied extensively at school and hated it.

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