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Dyslexia but can read...?

14 replies

lucysnowe · 17/02/2017 12:45

Hi all DD diagnosed with ASD also is very VERY behind in writing. She will write some maths answers at school and type a bit but pretty much everything is scribed. For a while I have thought it is 'just' dysgraphia but more recently I have been worried about her reading as well - she seems to about average but never reads at home (I am not forcing her because of the ASD) and her spelling is abysmal. She was slow to learn to read but not super slow IYSWIM. She was recently diagnosed with convergence insufficiency which we are following up but generally I am wondering about dyslexia as well - wondering if I am missing the obvious?

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Spongesecret008 · 17/02/2017 14:14

I paid for a private assessment for my ds because I wasn't sure what was going on. My DS has ASD, dysgraphia and dyslexia with the dysgraphia being the thing that will hold him back most. He has a fine motor difficulty so getting him to type is a slow process. His reading is coming along since he was diagnosed. I think the report really helped the school understand him.

Can you get a dyslexia assessment through your dd's school. My DS would have been assessed this year at school but I decided to get it done last year. We are in Scotland. I know all schools are different.

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lucysnowe · 17/02/2017 16:17

Hi Sponge thanks! Your DS sounds v similar to DD. She has a lot of behavioural issues too keeping her out of the classroom but I think the mere thought of having to write causes big problems! I did an online test and lots of things seem to fit. It's just that she seems to be able to blend OK and doesn't mix up letters (except when writing). School have been helpful RE behaviour, but much less so when writing is concerned...

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Waitingforsleep · 17/02/2017 19:37

My Dd has dysgraphia and I was told that is why she cannot spell.. Can't rem why though!

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Ineedmorepatience · 17/02/2017 20:05

When Dd3 was tested by a dyslexia specialist, he felt that her difficulties were part of her Asd, the way she processes language, her motivation, her sensory issues, anxiety, hypermobility and probably other stuff all affect how she learns, how she produces work and what she produces!

Hope that helps.

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lucysnowe · 18/02/2017 13:43

Thanks for the replies :) ineed, did DD3 test positive for dyslexia itself or was it just put under the ASD umbrella?

Ye, I am sure it is all connected in our case! DD avoids classwork because of the writing, but also because of the bustle/group work etc. She fidgets because of the ASD etc but that also affects her writing! I am considering an OT looking at her too, but I am not sure what I am trying to gain, I guess. Does your DD3 have mobile stuff in the classroom, weighted stuff for eg?

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Spongesecret008 · 21/02/2017 22:52

My DS was assessed by an ot. The ot also went into his school to watch him and made suggestions. I did find it beneficial. My DS uses to avoid writing but he has had alot of support in this area and he is doing alot better. He chooses to write now but it is tiring for him. My DS is 8. He was diagnosed at 4 and received alot of support at school with his school work which has really helped. How old is your DD?

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Ineedmorepatience · 21/02/2017 23:26

Hi again @lucysnowe when using the discrepancy model Dd3 tests positive for dyslexia because her verbal comprehension is on the 86th centile but her written expression is on the 1st or2nd centile with a negligible difference between 2 separate tests 6 months apart.

But the Rose report which looked into dyslexia raised the issue of phonological awareness in dyslexia and Dd3 scored average in that area!

She does not have a diagnosis of dyslexia.

She is quite complex to be honest but writing is a really big problem for her!

Hope that makes sense and helps.

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lucysnowe · 23/02/2017 17:24

Hi sponge thanks! She is 8. I did suggest an OT to school but they didn't seem to be that keen! They are really focused on her behaviour at the mo but it is clear as I say that her dysgraphia makes things worse for her. It looks like I need to push this a bit.

Ineed: haha that kind of makes sense! it sounds like DD is very similar. She reads as I say fairly fluently but she can read a word a thousand times but still not be able to spell it. The other day she asked me how to spell 'take' which scared me a bit. The teachers say overall she is average, but impossible to test, because only written stuff can be measured...

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Spongesecret008 · 24/02/2017 13:36

I am really worried about spelling. My ds did some written homework yesterday and the spelling was awful. I then asked him to type it on his word processor using word prediction and he ended up with some homework that looked very nice with words correctly spelled. Do you think using word prediction is a good thing or bad thing when it comes to spelling? There is no way I could tell him how many words he had spelled wrongly when he wrote it. That would have been far too critical thats why I asked him to type it. How do you deal with spelling? I am struggling

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lucysnowe · 25/02/2017 17:56

I think it is vital TBH. There are also grammar apps etc you can get these days which I think DD will need. I take heart in my DH's experience. He also has terribly difficulty writing but once he was able use a word processor he went from basically the bottom of the class to the top. Now he has a PHD and spends much of his work time writing v long emails!

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lucysnowe · 25/02/2017 17:56

When I say vital, I mean word prediction, not spelling! :)

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Spongesecret008 · 25/02/2017 19:00

It is good to know that using a word processor is a positive thing. I was wondering if I was giving up too easily with the writing and spelling but I can see he is doing much better with the word processor. Your husband has done amazingly well. It gives me hope for DS.

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lucysnowe · 26/02/2017 16:26

Yes I have the same worries! part of me is wondering how on earth I can help her handwriting - and wondering if I am missing something obvious! but another part of me is just waiting/hoping for when she can just use computers at school. I am still going to look at how to help handwriting - mostly because I have done very little so far (!!), focusing on behaviour at the mo - but I am aware that, well, she clearly has inherited her father's genes on this score and it may be hard to get beyond that. Personally I think she is twice exceptional (because I am a fond mother haha) so I do hope that at some point she is going to find her way of expression and it will make things a whole lot easier for her. Sponge if you see what I mean I am glad I am not the only one worrying about this! :)

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Spongesecret008 · 28/02/2017 13:26

I do know what you mean. It feels reassuring to not be the only person with these worries. I hope you can discuss your concerns with the school and they can put your mind at rest. Ds's school have been very supportive about his handwriting problems. I think the problem is so bad that they have had no choice but to be supportive. It is more difficult to access help when the dc is passing as ok. I find that I can not get much support for ds socially eg in the playground because he manages to blend in and always look ok even when he is not.

I hope you can get a dyslexia assessment for your dd if you think that would help her. It is always difficult knowing what to do for the best.

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