Does anyone have experience of Specific Learning Difficulties being diagnosed quite late in the day, i.e. Y10/11??

Thanks chocolate, I'll ask for that. Going to get her assessed for dyspraxia as well - fits all the criteria, as far as I can see, but looks like that reduces the number of psychologists qualified to assess her. Now to pick my time to bring up the subject . . . .

dunlurking

If you do manage to persuade her to have an assessment, I would ask to have her measured with a scribe as well as on a laptop. DD's speed in dictating to a scribe was considerably faster than writing herself.

to your dd pigflew . My dd came out yesterday in tears of relief. She missed only 3 of her (over)predictions and none were disasters. But she started work revising 2 months before everyone else, and went to all extra revision sessions. So now I am in the situation where dh and dd will not see the need to pursue a diagnosis.

Copperbeech thank you for your points - really helpful to hear your analysis. I think that dd is probably that person who doesn't want to stand out as different, or seek special attention. She has said she isn't very quick on a laptop, and has avoided looking into and doing an online touch-typing course, which the SEN teacher suggested 2 years ago before she completely forgot about dd. That's helpful to know it can interfere with other developmental tasks.
Understanding there is a problem has been somewhat helpful as dd can be reminded she needs to spend more time reading and thinking about the question. So far, in this journey, she has at least discovered she needs to work harder than others. But I am a lone voice in the family wanting a formal diagnosis, so really stuck now.

Thank you IDK I'll look into that now

I'm going to be talking to dyslexia association tomorrow to arrange testing, is this the best way to do it?

I found my assessor through PATOSS (Professional Association for teachers and assessors of students with Specific Learning Difficulties). I assume that they check for all SpLD, would speaking to only the Dyslexia Association narrow down investigation too much?

Yes, DD was only diagnosed with severe dyslexia at the end of year 10. Unfortunately the lack of diagnosis had already caused massive anxiety problems. I would suggest discussing with the school why the laptop was chosen rather than having a scribe. DD was assigned a scribe and worked at a significantly quicker speed this way rather than writing herself. Unless your DS is already very fast at typing, it may be worth checking how well he would work with a scribe. Make sure that the school apply to the exam boards in plenty of time (do NOT assume that this will just happen automatically).

Dd got gcse results today. Despite thinking they'd gone well they hadn't. When she was speaking to a teacher after results they said " well you didn't have any extra support for your probable dyslexia so you've done well."

I had suspicions in primary, and also yr 8/9 that she may be dyslexic but both times school said they didn't think so and they don't test, so I stupidly believed them there was nothing to worry about. I did wonder again when she was struggling to revise but thought it was too late. To have a teacher say this to her today has me both fuming and upset. Not only have we let her down but the school were obviously aware and never spoke to us.
I'm going to be talking to dyslexia association tomorrow to arrange testing, is this the best way to do it?

yes it is very common to be diagnosed around year 12.

A few points worth keeping in mind though.

firstly, it can be very difficult for a student to have public attention called to problems and difficulties they have preferred to hide before, it is not always a relief, it can feel like an invasion of privacy.

secondly, be very careful with use of laptops, as they can be a helpful tool, but not only can students become dependent on them, over use will make hand writing deteriorate, and interfere with the maturing of organisational processes in the brain.

thirdly, a diagnosis changes nothing about he student, they still have the same difficulties and they still need the attitude that the only way of compensating is to work harder. Unfair, but true!

actually finishing exams, plus having time to check will make a huge difference.

Cart before horse! If he has processing issues with some dyspraxic traits then he needs to spend some of that extra time at the beginning of the exam to make sure that he fully understands the task being set unlike my DS who managed to misread the rubric in one exam.

his performance in class was completely at odds with his performance in tests

Like Goodbye and you OP , this was a constant refrain with DS , albeit picked up earlier than Yr 11.
The DC has to think they will benefit from e.g. laptop / extra time. The problem is as many PPs have said that DCs create coping mechanisms. In DS's case they ran out earlier than GCSE - for which ( and I would not have said it then but I will now) I am grateful. It sort of made it something not to be ignored.

My only practical advice would be

1. find out what the exam board will accept - iirc when DS was going through this, use of a laptop had to be " a normal way of working" - i.e. you can't just use one in the exam if you have handwritten all other school essays / tests.
2. Again, if I remember rightly, any laptop used for exams will not be the pupil's own laptop , it is one provided (to make sure no information which could be helpful is accessible.)
3. if a laptop is helpful then yes , being proficient at touch typing is v helpful.

Looking forward, DS is at a well respected university doing an essay based subject and is dyslexic. Plenty are in the same boat as he is. So If your daughter can get through GCSE , then ( I believe it is still the case) you still have to have a post 16 assessment to be able to use laptop etc at university. In DS's case it was a private assessment but once confirmed his particular university refunded the cost of it. (But you would need to check with the particular university) I realise I am running before I can walk there.

Yes. Dd has always underperformed in exams, with spectacular discrepancies. We finally insisted something was a problem and the school did some limited testing and agreed but the SEN teacher hasn't followed it up the last 12 months so dd hasn't had any extra time, or laptop use, in the GCSEs just done. She refused to chase up the SEN teacher and dh hasn't backed me up in getting a psych assessment. I have just about persuaded him that an underperformance in her GCSEs (today)should make us pay for a assessment.

Ds2 was not diagnosed until he was at med school, and then given his extra time, laptop etc. Had managed to not hit the radar prior to that, and i though i was quite clued in as both ds1 and 3 are also dyslexic and were getting extra time etc in school exams

Difficult, not sure he'll claim extra time at uni either and I can't really interfere.

DS ticked the box for disability. I must admit that part of the reason why I was prepared to pay for the assessment was because I knew that a SpLD would get him a free laptop support at University. I don't know if this is still the case. In his dissertation they were instructed not to dock marks for SPAG errors.

IDK what? The school didn't pay for the assessment?
Why would they? There wasn't a problem.

Yikes FB. DS had one of his tests at 5th percentile and I thought that that was bad. You'd think that someone would spot 2nd percentile a bit sooner.

Can you imagine the frustration that these lads feel - above average IQ but cannot translate it to paper.

I can see looking back at my other six DC that DS4 isn't unique in the family, he just happened to have a very astute teacher. Mine were all at an academically selective school and it's absolutely clear that at least one DS shares DS4's very significant dysgraphia - I had no experience of this stuff at all, so felt pretty remiss. DS4 still insists he's fine, doesn't need extra help etc despite the EdPsych reports (pre 16 and post 16/ Y11 and Y12) and I'd never previously said he's under performed at GCSE as it seemed a bit mean, despite him being the only DC not to get his predictions. Difficult, not sure he'll claim extra time at uni either and I can't really interfere.

Dh was diagnosed as dyslexic aged 38!....didn't read properly until he was 11 , somehow got the grades at A level to go to uni to study medicine!(1981)... only finally assessed when he couldn't pass a professional multiple choice exam- (problems with short term memory processing)

But any advice on practical matters or other thoughts would be warmly received.

Not practical advice but don't underestimate the psychological effect. It made a huge difference to DS to realise that it wasn't so much a moral failing of his but a fault in the hardwiring of his brain. Once he understood the problem then he could come to terms with it.

IDK what? The school didn't pay for the assessment?

techer isn't great :)

Yes same Fernet. It was only when the techer called me that DS said he hadn't completed and GCSE papers at all. He's bright though, so his results were all still A/ A* and so no alarm bell rang.