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Original poster

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

32 replies

FernetBranca · 23/08/2017 20:35

Ds has just been assessed as both needing to use a laptop for as much written work as possible going forward and also as qualifying for 25% extra time in exams. This has not come as a complete bolt from the blue but is quite a surprise (I thought his writing was just a bit rubbish Hmm but it is well beyond that ).

Is it quite unusual to get to this age and stage without something fairly major like this being discovered? The report did say it was quite common for coping strategies to get you so far but no further and working for GCSE's was clearly his tipping point.

We clearly need to spring into action, although I'm not quite sure what springing into action consists of (other than buying a laptop!) haven't yet been able to speak to his school, although this has been done via their preferred Ed Psych and I assume they will pick up the baton on this. But any advice on practical matters or other thoughts would be warmly received.

OP posts:
IDK · 23/08/2017 22:04

Yes no idea whatsoever that DS4 had any issues until sixth form when one of his teachers said his performance in class was completely at odds with his performance in tests. The school then organised an assessment which proved the teacher completely correct.

We had the totally opposite experience! I knew something wasn't right but the teachers took no notice and put it down to him being a typical boy. He didn't do as well as he should have done in GCSE but nobody seemed too bothered. He then crashed (relatively speaking) one of his best subjects at AS. I tried to talk to them again. They called my bluff and said that if I thought something was wrong then I should get him tested. So I did and was proved right. I re-read old school reports and realised that his performance in class was completely at odds with his performance in test but none of the teachers had joined the dots.
He was assessed in the autumn term of Y13, in time for the Head of Sixth Form to write a paragraph on his UCAS form to explain previous underperformance.
He has soared since the assessment and extra time.

goodbyestranger · 23/08/2017 21:49

Yes no idea whatsoever that DS4 had any issues until sixth form when one of his teachers said his performance in class was completely at odds with his performance in tests. The school then organised an assessment which proved the teacher completely correct. Very marked processing and working memory issues. Me, clueless. I just put DS's relative under performance in GCSEs down to the fact that he took them when he was 14 (summer born boy etc). Thank goodness some teachers are very alert to this stuff.

TeenTimesTwo · 23/08/2017 21:48

End y9 DD was assessed as needing a laptop, which was a massive help for her CAs (now gone of course)
Then DD got a dyspraxia diagnosis December y11. In the Jan (after her mocks) I read on here re the possibility of extra time, so wrote to the SENCO, she did whatever she had to do, and DD got extra time just in time for second mocks in March and then the GCSEs.

In the end DD used laptop for writing heavy exams (i.e. English & History) and all her CAs, but did exams for maths, science and MFLs by hand.

DD2 going into y8 has already been told she qualifies for extra time, but I guess that will need to be re-confirmed end y9. It wasn't much help in y7 though as they did all their exams/tests in lesson time, so extra time not possible then ... She is also trying to use a laptop, but her typing isn't very good yet so it isn't much help.

LoniceraJaponica · 23/08/2017 21:46

"It's not unusual, we quite regularly have students diagnosed with dyslexia in sixth form who have managed to get through GCSEs by working their arses off, but can't quite cope with the much larger demands of A-level essay writing."

This happened to my friend's daughter. She scraped through her GCSEs and was diagnosed at 6th form college. She struggled with her AS exams and is now going on to do something else.

Changerofname987654321 · 23/08/2017 21:45

I was diagnosed a few weeks before A levels and I am now a secondary teacher so I have experienced it from both sides.

Make sure you k ow what his specific issues are e.g. Essay structure, organisation or revision and help him find ways to deal with this. Make sure he is getting his extra time in all assessments in lessons. He will need to check which computer program he will use for his exam (this is often not word) and he will need to use this for all his word to make sure he is familiar with it.

Finally dyslexically inpacts on lots of areas outside of formal education so he may need extra support and encouragement.

Original poster
FernetBranca · 23/08/2017 21:35

That's very interesting, thanks. Really good idea around the extra time work in a different colour - I'll check whether the school do that. Ds says quite a few people use laptops and have extra time, so I'm assuming the school will have procedures. We are on the SENCO's radar as DS has been to her general "organisation clinics" in the past.

Interesting to hear that people get diagnosed in 6th form. Part of me is cross that we (the collective we) did not pick up on it before but at least we have the mocks as a genuine trial run, plus I suspect there will be plenty of controlled tests over the next year.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 23/08/2017 20:42

It's not unusual, we quite regularly have students diagnosed with dyslexia in sixth form who have managed to get through GCSEs by working their arses off, but can't quite cope with the much larger demands of A-level essay writing.

Get him to do an online touch-typing course to make his typing more efficient and get him to talk to his teachers about how best to make use of his extra time for their subjects. The SEN department at school should also have tips for him.

His mocks will be a good chance to put this into action and you should carefully review his performance afterwards. Usually any work done in extra time is done in a different colour so you can see how many extra marks he picks up and whether he is using his extra time effectively.

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