Dyslexia assessment for child - help needed before meeting today!

[Dljlr]

I have a meeting set up with my 8 year old son's class teacher and (hopefully) the SENCO today. He demonstrates all signs of dyslexia and is getting further and further behind. I moved him to this school at the start of this academic year after 2 years of his teachers at the last school telling me that yes, he had significant barriers to learning; no, I couldn't discuss it with them any further. It was appalling and I feel so awful and guilty for letting him down.

I've read the SEND code of practice and the graduated approach etc. and have questions prepared re: what provisions they're making for him (his class teacher has already told me he has 'significant barriers to learning', hence this meeting (that I requested, not her)) - my question is, though, are the school supposed to organise an assessment for dyslexia, or am I? I have Googled this so many times over the past year, I have read so much, and I have NEVER been clear on this point. Should I be taking him to a GP? Or do the the school do the assessment / make a request for one? I'm so confused. Can anyone advise?

Op there is a no clarity on the this point.
The help your dc receive will be dependent on so many things.
You.
The school provisions. Their budget, their senco.
Do they believe in dyslexia?
The gp, the local authority.

Spam all these places and ask what steps to move forward.

I can only go by our school which was first concern raised when he was 8. Paperwork tick box and assessments. Call to say yes he is dyslexic age 10.5.

If you don’t get anywhere, you could request an EHCP assessment from the council. The school would need to complete paperwork about his educational situation / needs, and along with the info in the request you submit they’d use this info to decide if he needs an assessment. If so, he would be seen by an educational psychologist.

If not, you can appeal. If the school have said he has significant barriers to learning that sounds like it warrants an assessment.

If he’s granted an EHCP the Ed psych would outline the steps the school need to take and they’d have to follow them.

At the meeting I would ask them to initiate the EHCP process themselves, and if they refuse say you will do it yourself. Might put a rocket up them a bit.

I’m not sure about assessment for dyslexia but hopefully someone else can advise.

Hi,

We recently made a video with the British Dyslexia Association that covers all aspects of testing, EHCP, and what responsibilities schools have to dyslexic students under the law. The bits that may interest you start around the 2.50 mark, but it might be worth watching the whole video.

Hope it helps.

If he’s been in this school since September, it’s too soon to request an EHCP. The school will need to identify the barriers to learning, plan was steps to take to make a positive difference, review and adjust the plan if necessary and refer to outside agencies for further specialist advice.

If you, as a parent, request an assessment towards an EHCP, it will be knocked back, because there will be insufficient evidence to demonstrate what the school has put in place to support your child and the difference (or not) it has made.

I would ask them what the plan is to support your child, what they think are his particular stumbling blocks, whether he is having any small group interventions or classroom support and what you can do at home to support his learning.

Thank you all so much. Work was mad today but I managed to look at your replies just before the meeting. Teacher said she thinks he's dyslexic, SENco will screen him (but she's not sure when). Several interventions are already in place and from now on he'll have a reader for maths. She said he's a little under a year behind where he ought to be in all subjects but making steady progress and gaining confidence. Fingers so much crossed he starts to thrive.