To be gutted that the school just told me DD is moderately to severely dyslexic.

[Whatnowffs]

Unreasonable because I already knew (she is 7) and she is actually very bright so with the right help we should be able to do well, her best, its all i want really.

But now i have this "diagnosis" I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the information (that i stuck my head in the sand and ignored really up until now) that is out there.

The teacher said i "could" have a private assesment done but it would cost £350 and be a waste of money as it woudlnt change their approach. I can't actually afford it anyway but may qualify for help???

We are to have an official meeting with the SENCO as this was the teacher taking me to one side and letting me know, she is to have an individual education plan? This is a good thing i think?

I know i shouldn't be gutted really, I now have confirmation of what i have known all along but maybe i was hoping that DD was just a "slow developer" and would catch up without intervention. Now i know that she is going to face significant difficulties with her learning and I am at a loss as to how to help her.

Looking for a kick up the bum really

No you'll need a specialist

See here

dyslexic - not dyspraxic - I'll ask for my post to be deleted.

Good question ouryve. Who diagnosed your dd?

I think when you hear a diagnosis about your dc it takes time to get your head round it. It can also be hard explaining things to family members who can have their head buried in the sand.

The individual educational plan will be helpful. One thing that took me a while to take on board is the new route your dc will be going down at school which you weren't expecting or were in denial about.

Teachers and senco just talk about it as if it is second nature while I found it emotionally draining. However, when I did get my head round things I realised that you want to grab everything that is on offer. In the early days you might think it is good that the school doesn't think your dd needs x or y because then the learning disability isn't that bad. As time goes on you start thinking hang on a minute x would be good for my dd and start challenging things.

Hearing success stories of other dcs with dyslexia will help enormously.

A behavioural optometrist might be useful, as will the Special Needs board.

Einstein was dyslexic :)

I have dyslexia and managed fab gcse and a levels and a degree - as did my sister.

She may get extra time and possibly a laptop to do her exams.

There are some fab learning techniques that can help.

I also think a grammar school is a great place to be - I went to a private school and feel that the smaller class sizes really helped.

We don't know Einstein was dyslexic. Sorry, snapping, but that one really annoys me.

FWIW, OP, I think the people on the special needs board might be able to talk to you about whether a formal diagnosis now is worth it or not. This is just anecdotal, but I wasn't diagnosed until 13 and my brother wasn't until (IIRC) about ten - and you might find the SENCO has already worked out what to do for her without you needing to worry more about which label she ends up with.

I'm partly saying this because I am not sure, but if you did it now, it's possible it'd have to be done again before 11 plus anyway. I can't remember how it works for children but it used to be that you needed a diagnosis that was pretty recent. I'm just saying because if money's an issue it might matter!

It's hard I know but the positives are that she will get the help she needs now and her confidence should stay in tact. Can I add that my sister has very high level of dyslexia and has just completed the first year of her degree (with lots of support)

I really wouldn't pay for an assessment. If you have the money pay for a good tutor instead, from dyslexia action or otherwise experienced and qualified.

There is a website Being Dyslexic which has a lot of useful information. Lots of very successful people are dyslexic.

BTW being dyslexic doesn't stop you reading a 700 page book in a week. My niece is, wasn't diagnosed until she was 13 and got to Oxford. My DD is and has read all the Hunger Games, its just hard for her to persevere if not highly motivated.

Sorry lrd - that was what the chap who assessed me told me and it stuck with me - it was really positive as a child to think that someone so clever was dyslexic - oh well off to beat myself round the head with a dictionary.

Noo! Sorry, don't feel like that.

It just annoys me so much - there are loads of really bright people who we know are dyslexic, but Einstein is trotted out all the time by people who say 'oh, he was dyslexic/autistic/dyspraxic'. It just makes me cross - we're not idiots, we don't need some made-up role model.

I'd rather think of Ben Zephaniah, who is dyslexic and a poet, or Eddie Izzard who is absolutely fantastic and very funny talking about overcoming his dyslexia. In fact I think both of them have said dyslexia is what made them into the people they are - they are both amazingly talented and in areas that when you're 7 and struggling to read, might seem impossible.

No don't worry :) I have never even questioned it - just blindly believed it - it helped me as I was 13/14 when diagnosed and at a private school which wouldn't have let me in if I had known. Everyone was ultra bright and competitive so Einstein worked for me. I have looked it up now on Google :)

My sister had just started the same school and was tested when I had the diagnosis. My little bro was too but it turned out he was actually a genius (ridiculously high iq) with a bad attitude to authority - he is a Dr of physics now

Nice for your brother! And for you and your sisters.

It looks as if you and I had quite a similar experience - I was 13 when I was diagnosed and my school were really surprised (despite the fact my mum had been saying for ages she was pretty sure I had it - in runs in my family). It didn't seem to occur to them it might have explained my awful spelling/writing!

It's a good club to be in, IMO.

It will be a bit of a shock to you - we never want our DC to have any difficulties in life - we want everything to be smooth sailing for them.

Thought I'd just tell you about my 27 yr old DS - DX with dyslexia in primary school. He couldn't read until he was nine, struggled with other aspects of learning which people with dyslexia often find hard - times tables, sequencing telling the time, foreign languages etc. etc.

But on the flip side of the coin he is a wonderful creative, kind, funny person.
When he left school he worked as an actor, - got his equity card a 17, set up his own theatre company which he ran successfully for several years and was a director in residence at a local theatre.

He still does theatre work, but has now moved into education, he teaches at a prison - english, drama (he wrote and directed a play for the prisoners to perform a few months ago.) Also employability skills, literacy, IT and other subjects. he's been put in charge of a specially formed arts department at the prison, - for the prisoners to work towards a special arts medal. He also works with the very psychiatrically disturbed prisoners, doing drama and english with them, and is now hoping to do a degree in psychology as he is so interested in this area.

I'm immensely proud of him. Although he found dyslexia a frustrating and hard thing to live with initially, he now feels it is what makes him who he is. People with dyslexia are often very creative. I don't see my DS's dyslexia as a disability, he has great abilities and skills, but in a society that stresses written skills, he was seen as having difficulties in his earlier years. Now he is grown up and can use a spell check on his computer, can type instead of write, can use a calculator and a digital watch, the great people skills and creative skills he has can come to the fore and aren't hidden by the things he finds harder.

There will be challenges for your DD and for you as she grows up. But do not despair, she will find her niche and discover her own skills and abilities.

ouryve please don't worry, I was concerned when DD was younger that she is dyspraxic but i don't think she is, but i agree with you, i think it needs to be properly diagniosed. My cousins son is dyspraxic with hypermobility so i know it can be difficult. Im grateful for all of the posts made with advice, thankyou x

I'd definitely say to nurture her talents. DH is dyslexic but it's given him positives too. He's a new media designer, he spacial awareness is brilliant at giving him insight into complex problems and he's very successful. His spelling isn't great and he can't really write cheques but in his line of work, lots of people are dyslexic to one degree or another. The advent of computers, spell checking and direct debits have made things easier for him.

He is 'lucky' in that he has lots of positives from his dyslexia and not many negatives.