To want my child assessed for dyslexia?

[dancestomyowntune]

Dd2 is 5 and a half, in year 1. She has several symptoms indicative to me of dyslexia and I want her assessed. We have a lot of dyslexia in the family (my brother, and my dh in particular) and I can see the signs in her. She mirror writes, is ambidextrous and struggles with copying things down in particular. I have bought this up at two parents evenings now and the school keep fobbing me off with "if she still does it in three months we'll assess it again".

I am now getting increasingly concerned as she doesn't want from other to go to school on a regular basis. Comparing her work to her peers she is definitely struggling and I want it sorted sooner rather than later I she needs assistance.

Her teacher said yes, she is showing signs but they can't do anything about it until she is three years behind the national average. That seems ludicrous to me!

AIBU to push for some answers and where do I start?

My DS is in yr 4 and only now are they starting to assess him.

I'm a teacher and would disagree with "three years behind national average". I would never assess a child before the age of 7 though, despite family history. There's lots of development to still take place.

I think you're concentrating on the wring thing.

Assessing her won't make a lot of practical difference - it's just a piece of paper confirming what you know anyway.

I'd concentrate on getting her the actual help she needs in school. If she's struggling then I'd be looking for a little bit of extra help each week - some reading or writing practice maybe.

What particular difficulties does she have? In what way could the school better support her? Better to have a open minded conversation with her teacher about this.

I'm more concerned by the fact that she doesn't want to go to school. All my other children love school and it is increasingly becoming a battle to get her to go. She is intelligent, but it is becoming more and more obvious that she is struggling with written work in particular.

I asked every yr from yr 2 onwards for my Dd2 to be assessed for dyslexia. She was eventually assessed and diagnosed when she was 17 after starting a sixth form college where every student is screened for dyslexia!

Do not sit back and rely on the school, keep on if you are worried.
You might get more help on the special needs children board.

Good luck

I don't know any school who will assess before 7.

How will a dyslexia assessment make her want to go to school?

If you think knowing she has a problem will help her, then tell her she has dyslexia.

If you don't think that will help her then what are you expecting from the assessment?

It's hard to call. At 5 my letters were sloppy, and some were backwards. I went on to be in the 98th percentile in English on my testing. I don't remember any pressure being put on me to correct my writing.

I do have dsycalculia and adhd though, so if she's showing signs of struggling, get her assessed. She might not be dyslexic, but there could be something else going on.

In the mean time, fight the school, see if your GP can help, and try to take off the pressure and assure her that everyone learns at their own pace.

My dd was assessed at school
In year 1 for dyslexia
The assesment and subsequent diagnosis helped my DD understand why she was struggling and has prompted numerous interventions in the classroom
Don't get fobbed off with your child is too young to be assessed
The sooner your child is screened the sooner they can start accessing supportive interventions
Pm me if u like
Best wishes

My LA do not assess for dyslexia....they screen. Do unless parents pay for a private diagnosis children are not being diagnosed with dyslexia. This hasn't stopped my DCs schools putting into place strategies and intervention to help my DC, though.

I know two of my DC are dyslexic. I don't need a diagnosis to tell me that. What I do need to know us what caused my DCs dyslexia.

With DS2 tinted lenses help. (He wasn't screened until y7)

DD was prescribed tinted lenses today, I'm also trying to find out if she gad difficulty processing what she hears, as "phonics haven't worked". (She was screened when she was 6...now she is 9yo she will be screened again)

Neither of these children have ever not wanted to go to school....although my very able DS1 was a school refuser.

School aren't going to listen to you atm re providing a dyslexia diagnosis, so personally I would focus on the school reluctance and funding what helps your DD... ie:dyslexi font, if helping at home with phonics helps, coloured overlays ( a behaviour optometrist may not want to prescribe tinted lenses at this age) if she is able to track words, and if she has auditory processing issues.

I was told today that my County council don't test for dyslexia but for specific learning difficulty. The SENCO told me that getting my DS screened will be a long process as they have to apply to see if he meets criteria. He is in year 2. Thankfully DS is getting an EHCP ( new statement ) which contains strategies they would use for dyslexic kids.
I would speak to the SENCO rather than the teacher to see what they can do to help.

Do pursue, but if she is diagnosed, don't let her use it as a crutch. DH had three tests, two negative and one positive. He was finally given the help he needed second year of uni and he did acknowledge he might have worked less hard if he'd been diagnosed, spent less time slogging through the reading etc.

I do think the extra time for exams, computer reading software etc are really useful, but I wouldn't worry too much for a few years yet.