Dyslexia

[Hurstlandshome]

My daughter has dyslexia. She is a couple of years behind, can read and write, but simply cannot process phonics. I'm unsure how this will translate to exam results in the future.

AIBU to feel annoyed that if she were a boy her job prospects would still be pretty good; tradesmen can earn a fortune, but because she's female her options are limited?

Can anyone give me a steer on possible job routes? And before anyone says 'she can still be an electrician/plumber/builder' - I feel it's unlikely she'll go down this route.

How old is she now?

My DD with Dyslexia is 11yo and wants to work with animals. Vet is out, but loads of other options still

She's only 9, so lots of time. Just feel bad for her. I have a great job and enjoy work, and I just want the same for her.
She'd like to work with animals too :)

Why can't she do a trade because she's a girl?

I have an environmental science degree and also have dyslexia. I got a 1st class honours at uni and awarded for highest grade in my year. With now a successful career, dyslexia does not hold you back if you try. Please encourage them and drop any negativeness. It's perfect possible.

Sorry missed your last sentence.

She's 9, I think you are overthinking it.

My daughter is 13 and dyslexic amongst other things. Focus on getting her the support in school rather than getting hung up on future careers. My daughter will have a scribe, reader and 25% extra time for exams to help bridge the gap.

Primary school is tough with dyslexia because of the focus on SPAG

My 14 DS is severely dyslexic, it’s highly unlikely he’s be a tradesperson as he’s not practical like that.
I don’t know what he will do in future but I do feel like there will be opportunities for him.

I think you've got a very narrow view of what dyslexia means.

I have known teachers, counsellors, engineers, sales manager, yoga teacher to be dyslexic.

Try to stay in the present rather than worry about the future. You have no idea what her potential is yet.

This last year my DD has really flown... it took her longer to get her reading and writing, but once it clicked into place she's done a lot better than expected in Yr6.

Her father has dyslexia too. He's an Army Major, so it hasn't held him back in the long run.

How old is she? I am dyslexic and found my strength in maths and science. My daughter too. Primary was challenging for both of us but secondary was much better.

She might be very good at data analysis or coding. Anything in tech has great prospects. Or is she good with people? Succesful entrepreneurs have a disproportionately higher rate of dyslexia too.

What does she like? What kind of person is she?

My daughter needed a lot of reassurance to build her confidence as it takes a real knock during the period up to and after diagnosis.

Einstein was dyslexic! It is not an intelligence issue. She is statistically likely to be higher than average intelligence.

Plenty of dyslexics go on to careers of their choosing. What learning support does she have in place? Longer term exam access arrangements and time to develop may well help her confidence and attainment,

Sorry cross post. Primary is the most difficult. As said, focus on getting the help she needs for assessments.

I probably do have a narrow view, but my viewpoint at the moment is a child of 9 who can barely read and and write and I find it terrifying.
She has Senco support at school but it's just 'blue paper' and a little bit more time with the TA. Nothing that's making any difference.
A PP mentioned a degree and I just can't see how she'd complete that.

Perhaps I should rephrase: what jobs can people do who cannot read and write?

She's also super happy and confident - I don't let her see my concerns.

I work in a university and we have hundreds of students with dyslexia successfully graduating every year, including in medicine. Dyslexia does not necessarily have to be a barrier to any career. I would however be looking into the school senco provision and pushing for better support.

All our dd's are dyslexic and dd1 is also dyspraxic .
She has an oxbridge degree and a very high earning job at 26.
Dd2 has a first from a Russell group uni and is also high earning at 24
Dd3 is predicted all 9's in her just sat GCSE's.
They have all needed our support and help in different ways but are doing brilliantly.
Don't write her off at 9 years old.
Ours couldn't spell / do phonics for toffee at that age but have excelled in high school.
She can also do any trade she wants , why write stuff off because she's a girl !!!

Has she had an EP assessment and an EHCP? Senco sounds a bit lacking but it is way too young to assume the worst.

She can’t read and write now, not to say she never will be able to?
can you afford outside of school support and go back to school and fight for more support, Ed psych to say what she needs to help her reach her potential. I know it’s really hard but try to be more positive, think about all the things your daughter can do. Praise her and do those things, then praise her for trying the things she struggles with.

I am dyslexic, there was a lot of negativity surrounding what I could not do at school, rather than focusing on what I could do then praise and encouragement to boost confidence which then translated to the things I struggled with, it made me want to try harder - with the correct support of course. This was 30 years ago though so things have moved on since then. My nephew is also severely dyslexic and I think my youngest son is too. I went to dyslexia summer schools, camps, etc. My mum spent a lot of time with me, my sister used lots of online resources and pays a specialist tutor - they go without stuff to pay for some of this.

I wanted to be a nurse, I was told I would never get the grades, I could never achieve that. However I worked very hard, it took me longer than others - did an access course to get in and I worked in a residential home to get experience pre applying. I have now been a nurse for 16 years. I have a son with Asd and adhd so I know what it’s like to fight for your child and what they need, it’s mentally and emotionally draining, but I hope your daughter gets the help and support she needs to succeed in whatever she wants to do.

Honestly OP when I went to school and highschool, they did not have any care about special needs. I went through school thinking I was stupid and spent most of time ignored by teachers. I grew up with shitty manual jobs thinking I was worthless. Midlife I wanted more people said I would not hack uni.

Uni identified my needs during a foundation course, and it changed my life. Please understand some of us develop alot slower and need more time, but that does not mean we do not have potential. I still sometimes feel like a fraud but my employer values me and my grades cannot be taken away.

Your daughter has a bright future if she wants it and is encouraged to work hard.

Your DD will be able to read and write with the correct support.

Ask the SENDCO to refer to your LAs dyslexia service (if they have one).

Get an Ed psych assessment to see exactly where your DDs strengths and weaknesses are - a private one will be much more comprehensive than an LA commissioned one. It’s very difficult to get an LA Ed psych assessment at the moment.

If your DD isn’t getting the level of support she needs then consider applying for an EHCP.

You could also consider sending your DD to a dyslexia specialist school. My DS goes to one, it’s amazing. DS is funded by the LA it’s private) and is provided with a taxi.

My DS2 is 19 & severely dyslexic, really struggled at school, he left school with one GCSE. He has got a brilliant work ethic and works in a specialist area of business tech that really interests him. He is doing really, really well. Honestly try not to stress, I was very worried about my DS and it was completely unnecessary. Once he found his niche he hasn’t looked back, the skills he has (all self taught) mean to can earn well and no one in the area he works in are interested in exam results, more the case of can you do it or not. It requires a lot of trial & error and creative thinking.

My DS couldn't read at 8, he was diagnosed and had extra learning support.
Once his reading improved at about 11 his academic levels sky rocketed!
He is doing Chemistry, Biology, Geography and Maths A levels at a very academic school and is predicted A's and A*'s.
He learned to read using whole word recognition and just learns in a different way.
We now say his dyslexia is his super power!

Has she got other learning disabilities? I ask because plenty of people with dyslexia go on into higher education and professional careers. Yes dyslexia makes life harder (through the academic years) but unless she has other difficulties I'd say don't write off her job prospects just yet! The most important strategies for her:
1)keep the reading going through the holidays, keep it short 10 mins a day is enough
2) get her to write a diary everyday through the holidays (again keep it short and stick photos in or let her do some drawings)
3) make sure her work is rewarded (ie do 10mins writing and I'll take you to the park/ get you an ice cream / play a game with you etc)
Set a timer so she doesn't go over the time.
4) make sure she has everything she needs before she starts so she doesn't distract herself!
5) make sure there is a clear space for to work (I know this can be really hard, but if you don't have a table, have a look at using a camping table)
6)encourage, encourage, encourage
7) don't give up....if one day she's really struggling shorten the 10 mins to 5.
It's so so important to keep these skills up over the six week summer holiday.
Finally it's estimated that 1 in 5 children are dyslexic, and most of those children will go on into good careers.
(I know plenty of dyslexic professionals so try not to worry) as she gets older there are techniques she can use to help her manage her dyslexia, particularly for exams, the most important aspect is getting it recognised and having extra time in her exams when she starts doing mocks.

I'm dyslexic and didn't learn to read until I was 8.
I have several degrees including a RG one.

My dsis had a scribe at her exams, again a couple of degrees, chartered in her field and senior job.

Being dyslexic is a pain, particularly at school but it doesn't mean you can't succeed either academically or in the world of work.

He learned to read using whole word recognition and just learns in a different way.

I also learned to read this way.