To think there should be special schools for dyslexic children that are free

[Reallytired]

The needs of a bright child who can't read are totally different to a child who has a low IQ and can't read are different. (Although both types of children equally deserve help.)

A profoundly dyslexic child can still learn other things to a high standard even if they cannot read. Placing a profoundly dyslexic child in a moderately learning difficulties school means the child does not get stretched at non reading activities. However if the same child is placed in a normal mainstream secondary school then they will struggle to cope with all the reading required.

Why are there not units/special schools for bright, but severely dyslexic kids?

Yes! I came across a website recently which gives lots of reasons why children with dyslexia need specialist teaching.www.xtraordinarypeople.com/

It's a real issue. Inclusion means that the children have a right to attend a schoolin their locality, with their friends. However, the government has 'talked the talk' but not provided the funding to give everything the dyslexic child needs: ie, specialist daily tuition for reading and writing, and support to access the curriculum over and above the modifications made by the classroom teacher.

Every child should be able to choose to go to the same school as their friends and neighbours, but money needs to be put into funding resources and, essentially, into training those working with such children.

There are private dyslexia schools that LEA's pay for (sometimes after a trip to a tribunal).

I doubt there are enough children in one LEA to make a community school financially viable. Dyslexia (rather frighteningly) is the SN that has meant to have benefitted most from SN policies over recent years.

True, yurt. I think for the LEA to pay for a private school though, the dyslexia has to be really severe - and often parents have to be prepared to ship their children WAAAY out of zone or even to board them.

SN is improving, but there is way too far a distance to go, it's all still muchly lumped together and precious little training is statutory in teacher training (about a day max!) although there are gov. plans to change this.

... just a thought ... a dyslexic should not be placed in a MLD school as they don't have moderate learning difficulties - ie difficulties 'across the board'; they have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) which, as you have pointed out, is primarily with the written word, but also has other difficulties and strengths with it. MLD and SpLD are funded at different rates within our county and responded to in differing ways, although many strategies used can be similar.

Oh I know and tbh dyslexia shouldn't be that difficult to cater for within a mainstream school.

I am no fan of inclusion for many children with SN though. If anyone ever suggests that ds1 should go back to a mainstream school I'll tell them where to jump.

Thanks for the link cornsilk, DH is moderately dyslexic and I've had to fight my way back onto MN!
He is part way through second MA, having had special ed support at secondary school which didn't address coping strategies at all, only got into uni (to meet me) through clearing and a driven mother!
He's currently in RAF who are surprisingly supportive and fund remedial lessons

MLD schools don't really exist in our LEA now (except at primary). The secondary MLD has turned into 'communication disorder'. There are threats to do vile things to the 2 SLD/PMLD schools. I am preparing to tie myself to some railings.

my children are all dyslexic and i want them in mainstream school. my dd who is 8 is making great progress, but we are very puchy with the school and her teachers to get her the help she needs. we bought both dd and ds1 a laptop and fought for them to be able to use it in the classroom.

agree with you totally, yurt. Inclusion works very well for many types of sen, when the funding and school ethos is right and the staff have training. However, it has to be a very good school to make it work for children with behaviour needs etc.

Or children who are non verbal and end up in a mainstream school where no-one is PECS trained

we are pushy

Wouldn't it be better to have schools for all bright kids, and make sure that dyslexic ones aren't excluded?

Agree with Ubergeekian. The trouble with singling out any sector (dyslexic, dyspraxic etc) is that you're automatically excluding others.

My DS 12 is being assessed for dyslexia at the moment. He reads well but very reluctantly. His SLD is mainly writing. He is top set and gets excellent results. Apparently the HM and the SENCO are both dyslexic, so the school is very dyslexic friendly.

My son had two ladies sharing the hours for his 1-2-1 of 15 hours a week. It was only when I pulled him out that I found that they were the --Dinner ladies- getting some extra money, with absolutly no idea of how to help him at all.

I think you are being unfair. Many "dinner ladies" are very bright people. People who do LSA work often do LSA work because it fits in with kids and many of them have degrees. Many LSAs are doing a higher level teaching assistant qualification which has 60% of the standards that a qualified teacher has to reach.

Inclusion is great when it works, but there are some children who NEED an alternative. They need a smaller enviromnent where they are name rather than a number.

Small schools usually have less facilites than larger schools. However they do have more of a family atmosphere. Some children find it really hard to cope in a school with 1500 kids.

If the classes are very small and there is plenty of LSA support then I think it would be possible to group high functioning autisic children with dyslexic children or dyspraxic children or children with anxiety problems. Provided that they are of similar intelligence and there are no major behaviour issues. Children are people rather than labels of condtions.

Discoverlife
My sister was trained as a special needs TA but used to be a dinner lady as well for some extra money. Infact she actually got a highter rate of pay for the dinnerlady part of her day than the TA part.

Ladies, These were just dinner ladies they were nice and could have been very bright, but they hadn't a clue. I would have loved it if they had been trained, but they wern't.

dyslexic children need to be taught by specially trained staff, be they teachers, dinner ladies or whatever.