To be annoyed my mum doesn't have any of my 'proof' of Dyslexia

[dyslexi]

I think I am being unreasonable.

But I am really annoyed with my mum for not keeping any of my dyslexic reports from when I was diagnosed in yr 7.

She has given me most of my other important documents which thankfully she did keep. Other bits I now have would also be nearly impossible to replace.

I'm in my 30s and looking to do some professional exams. I could use the extra exam support but I can't prove I deserve it.

More of a rant.

AIBU? She should have kept it right? She has secretary course certs she did in circa 1986 so she does keep things

For learning difficulties it’s common to need a reassessment when you’re an adult, to verify the diagnosis. I had this for both autism and dyspraxia, the university arranged it and I kept the assessments. For my type 1 diabetes the proof just comes from
the GP as it’s a medical diagnosis not a learning difficulty

Just get tested if you need a diagnosis. Absurd to make this your mother's responsibility.

I had the same issue and ended up having to be re assessed!! It's really frustrating.
I contacted EA and they get rid of files when the person turns 28.

My GP was not contacted and it is not added to my medical record.

It’s unlikely to be registered with the gp as it’s an educational diagnosis not medical. I’m interested to read of people who do have this registered, I hope that’s helpful.

Nb, Whilst 7 is early, it’s not a hard rule as a baseline age for assessment although it’s not generally recommended to diagnose younger. A dyslexia diagnosis is lifelong (like t1 diabetes is). Reassessment can be required as needs change (not the diagnosis but how it affects the person). Strictly speaking for Uni purposes and DSA, a diagnosis from any age is permitted (subject to assessor qualifications), although the University itself might want an update for other reasons. Professional associations also may want an update.

I hope you find an answer and can access the support you need for your test.

I’ve been assessing for many years and have trained a great number of specialist assessors. It’s a wonderful job - wishing the poster in training all the very best too.

It should be on your medical record. There is a code for it in the system and it should be used. It is a diagnosed condition.

It’s a really valid point about the GP record. As assessors, we don’t write to tell the GP and I don’t think there’s a formal process for self-reporting. I’ll raise it with the professional association.

The GP letter would be more applicable to other types of disability. For a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, the third type of evidence listed is the relevant one.

Having any sort of disability or learning difficulty doesn’t automatically entitle you to exam access arrangements. With some types of disability, the need will be obvious. For example, if you have restricted use of your hands, you might need to type rather than hand write, or use voice-activated software or use a scribe. But if you are a wheelchair user, you may not need any special arrangements during the exam (other than an accessible room).

It’s even more cloudy with specific learning difficulties. Some people with dyslexia may need extra time, for example, but some may not. It wouldn’t be reasonable to give the same access arrangements to every single student with dyslexia, when that diagnosis covers such a wide range of needs and difficulties. And there will be people who don’t have dyslexia who also work slowly and would also benefit from extra time. It would be very unfair to give extra time to someone with dyslexia who is able to work at average speed but not to a non-dyslexic slow worker.

This is where a diagnostic assessment is needed. This identifies the specific needs and whether the candidate is working at a significant disadvantage compared to the average candidate. And that assessment needs to be reasonably up to date.

I've worked in this sort of area in universities for over a decade. You would need a report from over the age of 16 (ideally over 18, depending on where you were educated) to be given additional support. Presumably the professional qualifications are being taken via a HEI or equivalent? If so reach out to their disability support service and see if you can arrange a screening.

Just a note to say that the requirement for a report aged 16+ was changed a few years ago for DSA purposes, under the auspices of Student Finance England. A full diagnostic report from any age could be used subject to the assessor having APC or being an HCPC registered Ed psych. I know that’s not the OP’s point but am aware that other posters may be reading for their own info.

My DD has dyslexia - I don't have any proof.

YABU.

Just ask for the adjustments- they should accept this and certainly not require reports from your childhood.

My experience the NHS and GPs have nothing to do with Dyslexia assessments, they view it as a learning disorder but not a medical disability.

ASD and ADHD are both classed as medical disabilities.

The OPis referring to dyslexia. It is this that requires a post age16 report for the purpose of DSA and support at universities.

I would assume a medical condition would not need the same if their is a GP or consultant report detailing it.

You can get an up to date report from an educational psychologist.

I don’t know any dyslexics that read and write at average speed, or anywhere close to even a slow non-dyslexic speed.

Thank you! I raised my dyspraxia with my GP after a chronic weakness on one side was identified by a physio following a couple of falls. Obviously nothing on my records as it was diagnosed during a dyslexia assessment with an ed psych. However, after telling him he still didn’t put it on my record because it was a learning disability and not relevant.

Funnily enough, for 20 years I thought I had dyspraxia in my hand only as it was described to me as the reason why I have bad handwriting. It was the physio who explained what it was and suggested I read up about it.

I think you are being a little bit unreasonable.

I would like to think I would keep something like that safe, and can understand why you think she have, but I can also understand how it has been lost.

Technology has moved on in that time, but either you or your mum could have taken copies or scanned it in the last 10 years or so.

My understanding is that a diagnosis issued now is valid through to university and employment, but I can understand that recommendations etc given in a report given to a child, may not be the same ones that are needed when they are an adult. Technology moves on and things recommended as an adult, may not have existed when the person was a child.

It may not be ready in time, but I would look at getting a private diagnosis. They can vary in price depending on who is providing it, but can start from around about £3/400 upwards. Depending on who your employer is and your role, it could also be something they could arrange provision of. If requested, they should make reasonable adjustments based on the contents anyway.

Good luck in your exams

You are being unreasonable because you need a diagnosis post 18 to apply for any adaptions.

I can't speak for other HEIs but we definitely require a diagnostic report aged 16+ to get the AEAs set up once the student is joining us, but like I said we also have an on site team to do the official assessments. They then let my team know the specific arrangements that we need to put in place.

Whether they can use an older report when applying for student finance and DSA is irrelevant in terms of accessing support for their studies.

@cardboard33 if a new assessment is needed does that mean that some people are no longer dyslexic once they become adults? I def don't feel as dyslexic as I used to but I think a large part of that is down to spell check. My sentence structure can leave a bit to be desired. But having worked on myself for years and studied the way that I can I have been pretty successful. I've got to the final point of doing professional accountancy exams

You don’t “grow out” of dyslexia but you can (and it sounds like you have) learn strategies to manage it more effectively. And the difficulties are always situation dependent, so the sort of things you have to do as an adult may not give you as much of a problem as schoolwork, with it’s emphasis on hand-writing essays to a time limit, for example.

I work in a University (may not be the route you’re going through for exams) and we have an Accessibility team who you’d register with for support with exams. They typically need to see evidence of learning difficulties/additional needs but our Uni is also really good and helps you get these tests externally. My point is, seek help from the source of where you’re studying, not maintaining a grudge against your mother for not keeping something from twenty years ago which probably wouldn’t be sufficient evidence now to support you

@EKnaring it's a professional accountancy board they really don't care. Which is fine. That was pretty much the attitude when I was finishing A Levels and at Uni circa 2010 I know things have moved on. I'm not holding a grudge against my mum at all about it! It's just frustrating. She says she wouldn't have thrown it out that it 'must be somewhere' she has a concertina file which is where I found my other documents, including the follow up documents from the dyslexic school.

@HeddaGarbled hand written English essays were my nightmare! These exams are typed which is a huge help. I can type clearly quickly, unless I concentrate really hard my hand writing is shocking

@cardboard33 thanks. That’s a helpful note as some universities require this updated evidence, although not all do.

@EKnaring thats what I advise my assesses, as it reflects such variability across providers.

As has been said, it's not that you become "less" dyslexic, it's more that as the years have passed there are different ways of a) assessing dyslexia and b) you will have developed as a person so therefore the additional needs you do/do not have will have changed meaning the recommendations aged 11 might not be valid now which is why my HEI requires a "new" assessment after the age of 16 because that focuses on tasks that you will be doing as an adult rather than at school. For example, if you were assessed before the daily use of computers then there will likely be a better test which the team can do now to assess how to make sure you are not disadvantaged when using a computer if the old one was done with a focus primarily on pen and paper work.

Like someone else said, you need to focus on what you can do now to get the support you need now with your studies rather than focusing on what happened in the past, whether that's what your mum did/didn't do or what has been said to you in the past. Unless you have it in writing that the professional qualifications body (is it accounting?) are categorically not interested in equality and diversity (in which case that's a legal red flag and different conversation entirely!) then you should be putting all of your focus into this area.