is my 5yo ds2 dyslexic? long, sorry

[onthehill]

I wiuld really appreciate some help from mumsnetters with experience of dyslexia and similar disorders. My ds2 is nearly 6, I went to parents evening last week and he is still bottom of the class in EVERYTHING he was very late to talk and we thought this was because he had glue ear. However, he has had grommits in for over a year which really helped, but he just hasn't made progress. He is v imagintaive, always playing with playmobil and role playing etc, his teacher says he does not concentrate in class. He seems to do much better at home with reading and spelling, he can spell easy words and read a bit too, just sooooooo far behind. I am really worried now. My older son (10) is always just above avareage and my daughter (14) is straight A's. sorry for long post....

eye test

another hearing test

what did the teacher say they were going to plan to help him progress?

My DS is a year older than yours but the story is similar.

I have been trying to make an appointment to see his teacher as we were starting to wonder about dyslexia as well.

Try this:
www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/parents/indications-of-dyslexia.html

he has just has a hearing test as i thought this was the issue, but it was fine and grommits are still in.
the teacher has put him in a small group for special literacy work, which does help, but he is not reallt progressing at the same rate as his friends

potplant, are there other issues? cos for me it is just the learning, ie he is not clumsy etc, that is why it is confusing!

Does he tick off many of the indications of dyslexia?

I have gone through this with my DS over the last 3 years since he started school - he is now diagnosed dyslexic (at 7)

Our experience has been of hitting brick walls all through infant school - in the nicest possible way...helpful, supportive teachers who appreciated DS' qualities and put him in extra literacy, etc.....but basically there it ends. You can't be diagnosed with dyslexia til 7 because apparently the range of normal in learning to read is between 3 - 8.

We even took DS to a private Ed Psych in the summer hols before he started year 3, he was due to be 7 within a month but we wanted him to START juniors with a diagnosis so that the teachers in juniors would know. However the Ed Psych would not diagnose it - just said literacy 'delayed'. I now feel strongly this was on a point of principle because DS was still 6.

Because he's just been screened and tested and diagnosed, now he is magically 7

Sorry to go on - I think what I'm saying to you is, totally trust your instincts about your child. if you think there is something, then there is. Never worry about demanding meetings/extra help from the school. Always advocate for your son strongly because no one else will.

and be prepared to get him tested as soon as he is 7, even if you have to go privately!
Good luck.

thanks cirrhosis, I will keep at it. I just really feel there is something wrong, especially as his siblings have done well. I guess I'll wait til he's 7...he ticks off lots of indicators, ie late to walk, good days and bad days (at school, not home), doesn't concentrate, low confidence, and all the reading and sequencing issues. BUT he is good at sport and has good co-ordination. How is it with your ds?

onthehill - Similar to what you have said. His handwriting is dreadful, reading is not very good and hasn't improved much since he started Year 1, he mixes up letters and writes some backwards.

I looked up the list on the link and a lot of it resonated with me - but not all, he isn't particularly clumsy, he can dress himself (he doesn't often but that's a whole different story!), he can concentrate for hours on stuff he is interested in.

I think we are probably a few stages behind you though as I haven't seen his teacher about it yet - she has been off sick for a couple of weeks.

We may be worrying about nothing - he has a twin who is very bright and miles ahead of him in terms of reading, writing etc.

potplant, that's exactly the same as me. My older son still has bad handwriting, my mum thinks he and her and my sister all have very low-level dyslexia. hope it goes well for you when you finally get hold of his teacher!

With my DS it's slightly more complicated because (poor lad) he also has hypermobility which means that he has difficulties with gross and fine motor skills - so he can't read, write, draw, use scissors etc anywhere near his peer group! No wonder he hates school!!

But on the dyslexia - we knew there was something because there was such a mismatch between his ability to understand, and his ability to read or write stuff. He speaks like a 12 year old but reads like a 3 yr old....it's that dichotomy which rings alarm bells. And Ds' progress with reading, spelling etc was just painfully, painfully slow.
He also was prone to emotional outbursts, had major sequencing issues etc. Also he showed a very strong avoidance of anything to do with letters or reading. For instance I would hear other mums outside pre school saying their kids knew all their letters etc, but I genuinely had no idea whether DS knew his, because he was so very unwilling to do it with me. He'd get cross if I bought magnetic letters for the fridge or something! While at the same time being able to tell me intricate details about planets, the solar system etc.....

It might be worth asking your son's teacher if they would refer to the Ed Psych? They should have access to one via the school. Even if unable to diagnose at this stage the Ed Psych can give a good picture of your child's abilities and struggles, and can suggest ways the teachers can help him in class....

ok cirrhosis, i will do that. sounds like you have had some dificult times.....

Not sure if this will help but i am dyslexic and used to help other students at university who had just been diagnosed with dyslexia deal with it.

Firstly in my experiance dyslexia is so varied that what one person may do another doesnt. The checklist is just a checklist and is not a final diagnosis. When i was a child dyslexia was not widely understood or recognised. i could not read or write but did other things. It was my parents who supported me all the way through and persisted untill i got a proper diagnosis.

I would see an ed psych as soon as you can as that is the starting point and other than that i would just try and encourage your ds as much as possible. I think if you have the confidence the rest can fall into place. My parents used to read to me all the time and would always be pushing me to develp learning skills. I was very resistant at first but got into it eventually. If you can afford it you can also send him to extra study skills sessions as he might just need to learn a few new techniques to help him on his way.

it is also the case that some dyslexic people are gifted in some areas so he might be getting fed up in school finding some things impossible and other things to simple. That was the way with me.

Hope this makes sence. I have a 8 month old ds who does not sleep.