Mandatory pan year group dyslexia testing in schools

[Kate6490]

I'm not comfortable with the fact my child's school is introducing pan year group, mandatory dyslexia testing. I feel that if I felt my child had an issue, or indeed her teacher during primary years who knew her well and had had long experience of her work or progress recommended such action, then a test may be justified but my daughter has only just started at her new secondary school and they are wheeling the whole year group, en masse, through the testing which I feel is going to be expensive for the school in terms of money and time, non specific in that the initiative is going to be a blunderbuss approach at the entire year group ... and outcomes will, in some cases, be, I believe, counter productive. I've heard of instances when other learning disabilities or educational challenges within a class or year group are conveniently labelled 'dyslexia' in order to get the extra TA help or funding that a school requires; that pupils incorrectly or prematurely labelled then have to cope with a the 'stigma' of dyslexia for the rest of their lives (not all employers are equally well informed about dyslexia and they can and do view it as a 'disability' and could adopt a prejudicial approach to job offers as a result), and I'm also concerned, that, in the fullness of time, it might be to her disadvantage if, when asked, she has to say 'yes, I was tested for dyslexia', and then never get the chance to explain that it was a blanket all year group policy and no one was given the chance to 'deselect'. Anyone got any thoughts on this one?

Clutterbugsmum and Gardenfeature

My ds is the same. In year 6 he narrowly scraped his level 4 writing by one point but got a high 5 for the reading. They had given him a lot of extra one to one on his spellings.
DS secondary school set from day 1 on cat scores taken on transfer day (only school in our area to do this) and he was put in top set for all subjects except for engilish where he was still in the second class.
His lovely english teacher said dont worry he is definitely in the right class as his comprehension is excellent (out of the box thinker). He struggled because of having to take 2 mfl in year 7 and because he was in top set expected to get very high marks in weekly tests, so i saw the SENCO. He was put back on the SN register. He really thrived however not much extra help. Half way through gcses he was given extra time 20% for maths and 10% english. His main problems are organizational and like Clutterbugs dd could spell the same work 5 different ways on the same page, even though it was correct at the top of the page.In Maths he would forget a number going from one page to another ,so get the wrong answer even though he understands the theories.
The week before his A2s they took his extra time away because of the change in criteria.
He did ok but could have done a lot better. The trouble with him he is hovering around average in his worst areas (ie writing) but that average is a long way behind the rest of him. He got good offers last year from RG unis, but he didnt get the results he needed.

As for your very valid point that you'd rather resources were directed to those who need it, you are right but the school will have paid money for a site license for x number of users or bought a test, the Vernon spelling test is only around 40 quid and then photocopied sheets, so the money for doing this is already spent. How much they spent is up to them. I really think you are making too much of this. All children do the MidYis or CAT tests to give a cognitive level So what is the difference.

As for your very valid point that you'd rather resources were directed to those who need it

By questioning the practice with the school, surely the OP is taking resources away from those who need them. Ie the Senco spending their time having to validate their use of testing and answering her questions.

As i said above it appears to be making a fuss just for the sake of it, to look like an "involved parent" rather than any valid reasons other than maybe a bit of paranoia. ie my dd will be stigmatised for life because she once had a test for dyslexia.

IMO raising this as an issue with the school and raising the 'dyslexia' question amongst HR professionals in her network will inevitably lead to the OP being laughed at behind her back. The DD is far more at risk of being stigmatised by her mother's ignorance and prejudices than by any SEN label.

I say that as an HR professional and as the mother of a severely dyslexic child currently predicted to score 70% at CE and interviewing at the very best senior schools in the country. Unlike the OP, these schools see the condition as something to be dealt with appropriately, rather than as some kind of defining criteria with regards to that child's potential. If Eton (for example) don't see an issue with dyslexia, I'm not sure where exactly my child might find doors closed against him.

Yes Bruffin, I agree, but was trying to be slightly nicer as I realised I'd got a bit (OK, a lot) grumpy and was trying to find any positivity in this situation. I can envision SLT and the poor SENCO sighing and eye rolling as we speak. Nowt so queer as folk.

In fact, DS is rather proud of his dyslexia since discovering that GCHQ actively seek out dyslexics to be spies. He told the Eton interviewer how he'd therefore be helping them keep up the Eton tradition of turning out the very best spies that the country and Russia have to offer.

Bruffin I wish it was just paranoia, the trouble is that I suspect the perceived "stigma" and alleged discrimination reflect her own prejudices towards Dyslexia and Dyslexics, that is why she is panicking at the very idea her DD is being tested. I am not sure how she thinks Dyslexia manifests herself but I am sure it isn't based in reality, or empathy, or emotional intelligence. There is a lot of it about, unfortunately some of it in the Department of Education

As to spelling a word five different ways, I managed that in an essay for university, with the word Emperor, quite a feat really!

By way of hope, whilst the support given at school was patchy to say the least, at both my DDs universities it is amazing, and I have watched their confidence grow as a result. Of course the challenge is to get the results to get there, especially with the access to special arrangements in exams increasingly discriminating against able Dyslexics, but thankfully they have not encountered attitudes like OPs at university.

Thereshallbeaspin

I saw an interesting programme on dyslexia in New Zealand where a marine engineer said he actively recruited people with dyslexia as he felt they were better at seeing the overall picture.

when ds finally gets his results i am getting him this tshirt

DS's word was Christian Poisonwood

"Why not offer it to those who want it and allow those who do not to deselect?"

Because some parents might deselect on the basis that they believe that under some bizarre future circumstances their child might be asked a mandatory point-blank yes/no "have you ever been tested for dyslexia" question (can we have a show of hands has anyone here ever been asked whether they've been tested for dyslexia (other than in the context of "You seem to have some issues with [particular areas] have you ever been tested for dyslexia?")?)

This is a very interesting thread to read as I suspect dd is dyslexic and her school says she hasnt and isnt prepared to discuss it, its positive to read about the dc and adults who have overcome the hurdles to be successful, I think we have a long journey ahead but it seems it will be worth it in the end.

There's a lot of prejudice about, sadly. All of it coming from people too dull to see the advantages offered by extremely bright people with killer coping strategies who think in original ways.

Some of the people de-selecting will be the very people that need the help.