DSA Comes Too Late for Dyslexic Students

[MumofDyslexicOne]

So students who have disabilities/SpLD etc..... can apply for DSA (Disabled Student Allowance) when they go to university.

As a mum of a young (8) dyslexic child this comes far too late for the majority of dyslexic children. They need the help in Primary and Secondary schools as well as university or else they will never make it to university. I am currently working 3 jobs to save up for extra specialist tutoring, technology such as laptops etc..... as well as buying additional phonics programmes which all soon mount up costs wise.

We cant afford the tutor currently, we cant afford the £70 an hour it costs every week. We haven't had a holiday in over 6 years not even in the UK! We earn average earnings, but too much for any benefit help, but not enough to be able to pay for all the tech and other things that are deemed necessary by the assessor if we want our child to succeed.

SEN funding has been cut to the bone and school say as she has no behavioural issues alongside her dyslexia and she is compliant in class there is no additional funding for anything. They have said a tutor, tech and any phonics schemes need to be paid for by us. If DSA was available to younger students, then we could claim for this and get help with the costs. On assessment her IQ was very high (130) but her dyslexia is quite severe and so she will never reach her full potential without these interventions. We have been told an ehcp will not be supported by school as they have worse asd students with terrible behaviour who haven't been successful so it would be a waste of their time to support an application.

Yes we could do a parental application but again they are very very hard to get for dyslexia especially without school support so unlikely to succeed. It is just writing kids off so young. We are doing all we can to support and do activities daily and she is now reading at her average age, but her spag is about 2 years behind where it should be. She is noticing a difference and because most teachers dont have any dyslexia training they also dont know how to help, so she just gets left to fend for herself in class with minimal interventions.

I really do wish all governments were more forward thinking about dyslexia. Most dyslexics are incredibly creative and bright but a vast majority are just left to fail. Its heartbreaking.

It simply wouldn't work. DSA (I have applied twice) is completely set up to be applied for by a competent adult who has the ability to apply for it themselves. Most people who get an EHCP, simply couldn't get anything at all if it was changed to DSA as they would not be able to apply, or would be nearly at the end of their schooling by the time they were.

I'm not saying change an ehcp to DSA I am saying make DSA available to younger students to help with the costs of their SpLD that parents have to fund as it is belly impossible for them to get an ehcp due to the send cuts.

You don’t need the school’s support for an EHCP. You can request an EHCNA yourself. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Even without an EHCP, the school must make their best endeavours to meet DD’s needs and they must make reasonable adjustments. Although provision along the lines of weekly specialist tuition is not likely to be provided at a school SEN support level.

I think you might have high expectations of DSA at uni. It rarely covers full cost of laptop, tech, learning support to the extent you imply. Maybe recording software, an hour a week of mentoring, access arrangements, discount on laptop. Even then you have to jump through hoops and engage to get it. Maybe you need to look for a school with more specific resources.

DLA is the monetary award for children with needs over and above an 'average' child.

Who recommended all this and said she’d never reach her full potential without them?

I think you need to be careful not to overwhelm her and turn her off learning altogether

Like @LIZS says it’s quite limited in scope. “If DSA was available to younger students, then we could claim for this and get help with the costs” would be unlikely to happen, when I had my dsa recently and while it’s different in different parts of the uk, so I can’t speak for all, it was very much like you can get x or y, not you can go off and get cost covered for things you choose.

@LIZS is right. DSA is pretty basic, and a lot of the support it offers, like mentoring, extra time etc is available to all struggling students with or without an EHCP. Help with costs for tech is useful, but most people have their own by that age, and often top up to get something better.

No I realise the limited scope, but honestly any help, discount now etc.... would be most appreciated rather than us having to pay full price for everything. Working 3 jobs day in, day out is knackering but I do it as I want my child to be on an equal footing with the rest of her peers. Im not asking for over and above, just to put her on an equal footing on her learning journey at school.

Can you apply for DLA?

The only schools with specalist dyslexia provision within an hour journey of our house is a private dyslexia school. Which at fees of 10k per term it is impossible for us to pay that.

You’d be better off putting your time into applying for an EHCP (do not believe everything the school tell you) and/or moving her to a more supportive school.

you don’t need a tutor at 70 quid an hour. You can get trained in the basic techniques and buy programmes like toe by toe very cheaply second hand.

I had never thought of applying for DLA as when I read it, it seems to be based on the care needed, not items to help with the SpLD. Yes in a way I suppose she needs extra care with homework and reading as no way she could do this by herself but I didnt think that was enough. She doesnt have care needs as such, more supervision and help with her homework. She would struggle to read emergency instructions, and she also can't retain more than 2 instructions at one time for example

1. go to the bathroom
2. brush your teeth

This would be doable.

Add in 3) and then out your coat on

It would then be totally lost on her and we would most likely find her sat in the bathroom still brushing her teeth 10 minutes later.

Independent schools can be funded via EHCPs if necessary.

DLA is based on needs, rather than diagnosis. Many with dyslexia won’t have needs that qualify for DLA unless they also have other needs, but some do. Things like needing instructions broken down for activities of daily living can count. As can prompting for tasks.

It wouldn't work though. DSA is totally planned for students managing their own funding and determining the support they need. The whole process from the application, to the assessment of need, to the allocation of funds, to the way funds are spent, relies on the students themselves being able to manage it. With the exception of the oldest school students who are reasonably capable, younger students simply couldn't do this. When I had DSA (twice), I was even expected to source some of the equipment I needed, and also to have direct contact with the companies providing that equipment and ask for reimbursement of costs, producing receipts etc. There is no way it would work for under 16s.