Dyslexia mentioned for the first time in Year 7 - should we have an assessment?

[aperolspritzbasicbitch]

My child has just started year 7 at a local secondary school.

They recently took part in a handwriting screener, where it was picked up that they’d made some unusual spelling mistakes in the dictation exercise which could indicate an underlying challenge such as hearing issues or dyslexia, and so an additional dyslexia screening would take place.

I received the results a few days ago and the screener showed that she has traits typical of someone with dyslexia (don’t fully understand the info they provided but it looks as though she scored below average in 2 out of 6 areas - word sounds and spelling.) The email did stress that it was just a screener and not an assessment, which would have to be arranged privately if we wanted one.

I’m finding this a bit confusing as it has never been suggested before that she could have an issue, she’s always been above her reading age and had no issues at all with her SPAG SATS.

I didn’t mention anything to her to begin with, but she asked me if I’d received the results today so I explained what they said, and she asked if she has to have the assessment as she doesn’t think she struggles.

Do I get the assessment done? Part of me thinks it would be foolish not to, as it can only help going forwards, but another part of me wonders how it could have been completely missed before now, and would I just be putting her in a situation she feels pressure over?

Hmm I think just do the assessment. It's not going to be that much pressure, and certainly not more than the pressure of handling secondary school with undiagnosed dyslexia. If it turns out to be a false alarm then you'll never think about it again. If the assessment finds something then that will hopefully open up useful support for her.

Yes, absolutely get the assessment done and make sure it is done again before GCSEs & still valid for A Levels. Any child with a learning difficulty is working harder in class than piers without, take all the help you can. There’s probably not a lot of day to day help in Yr7 other than extra time in tests and potentially rest breaks. But you are establishing a ‘normal way of working’ which is essential for Access Arrangements ie extra time and rest breaks during GCSE and A Levels. Both of my DC are dyslexic and in
very different ways; eg one reads and spells incredibly well but doesn’t comprehend what they’ve read, the other is painfully slow at reading, atrocious at spelling but comprehends brilliantly. There’s so much more to dyslexia than spelling. You need to be supportive, knowledgeable and advocate for them.

Why would you not get the assessment?

Please get it done. These sorts of things seem to be more often left undiagnosed in girls. At worst, you’ll find out it was wrong and you did waste a bit of money, but you’ll know you were doing something for your child.

If it does turn out she has dyslexia, it will be the start of finding strategies to best help your child achieve her full potential and well worth every cent.

Either way, she’ll be the same child you know and love, but possibly just with more strategies to help her throughout her life.

Definitely get it. Primary school totally missed my daughter’s dyslexia (COVID, huge teacher turnover etc) and so did I! Only really came to light when doing baseline assessments at the start of Y7. All the strategies we have put in place have helped her no end and access arrangements are all in place for her exams. I’m a teacher and I hadn’t considered dyslexia, she was so advanced verbally and in maths, and just seemed a daydreamer. She couldn’t hold it together in secondary school though. Learning what dyslexia is has been very helpful for her, as has knowing how many creative and intelligent people are dyslexic too.

Thank you for all your responses.
Just had a phone call with the person who did the screening and they’ve said that if I’m happy to we should hang fire, year 7 have their assessment week at the start of next term so to wait and see how they go first, and to take it from there.
in the meantime I’ll get her booked in for a sight test and enquire about a hearing screener to rule any issues out there.
she didn't seem overly concerned with the results, so I’m happy to take her advice as it stands.

Dyslexia is now considered part of the neurodiverse profile. I’d get her tested.

One thing to keep in mind - bright students can often compensate really well when the work is easier. So while theres a gap in their relative abilities if the lower ones are still good enough for their age level then not much impact shows.

But as the work gets harder, then the impact grows.

Worth keeping in mind if she’s relatively bright.

I think I'd go ahead if you think it will be helpful.

Dm always suspected I was probably dyslexic. I struggle with spelling, didn't get phonics until relatively old, although I could read very well by whole word recognition, and a soft marker is I'm pretty ambidextrous - which sounds silly, but apparently there is a correlation.

I don't think I would have gained from diagnosis. I had quite a low self esteem around academics anyway and would have felt it was a stigma and I'd never be able to do better, so would have given up trying. I don't think I ever needed more time in exams which was the main thing I'd have got too!

However things are different now. It's not considered a stigma in the way I would have seen it, and they may be able to offer various interventions that weren't there when I was at school.

So perhaps ask what would be the situation if she did get a diagnosis, what help is available. And not just now, as she gets older too. And also consider her. Would she be relieved (my ds was when he got his ASD diagnosis) or worried by it?

Consider her as a person, and see what is best for her.

My DD has dyslexia. Its not just about reading and spelling (although she dies process written language a lot slower than average). Its organisation, picking up on important points, a bit of coordination. We are just going through the Extra time process for her GCSEs and it looks like it will make a massive difference for her.