dislexer

[fluffybunny5353]

hi there this is my first post on here and i was hopping someone can help .
i have dislexer it is quit bad and as i was not picked up on it till in my teens my reading and wrighting is poor .
my prob is i have an older boy who at 8 is VERY VERY bright and reading at an 12 year old level about the same as me . but my 6 year old is not reading even the simply stuff and by that i mean words like mum dad her own name .as i have been told dislexer runs in familys i would like to have my little girl tested , but the school say she is to young to test they have addmited that she is bhind the rest of her class but said they dont put on exter help till she has been tested and she cant be tested till 8 , my worry it in 2 years she will be a long way behind i dont get why they will not help her now and as i am not good at this stuff my self i am finding it hard to help her . i am a single mum and there is no one about who could help her out , how do i get the school to lissen to me !!

You could try insisting on extra help for your dd until they will test her. Point out that if she is falling behind then you feel she needs more support. Keep making a fuss until they listen to you. I know it is not pleasant but I used to work in a school and it used to be that the ones who shouted loudest got the most for their dcs.
You don't need to be rude, just persistant.

I am not sure if this would work but can you try your optician? I have taught pupils with dyslexia who have been treated by giving them coloured filters to lay over their work to read through. I have heard that some people get glasses with similar filters on them.

Good luck.

Hi my 6 year old is behind in his reading and also writing.How is her writing at this stage? My son has speech and language delay although I feel he may also be dyslexic but like your daughter is too young to be tested. Because he is behind in both reading and writing he has an IEP so that he can recieve extra help and support. If your child is struggling with more then one area then perhaps they need to put her on an IEP to see what support she needs and they can then monitor her progress.

The school is right in so far as dyslexia is hard to diagnose as early as 6 as for many children it is developmental, however in your case there is more evidence to suggest that there is likely to be dyslexia and carrots is right. Keep on and on and ask to see the SEN coordinator and if you have no luck still talk t the governor in charge of SEN. Schools are often reluctant to test as it costs them money, and then thet aren't always sure what to do next as IME few primary teachers know how to deal with dyslexic children.
Good luck, you know you're right so don't be fobbed off.

The schools is not right. You don't need a diagnosis of anything to get extra help.

If she is behind in reading and writing they should give her extra help, regardless of whether she has dyslexia or is behind for any other reason.

You need to make an appointment with the SENCO, and ask what they are going to do to help your DD catch up.

The most common (but not only) reason children struggle to learn to read and write is because they aren't taught using phonics.

If she is not being taught properly, then you are lucky, because this is the easiest problem to fix.

You have several options now:

• Keep pressuring school to give her extra help
• Work with her at home (if you're not confident enough to do this, maybe your DS could?)
• Pay for tutoring.

If you want to do something with her at home, I would recommend something like Dancing Bears

Or you could try a computor based program like ClickNKids or HeadSprout.

But whatever you do, don't leave it another 2 years.

thank you bell i have just ordered the 1st dancing bear book have you uesd these books ?, i am not confident about reading but think at the mo i will give it a go does the book come with a how to ues it gide ?

Hi Fluffy,

Yes I have used the book with my daughter.

It is very easy to use.

Just do 10 minutes a day with her. Even less if she gets tired easily. ( Maybe 2 sessions of 5 minutes each.)

The first few pages of the book explain how to use it.

Message me if you want any more help.

And please tell us (or message me ) if it worked or not.

If it doesn't work I have loads more suggestions. But I think dancing bears is a good place to start.

There is a CD with a film of an adult using Dancing Bears with a child which you might find helpful. I notice it is not on the website but you could write to the Sound Foundations people explaining your own dyslexia and they may send you a copy.

i will let you all no how we get on , i am allso going to go in to the school and ask about this IME

There are lots of pointers towards dyslexia at an early age, but as others have said this doesn't matter. Good on you - stick at it and make sure the school does something to give support. My son was diagnosed at 7, but I knew well before then that he wasn't picking things up despite being bright. Though I was a teacher, I still had to fight with the school.

He eventually changed schools, is 14 and doing better than I ever expected. Make sure they do something - I've been there and it is really worth it!

Fluffy, I forgot to say, also give your DD omega fish oil.

It made a huge diff to my dyslexic daughters Reading ability, and is relatively cheap and easy to try.

As an aside to the thread, don't doubt a child's potential just because they are dyslexic. My dh is dyslexic and has a phd, which basically involves writing a book as well as understanding lots of complicated science stuff so anything is possible for them.
Fight for them OP!

Fluffy - my 7.5 yr old son has suspected dyslexia and we started work with him about 18 mnths ago using Toe By Toe (another struggling reader /dyslexia program but more boring than Dancing Bears so start with DB ).

The work has been worth it as DS1 is now reading at his chronological age level rather than more than a year behind. The advantage of starting you whether or not you have a formal diagnosis of dyslexia is that young childrens' brains are still developing so have more scope for finding ways to work around problems.

My son still has issues with his handwriting and spelling (I sometimes have to act as his scribe for homework if he tired) and may never be the most fluent reader in his class but he can now read at a level that means he can keep up in class.

Keep pushing the school for help.

Sorry that should read starting young not starting you