How do I find out if ds is dyslexic?

[LovelyDaffs]

Ds is 8 in year 3 and is a lovely happy boy. We moved a while ago and his new teacher has picked up on some problems that he has with writing and spelling. Im thrilled that she's picked up on these issues and is tackling them, he has an iep and the school are using a couple of schemes with him. Dyslexia was mentioned at the last parents eve, but she said that she wasn't qualified to diagnose and that even if he were diagnosed they would follow the same plan.

I'm very happy with how school are tackling his problems, but I worry about the future.

Ds has no problems with reading and is excellent at maths. However he has a terrible memory, we can tell that he often just doesn't remember things, not the normal child forgetfulness.

We are in a grammar school area and I believe that dyslexic children are given extra time in the exams. I don't know yet if grammar school is the right place for him, but if it is and he is dyslexic then surely we ought to find out. Or will they just go on our say so?

I don't know if there are things we should be doing to help him or even if he is dyslexic as he has no problems reading.

Sorry for the ramble, But I could really do with some advice or pointing ing the right direction.

LlOVELYDAFFS, I would ask the school if they can recommend an Educational Psychologist in your area and then pay for a private assessment. some of the advice here is not quite accurate. my youngest DD is severely dyslexic/dyspraxic. she has a great reading age in advance of the majority of her year, but poor spelling (phonic processing weakness ), terrible hort term memory but great long term memory (auditory processing disorder ) and handwriting which is slow, illformed and often has mirrored letters in it (dysgraphia, caused by poor fine motor skills). All of these conditions will result in an umbrella diagnosis of dyslexia, where the skills required for rapid reading and writing that are so essential to learning in the classroom, are compromised in some way. my DD went from being average in her year to being top in exams just because she was given a scribe to write at her dictation. you can get extra time in exams including the 11+ ( I am in Kent) where the EP provides a statement of need for your child. Memory problems will be included in that assessment. it sounds as though you have a great school which is doing what it should anyway, but a formal assessment will make it much easier for you ti decise what to do next. Good luck!

Incidentally, saying 'he should learn to spell' using this or that scheme is just plain wrong, as is the belief that he was simply taught phonics wrong. I t has been a revaluation for my DD for an EP to tell her school that she will NEVER spell reliably or accurately no matter how many years of her education they waste trying to drum it into her, as an auditory processing disorder means that she can recall the spelling only when she is not requir to recall any learning at the same time! she. Kw has a laptop with Writeonline installed, it anticipates what she is trying to spell and so we have gone from writing two lines of gobbledygook to a page kf narrative in a term

And typos in my case are due go wine, not dyslexia!!! sorry

BCBG - it has been a revelation for your DD - but doesn't mean it is correct.

Auditory Integration Training appears to have totally cured my DDs severe dyslexia (I'm going to wait a few more weeks for it to settle before writing a whole thread on it.)

If your DD has auditory problems there is a very good chance that Auditory Integration Training would cure her as well.

But if you accept the EPs advice that 'dyslexia can't be cured', then you will never know if there was something else you could have done to help your daughter.

How is having a scribe going to help your DD long term? If she doesn't learn to write or spell to a basic standard her career choices will be severely limited.

This is what I'm trying to get across in all the hundreds of threads we have on here about dyslexia. You can accept the school's line that dyslexia does't matter because she'll have a reader, writer and extra time in exams or you can damn well work out what is causing the problems and cure them.

If my DD can only do well in exams with a reader, writer, or extra time, I will feel like I have totally failed her. (But luckily, after an awful lot of effort, it does look like I'm on the road to curing her dyslexia)

And of course problems with fine motor skills are also corrected by doing daily exercises for them.

I would question an EP who writes off a child that way thankfully parents like Indigo are will do anything to find if not a "cure", a solution for their child.

Incidentally, saying 'he should learn to spell' using this or that scheme is just plain wrong, as is the belief that he was simply taught phonics wrong.

I get very at being told I am 'wrong' when day after day I work with KS3 children who would all have a diagnosis of 'dyslexia' on the strength of the mumsnet understanding of the term (about 50 children at present). Yes, a tiny number of them have very significant processing difficulties and I would say, if pushed, that they were 'dyslexic'. But most of them are just the victims of very poor phonics instruction and/or whole word/look & guess/'read the pictures' type instruction.

'Dyslexia' is such a lazy diagnosis, it tells you very little that is of real use. I have huge respect for IndigoBell who has made every effort to find out what is causing her dd's problem.

No intention of disrespecting anyone on this thread and well done IndigoBell for curing her child's problem. The reason a scribe was a revelation was that DD had struggled to achieve anything up until that point (she is only 8 btw) and the scribe was the quickest way of allowing her to discover that she could communicate effectively. DD was taught phonics very well, in the same school that taught her siblings including one whose reading age at 6+ was 13+ and who is a scholar now so I have no concerns about the teaching she has experienced. Her EP has not 'written off' DD, she is a recognised European leader in her field as it happens, and DD has auditory exercises and fine motor exercises within her OT therapy every day. The fact is that she will use a keyboard, voice recognition technology and software support and is very lucky. There are hundreds of variations of these problems out there, and I think that if the OP wishes to explore further opinions on her child she should be encouraged to do so . I just object to statements like

" I'm not really what causes poor spelling. I think it's poor teaching rather than dyslexia"

Which are simply unhelpful to the OP, and not correct.

^I just object to statements like

" I'm not really what causes poor spelling. I think it's poor teaching rather than dyslexia"

Which are simply unhelpful to the OP, and not correct.^

How do you know it's not 'correct'? It is a possiblility that it is not correct in your dd's case, but that doesn't make it 'incorrect' per se.

The fact is that she will use a keyboard, voice recognition technology and software support and is very lucky

You really think she is very lucky? To never learn how to write?

If she (like my DD) has experienced great phonics teaching - then it means the problem is not that, it is something else.

Your DD is only 8, and you think it is not possible that she will ever learn to spell......

I think your DD is very unlucky :(

We have a child who due to difficulties was provided with a laptop and voice recognition software but his mum insisted he should also write by hand. Now in Y5 his handwriting is amazing and the standard of his written work is good (on track for a level 5 next year).

Mrz, like the child you refer to, my DD is also receiving daily handwriting lessons at school. I never said she wasn't. It will be great if the result is as good as the child you talk about. The laptop support is there for learning (ie in lessons) because currently the effort of handwriting takes up all available brain capacity. IndigoBell, I meant my daughter is lucky to live in an age of technology, not twenty years ago. TBH, you appear to be unable to read a sentence without attacking, you can't see that other people have other experiences, other perspectives and other views, and you fail to advance your own certainties by being hostile for the sake if it. As ever with Mumsnet someone posts asking for viewpoints and a few loudmouthed know-alls start proselytising. Luckily I can hide the thread so you can carry on loading on your own perspectives whether or not the OP needs to hear it. Ta ta.

Arghh I'm confused now.

Well I've had a chat with DH and we have agreed to talk to the school and ask to speak to the senco. We will suggest that we get an ed psych report done (at our cost), but ask for their buy in to any recommendations I will be surprised if they don't agree. However if the senco is adamant ds is just a bad speller then we will forget it and do our best to help him at home.

Tbh I was concerned that dh might not agree as I mentioned earlier I have 'form' on being ott. We agree that we'd feel terrible if it transpired we could have done something and we didn't. There are a fair few families in our school with dc's with sen who wouldn't be able to pay so we feel that we won't ask the school to fund an assessment and use a budget that others could benefit from.

Living with dyslexia has been compared to driving in a foreign country. You can do it but it's tiring and unpleasant. If you had to work in a way that you found uncomfortable all the time you may well become disillusioned with learning altogether. I think that using learning aids such as a laptop in addition to addressing the specific difficulties faced by the learner with dyslexia is a positive step.

Keep pushing it has taken until ds1 is 19 to get a diagnosis. It was done by his uni!!! I have been telling schools he was dyslexic since nursery . Tests proved he is severely dyslexic with very high iq just under mens a level( don't know where that comes from) . Our ds3 is also dyslexic and we have had similar problems with his school.....they now have him registered as dyslexic but we are going to great ormond street for full assessment. Keep pushing and good luck

BCBG - I am well aware I'm very much in the minority suggesting that Dyslexia should be cured rather than compensated for.

But it's such an important message that I feel I have to say it. I don't know how many people have read these messages, and whether I'm made any of them think.

Yes, I was rude to you. But if you would do anything for your daughter, you'd be better off thinking about my message rather than getting defensive.

I promise you if my DDs dyslexia can be cured - anyone's can. The EP gave my DD all the same recommendations yours did. (But as I didn't pay for the report so didn't feel any compulsion to listen to it.)

Being unable to spell doesn't stop my DD writing. She writes pages and pages. Nobody can read what she's written - but that doesn't stop her writing.

My DD (like your's) is only 8. It doesn't matter if no one can read her writing. She's still participated in the lesson and learnt whatever it was they were doing. The only thing that matters is that she learns to read and write.

If she was 11 and couldn't write then the argument for a laptop is different. However I know my DD won't reach 11 being unable to read and write. No way.

Then again, I'm very lucky. My DD is full of confidence. Not being able to read or write hasn't knocked her confidence at all. She participates in class and enjoys school. So that gives me more time to not use compensating strategies....

Most SEN kids are failed by people not having high expectations of them. Not expecting your child to learn to read and write properly is the biggest disservice a parent can do. It's hard enough convincing school to keep having high expectations.....

To everyone reading this who's child has, or may have, 'dyslexia'. This message is to you. Never give up on them. Never accept that they won't learn to read and write properly. That is the first step to getting them the help they need.

Dyslexia is about far more than just reading and writing though. I am a dyslexic adult and although my parents never gave up on me and taught me valuable strategies, I can relate to cornsilkily who says that it's like being in a foreign country, it takes a lot of mental energy which can be draining. My dyslexia is virtually 'cured' to outsiders (most people are shocked when I tell them) but I know I think differently to other people and I have to work harder to achieve the same outcomes.

My parents were wise enough to follow the route of using therapies and specific dyslexia learning methods, but also insisted on a full assessment and diagnosis (paid for privately) and I think they both helped. The assessment was really thorough and helped me and my teachers understand the root of the problems (mainly working memory) and suggest strategies.

I was able to get through college and university and I think the diagnosis really helped there, with the use of a laptop and extra help in exams, as well as accessing the Disabled Students' Allowance which paid for learning support. In work, I'm recognised as dyslexic and my employers are really supportive, but if they weren't, I'd be able to push them to make reasonable adjustments. None of these areas of support can be accessed without that bit of paper making the dyslexia official, and anyone dismissing the idea of needing a diagnosis is potentially storing up problems for later.