DS "may have mild dyslexia". Not sure what, if anything, to do.

[ScottOfTheArseAntics]

Ds is 10 and in Yr5. He has always struggled with reading, spelling and writing. He still struggles remembering left from right and feels awkward holding a knife and fork - he keeps changing hands like he's not sure which is the best way to hold them. He is a bright, confident an imaginative boy and although he is at the bottom of the class he isn't disheartened. He always tells me that he just hasn't found his groove yet but that one day he will.

He has been having some 1-1 sessions at school, funded by the LEA, to help with literacy and tonight his tutor mentioned that he is probably mildly dyslexic. She said that even if he was, the school probably wouldn't be able to do much with him as it is only mild. I am almost certain they won't refer him for testing and I am wondering if there might be any benefit in getting him assessed privately. If we know he is even mildly dyslexic he may at least be able to get extra time in exams in the future.

Does anybody have any experience of obtaining a private assessment or of mild dyslexia? Is it something he could manage without help?

Does he use a coloured overlay for reading?

If not that might be something to look into?

No he doesn't. Neither at home or school. I will look into it.

Why not pop over to the special needs children board, it is just under Am I Being Unreasonable.

There are loads of mums over there with experience of dyslexia and someone is bound to come along to help you.

Not saying you won't get good advice here its just a bit more specialised over there

My youngest brother (22) is mildly dyslexic, he had an assessment that basically just confirmed it but nothing more. He had difficulty learning to tell the time, classic letter confusion and other things that made school a bit tricky. He's just written a book for fun and reading it through you can see he's dyslexic but it didn't stop him writing it!
Oddly enough I'm pretty sure DH is mildly dyslexic too, he's got all the signs but at our age it's hardly worth getting tested.
It might be worth getting your ds assessed if only to get extra time in exams further down the line depending on the scale of it, or to flag up to teachers that he may need extra help in certain areas.

Coloured overlays are only effective for one type of dyslexia and there are a few. It sounds as though he is dyspraxic as well as dyslexic 'Mild' dyslexia is also misleading: mild in terms of access to LEA funding is something entirely different from something that is affecting his self esteem and education. My DD has both, and because she is academically very bright, managed to bump along in the middle of her year group for a long time before tests revealed that she has no phonic understanding (Auditory Processing Disorder) and dysgraphia as a result of the dyspraxia. It can really affect their self esteem. www.dudeswithdyslexia.co.uk is a great site and this site www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/services/dys_dyspraxia.php is very helpful for those trying to get to grips with dyspraxia.

I don't know if my son is dyslexic, he's too young to tell (so I can't help with a current experience of school), but I am dyslexic and my two sisters are as well. I have also worked a lot with children who have physical and other needs.

As well as the symptoms you suggest another sign that he may be is the gap you hint at between his brightness and his current level of academic achievement. I'm not suggesting that he should be put under pressure to achieve or that he is not doing well , he sounds like a remarkable lad. But I do know what it is like to have a primary school teacher with really low expectations of one's abilities.

In your situation I would want to know what qualifications the tutor offering extra support has, and find out what they suggest the next step is. In my personal and work experience I have come across some brilliant support/special needs staff, and some who have universally low expectations of the children they work with and thus think that there is no point doing much.

I would strongly suggest that you look at the British Dyslexia Association website www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/ There is a lot that can be done to support a child with dyslexia, good support can make a very big difference to confidence levels. Extra time in exams is useful, but really in isolation doesn't offer much advantage, what someone with dyslexia needs is proper assessment to identify strengths and challenges, support to understand what they are experiencing and the opportunity to learn strategies to manage more effectively.

Ultimately I am sure your son will cope without additional help, because kids are very adaptable and any dyslexia may only be very mild, but be aware that bright kids can mask considerable difficulties and I guess the question is not will he get by, but is he getting the most out of his education and life in general? You are his mum and I would say follow your instinct - if you think he might benefit from assessment go for it.

Thanks ineedalife I will check out the other board. Good on your brother chulita. I think my DH is also mildly dyslexic he hated school but came into his own at around the age of 18 which I think is why DS is so positive about his future rather than letting his school experience to date get him down.

Thanks BCBG and zebras. Lots of food for thought. I think you are right I will trust my instinct and go for a private assessment.

My child has been told he is not at risk of dyslexia at school, he has very severe memory issues, poor co - ordination no organisation skills he struggles to stay focused and lacks concentration. He has ADHD, in his primary school they gave him lots of support and now he left struggling to cope. Can i ask anyone for a 2nd opinion