Dyslexia - achievable/doable IEP targets

[auntevil]

DS1 in Y5 - has been on an IEP since pre-school, but for dyspraxia.
Dyslexia has been confirmed by a behavioural optometrist. There are plenty of ideas, but I need to be realistic as to what school are likely to keep up and do well.
DS is not statemented as he is above average academically, and no apparent social difficulties.
His class is huge and full of challenges for the 1 teacher and 1 TA.
The main area for concern is reading, secondary is spelling. His reading is the lowest level of all subjects. He has just been referred for glasses with coloured lenses as this had already been assessed and trialled in school.
What else can I realistically expect school to help with?
What could go in his IEP to progress his reading/spelling?
TIA

[auntevil]

BO says tracking is fine! OT says that he has post rotary nystagmus.
Plan of action looks to be trying to get EP involved first. I think all my powers of persuasion need to come out for this one!

[mrsbaffled]

Sorry, not read the whole thread properly, but if he is mssing small words and lines, then that is an eye tracking problem, which could be fixed by vision therapy. Has the BO recommended a course of VT? If so - do consider trying it! It fixed my DS's tracking problems x

[auntevil]

You are right smee , it can be quite shocking to see the difference that something so simple makes.

[smee]

sorry, I did see that you say he still does it, but it has made a massive difference to my DS, so still thought it worth saying!

[smee]

With the word/ line skipping, I'd guess his lenses will make a massive difference. I sat and watched when my Ds was tested. He had to read random words in a paragraph for a minute. With the coloured filter he read 98% of the words with only a couple of mistakes. Without the filter (same words) he read only 73% and made lots of mistakes including missing several whole lines. I was amazed how much it was affecting him, so maybe your DS is similar.

[Inclusionist]

It is probably not worth the £££ it would cost for a private EP just to confirm suspicions you already have. It would be interesting info though.

[auntevil]

Apart from private EP - this would go back to how unlikely it would be for DS to see the EP.
Always worry how much notice is given to external professional advice. I have been lucky so far in that mostly ours have been NHS reports, using OTs, physios and SALTs known to school.

[Inclusionist]

An EP would have to do it. It gives a working memory score and a processing speed as well as IQ. It is useful to demonstrate the discrepancy between WM, processing speed and IQ.

Where there is a large discrepancy it idicates that a child needs arrangements to support thier memory and processing to access their academic potential. (You already know this about your DS, but a WISC would be the piece of paper that proved it).

[auntevil]

That's the IQ type test? No, but I've never thought that there was a problem there.
What could it highlight?
Who performs it?

[Inclusionist]

Have you had a WISC auntevil?

[auntevil]

That's the thing maizieD and mrz - no-one as yet has said why he misses the words/lines. I am at a loss tbh
At first I thought it was because he moves when he reads (post rotary - maybe he loses his place?) So I tried at home where he sat reading when leaning against me, so I supported him and the book, so neither moved. He still skipped text.
He skips 3 times as many words/lines without colour overlay than with (tested on random non sensical pretty much CVC, CCVC, CVVCC - not much harder) , but he still skips.
DS says the letters get muddled, and without anyone telling him, he does not know if he's skipped anything.
I've noticed that he starts to skip from 3rd line down more - so small chunking should work better.
DS says in comprehension tests, he reads, reads and reads again, then reads for each question - so a strategy in itself
Phonetically, he can de-code. Pronunciation can be awry on new words, such as yesterday Dynamo (Dynamo Kiev) was more Di than Die - n a m o, but then that isn't so unreasonable when you think of dynasty, dyspraxia and dyslexia
DS2 uses the skip/mumble a word when he doesn't know it - but also can de-code when reminded. He is Y3 and also 13 level, but there is a big difference between the 2 (yes, I know you shouldn't compare). DS2 can easily answer questions about the text. His skipping is laziness, brought about by the desire to get through it quickly.

[Inclusionist]

No, indeed. I agree paragraph by paragraph may not break the information down enough. Depends how bad the problem is.

[mrz]

I'm not sure that is going to help a child who misses words and lines?

Can he read the words he misses when you draw his attention to them or is he missing them because he hasn't got a strategy to tackle unfamiliar words?

[Inclusionist]

I like the method mrz describes for straight dyslexia. Problem with severe dyspraxia is that throwing in a fine motor activity like sliding the card word by word can actually add to the problem, especially if there are tracking issues.

Might be easier/ enough to have two blank cards and cover the paragraph above and below- then they only have to be moved at the end of each 'chunk' of text.

[mrz]

No I'm talking about paper based text. A simple cursor would be a card (bookmark) with a square cut from one corner. Use the square to reveal a word at a time while the rest of the text is screened by the card.

[maizieD]

We're not getting very far with his literacy difficulties, are we?

auntevil, is there any chance that you could answer my query?

I'll repeat my post with just the bits that I really want to find out!

His problem is that he adds/misses words and whole lines and then gets confused by the meaning.
He guesses at words and fits them to his context rather than the author's intention. If you go back over it with him, his decoding is fine.

And why do you think he does this?

[auntevil]

OT asked for the referral to optometry following a SIPT
Gross motor skills we do at home (I still have your list of activities saved mrz - and sometimes use to supplement when he gets bored )
SIPT noticed Post Rotary Nystagmus, but optometry say tracking is OK. They are currently going down Irlens route and using line guides, coloured background etc. I have provided writing slope and suitable pens.
For cursor - are we talking work based on laptop? How easy is it to get work onto this format?

[mrz]

Does your son attend Occupational therapy for his dyspraxia?
I would expect an exercise programme to include gross motor skills and visual tracking rather than just fine motor hand skills given the difficulties you describe.
A basic strategy would be to use a cursor to reveal text word by word and line by line (or syllable by syllable for more difficult words)

[auntevil]

The strategies for the dyspraxia are 15 min sessions each day improving fine motor hand skills.
There were other items on the IEP - that were provided by external sources. These have now finished. Until I re-refer to physio and OT for more services, where I have to justify why he needs re-referral (doh, like the dyspraxia is miraculously going to disappear after 3 months of physio and 5 weeks of OT) and wait 6-8 months for him to get back top the top of the list.
We do exercises and work at home, to continue the work of the OT and physio.
What I'm looking for is more than 1 item on his IEP and ones that address his reading and as inclusionist also mentioned, working/short term memory. The 2 are quite possibly linked.
I agree with the co-morbidity issues. The problem that I have found with the perception of dyspraxia is that some (not all) educationalists see the physical issues and not the social, emotional and other issues.
If you look at the criteria for dyspraxia, it looks like DS's CV. If you look at the criteria for dyslexia, it looks like DS's CV. There are so many crossovers.
It is easy to have divided opinions on this. He is also hypermobile. Does the poor handwriting stem from dyspraxia, hypermobility, or is there a visual aspect to this?
Realistically, getting the school to arrange an EP visit is highly unlikely. This is why I'm looking for suggestions that might have worked for others to build in to the IEP. If the targets are SMART, anything that does not achieve can be removed/reviewed.
SENco and CT are both OK at trying new ideas - when handed to them on a plate. Neither are particularly pro-active (also extremely busy and pushed to the limit work wise)
I still use dyspraxia as that, in the dim and distant days when he was dx, was what it was called DS3 is shortly to be assessed for the same. I'm expecting DCD for him!

[mrz]

auntevil I am not saying your son doesn't need support, as he clearly does, what I am saying is your description is of a child achieving considerably beyond age expectations.
His dyspraxia (DCD is the now term used in my LEA) is a more likely reason for his difficulties and this is where I would be providing support/strategies.

[Inclusionist]

I would say the DC has some 'literacy difficulties' when viewed in the context of his own academic potential, yes.

It's neither here nor there whether he has difficulties in comparison to other DC. (Not to me, anyway). It's not like the OP is fighting for 1-1 support, or any other 'drain' on SEN resources. Just looking for some decent IEP targets to help him overcome his own barriers!

[auntevil]

Which is my point maizieD
DS is bright - it is quite evident - school has said this. This is not a stealth boast as for all his academic abilities, he cannot do up buttons, use a knife and fork etc. He will have enough to contend with in life that as an adult, he will need to have developed as many other skills to compensate.
His literacy level is based on all aspects of literacy. He understands what is expected of him - his LOs and SCs. If he is told that he has to write on subject x and include 2 examples of 5 of the following in no less than 100 words, he will do this (has to work through break to complete - although this has been agreed with all parties) - and no more. His long term memory is phenomenal. If he heard a simile in Y2, he will re-use in Y5.
As I mentioned, his reading level is only classed as 11-13 - keeps changing back and forth. This is not particularly high.
My worry is as you say - that he's not going to get much further if we can't get to the bottom of this.
mrz - your point is also a concern for me.
Support can be very thin on the ground if academically a DC is achieving and only few social issues. I have seen this from the other side too.
When the same DS was at a previous school, and disputed dx of dyspraxia, sat him at the back of the classroom and told me at the end of reception that they couldn't score him properly as he hadn't 'mark-maked' all year, I had the opposite situation. I had been in for monthly meetings with SENco, OT had been in to show them what to do, what programmes, but I was consistently lied to that they were doing all of this.
I was advised by an independent organisation I could go 1 of 2 ways. I could fight and make changes happen, or I could leave it and it wouldn't be long before he would have to be statemented. I am not the sort of parent that could do the latter - so I made changes happen.
What worries me is that if there is this discrepancy between his reading and his academic ability - at what point might it hold him back - again. At what point will it have to get to until support has to be given?
I listen to him read, I know how much he misses out. I ask comprehension questions at the end, I know how much he hasn't picked up.
Apologies for long reply

[maizieD]

I think he can be described as having 'literacy difficulties' when you consider what the OP describes as his reading strategies! Missing out words and lines and guessing words isn't going to get him very much further than he is already...

[mrz]

Anyway, the DC in question has a longstanding dyspraxia diagnosis which may well manifest in some literacy difficulties of the type the OP describes. exactly! the difficulties described are quite possibly related to dyspraxia but can a child working 4-5 years ahead really be described as having literacy difficulties?

[maizieD]

I'll repeat my post with just the bits that I really want to find out!

"His problem is that he adds/misses words and whole lines and then gets confused by the meaning.
He guesses at words and fits them to his context rather than the author's intention. If you go back over it with him, his decoding is fine.

And why do you think he does this?

I could tell you why I think he does this and it has nothing to do with 'dyslexia'.
But I'd be interested to know what your understanding is of why he reads like this."

I am asking because I don't think that either of these reading 'behaviours' are likely to be neurological in origin.