EHCP for dyslexia anything I can do at home?

[HelpingToHelpHer]

DD is 7, year 3 and has quite severe dyslexia. She also has joint hypermobility syndrome and so some of her progress is held back by that. We’re also on the diagnosis path for a genetic condition but that’ll be diagnosed by NHS and not EP/School, so it could be awhile, she meets all the symptoms for it though.

She generally loves school but hates working 1-1. Her reading is at lower Year 1 level – she can’t read more than 2-3 words, needs to learn her CEWs and her writing is lower reception level, mostly scribbles on the page with the occasional recognizable letter.

As I said she hates 1-1 in school, will do everything to get out of it. She works better in a group but doesn’t contribute to the group as she doesn’t want to be made a fuss of or seen as different. Even if her 1-1 sits with her in class she tells her to go away and help the others as she doesn’t want to be made a fuss of. She tells me she hates school because everyone else sits with their friends and she sits with Mrs Y her 1-1.

I think it’s a school in general problem not this school specifically. She’s only in a class of 22 and all the other schools I saw had larger classes and the 1-1 would be needed to help in the general class as well as with DD which is not what I want for her – her current class has a class TA in the morning and her 1-1 will help other children around DD if DD is getting on ok and not in need of help which was a fair compromise for me.

EHCP review is coming up at half term and wondered what I can ask for to help in school? I really want her to be working with her 1-1; she will not leave the classroom to do this so need to find ways to make it work. She has 2 1-1s, 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon deliberately so that she’s not reliant on one (others in the school have the same, the 1-1s job share, and swap around it’s school policy). She has a great relationship with both and trusts them both.

Also what can I do to help her at home? School say to read to her every night but only read the reading scheme books twice a week as DD remembers the story so doesn’t attempt to read. School are also saying to keep up with her two extra curricular activities (Brownies and Swimming) so needs to fit into the remaining 3 nights a week.

She goes to her dads EOW for 1 night and he won’t even read a story to her so needs to fit into the week ideally.

So what to ask for in EHCP review that might work? And also what to do at home with her to help her progress?

She already has an EHCP? (not clear) or receives additional support that is funded? Or both?

An EHCP for dyslexia is unusual (LA variable) and even if granted wouldn't typically come with any funding. What funding model does your LA use?

What would you want the outcome of an EHCP review to be?

@Tooembarrassingtomention

She already has an EHCP? (not clear) or receives additional support that is funded? Or both?

An EHCP for dyslexia is unusual (LA variable) and even if granted wouldn't typically come with any funding. What funding model does your LA use?

What would you want the outcome of an EHCP review to be?

Not sure she has an actual EHCP she definitely has funding though from somewhere.

Funding is for 15 hours 1-1 per week which is split between English and then other subjects, she's fine in Maths.

Outcome I'd like her to start making some progress and accepting that she needs the help she's been given. I'm worried the funding will go if she continues to refuse to work with the 1-1s.

I would suggest looking up multisensory spelling, nessy and IDL. All could be done in school and at home so you'd be working together to support her. You could ask what they're spending their notional budget on with regards to your daughter (each school in my area has to show your spending £6000 of your own budget before the LA will consider topping it up. This is legally dubious, but would be interesting perhaps to see wvat the school already have in place?)

At home, buy dyslexia friendly books, or a device where you can change the colour of the screen and enlarge the text, and change the font to a more dyslexia friendly one. You can do this with the Kindle app. The Libby app is linked to your library card and gives you access to ebooks, magazines and audio books for free. Get her to listen to ebooks, you reading to her as well as attempting it herself too, try not to make reading a battle but something pleasurable. 20 mins where you both sit down with a warm drink, cuddle up and read for pleasure is very valuable. As Dd got more confident I'd have a couple of biscuits ready to go and let her listen while she ate hers and then when it was my turn to have my biscuits she would read to me.

You can buy a reading pen, they can be £££ these pens are used in exams by some of our students with dyslexia. Many students who hate sitting with a TA or being read to by a person really like using them as it gives them some independence.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

At home, buy dyslexia friendly books, or a device where you can change the colour of the screen and enlarge the text, and change the font to a more dyslexia friendly one. You can do this with the Kindle app. The Libby app is linked to your library card and gives you access to ebooks, magazines and audio books for free. Get her to listen to ebooks, you reading to her as well as attempting it herself too, try not to make reading a battle but something pleasurable. 20 mins where you both sit down with a warm drink, cuddle up and read for pleasure is very valuable. As Dd got more confident I'd have a couple of biscuits ready to go and let her listen while she ate hers and then when it was my turn to have my biscuits she would read to me.

You can buy a reading pen, they can be £££ these pens are used in exams by some of our students with dyslexia. Many students who hate sitting with a TA or being read to by a person really like using them as it gives them some independence.

We read everynight in bed, cuddled up in her blanket. She doesn't attempt to read the book but enjoys the story and listening. Will look into the Libby App as we both have library cards and use them regularly.

Ebooks would be good for the car thank you, will definitely look into some, we drive to and from Brownies and Swimming so can be used then.

Will look into dyslexia friendly books. I'm sure the ipad has a mode to change the colour of the screen too, thank you for your suggestions very helpful.

@ILoveAnOwl

I would suggest looking up multisensory spelling, nessy and IDL. All could be done in school and at home so you'd be working together to support her. You could ask what they're spending their notional budget on with regards to your daughter (each school in my area has to show your spending £6000 of your own budget before the LA will consider topping it up. This is legally dubious, but would be interesting perhaps to see wvat the school already have in place?)

Thank you will look into these, and suggest them to school.

An EHCP is a statutory process- you would know.
You can get high needs funding without an EHCP in most LAs.

Does she had an individual/personal education plan? You would see that each term when you meet to discuss it (ideally not as part of parent evening but additional)

Ask to meet with the SENCo and clarify what is in place:
Legally
To support her

@Tooembarrassingtomention

An EHCP is a statutory process- you would know. You can get high needs funding without an EHCP in most LAs.

Does she had an individual/personal education plan? You would see that each term when you meet to discuss it (ideally not as part of parent evening but additional)

Ask to meet with the SENCo and clarify what is in place:
Legally
To support her

We have a meeting each half term, I don't go in at Parents Evening at all, they let me see her books or school work during these meetings. They last about 45-60 minutes. Senco is usually there but she's DDs class teacher this year so it'll just be her this time.

Will ask if it's an EHCP or just an individual plan with funding thank you will be useful to clarify.

What about asking for 30 mins a day with a specialist teacher rather than 1-1, if she is ok in maths. Then she is getting specialist help. Outcomes for children with 1-1's is not always as good as could be (they are normally not teachers, so child not getting access to a teacher, doesn't just apply for dyslexia, but all learning difficulties). It could be done at the same time as the rest of the class are doing spellings/handwriting

I have a dyslexic child who was working at a similar level at that age - he also hated working with a 1-1 (and still does!).

The single thing that helped him the most was when his school introduced him to SymWriter at the beginning of Y4. Its a sort of pictorial based word processing program. It gave him the tools to work independently and to get some of the ideas in his head written down. He used the classroom computer, and his teacher told me that when they were working with partners, everyone wanted to be paired up with him so they could use the computer! It was an absolute game changer for him. Might be something to research and ask your DD's school about?

DS is 12 now, and uses a laptop with spellchecker for all his work. He's also just been assessed as having a reading age of 15 - something I never in a million years thought would happen.

@ApplePippa

I have a dyslexic child who was working at a similar level at that age - he also hated working with a 1-1 (and still does!).

The single thing that helped him the most was when his school introduced him to SymWriter at the beginning of Y4. Its a sort of pictorial based word processing program. It gave him the tools to work independently and to get some of the ideas in his head written down. He used the classroom computer, and his teacher told me that when they were working with partners, everyone wanted to be paired up with him so they could use the computer! It was an absolute game changer for him. Might be something to research and ask your DD's school about?

DS is 12 now, and uses a laptop with spellchecker for all his work. He's also just been assessed as having a reading age of 15 - something I never in a million years thought would happen.

Thank you will look into it, I am happy to fund or partially fund somethings anyway so I can always put it to the school like that.

My DS is dyslexic and was a slow to learn reader.

Definitely audiobooks - the library for Libby/Borrowbox and also check out the charity www.calibreaudio.org.uk who provide audiobooks for dyslexic/ blind/ disabled readers.

Another small thing which we found helped was to turn on the subtitles on TV programmes and films etc. DS is now 19 but still prefers to watch with subtitles as he find the audio/visual combination really helped him cement certain words and sounds.

Children who are dyslexic in my school use these 'reading rulers' and find them helpful.

I used to buy DD High Interest Low Reading age books to read - people with dyslexia may not like reading, because its hard; but like anything, the more they practise the better.

I also used to buy her like a coloured ruler over lay (from a specialist dyslexia supplier), which I could put over the line she was reading, but covered up the line beneath - as she was very poor at horizontal tracking and tended to read words from other lines on the page. We had already found at the opticians a light green overlay was much better for her, than reading black print on a white page.

If you could possibly afford it, I would look for a specialist teacher, who works in private practice and pay for that weekly.

I could have written your exact post.

DD has quite severe dyslexia and is hypermobile. Didn't learn to read till she was 7 and spelling is a mystery to her still.

The big game changer for us was learning to touch type and using a laptop and spell check for everything. Audio books and films are also really useful.

DD is now 12 and managed to come top of the top set of some subjects last year (essay type subjects, not maths). At Y3/Y4 stage I was honestly wondering if she would ever even be capable of sitting GCSEs let alone doing well in them.

We used English Type Junior to learn the touch typing - DD really enjoyed it.

Other things that help

• having a laminated list of high frequency words.
• dyslexia friendly books that have age appropriate stories and easier text.

Things like toe-by-toe and nessy were a total flop for DD. She could do them fine at the time, but by the next morning she'd have forgotten again (working memory is her major problem area).

@OhCrumbsWhereNow

I could have written your exact post.

DD has quite severe dyslexia and is hypermobile. Didn't learn to read till she was 7 and spelling is a mystery to her still.

The big game changer for us was learning to touch type and using a laptop and spell check for everything. Audio books and films are also really useful.

DD is now 12 and managed to come top of the top set of some subjects last year (essay type subjects, not maths). At Y3/Y4 stage I was honestly wondering if she would ever even be capable of sitting GCSEs let alone doing well in them.

We used English Type Junior to learn the touch typing - DD really enjoyed it.

Other things that help

• having a laminated list of high frequency words.
• dyslexia friendly books that have age appropriate stories and easier text.

Things like toe-by-toe and nessy were a total flop for DD. She could do them fine at the time, but by the next morning she'd have forgotten again (working memory is her major problem area).

Working memory is a problem for us to, ask her what we did on holiday two years ago and she can tell you. Ask her what she had for breakfast at 7am this morning and she'll giggle because she's forgotten!

Thank you for the tips will look into them.