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Primary education

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Original poster

Anyone managed to get a statement "just" for dyslexia?

33 replies

gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 00:28

DS1 is in Y3, has got all the way through to the Ed Psych assessment where it is confirmed that yes indeed he is dyslexic [at last], reading age of 5. School have had him on IEP's since the end of Reception, all interventions have been well documented. He struggles massively - and what concerns me most is that he needs heaps of support in place well before his move to high school. Yes I know it's three years off - but that time will fly and I know it.

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 16/04/2009 17:50

Make sure that the documentation goes with him to secondary school. My DS had help throughout and extra time for exams.

Mamazon · 16/04/2009 17:51

my brother has a statement for dyslexia.
it is is only condition.

he is 13 now but was 11 when he got his statement

mrz · 16/04/2009 20:07

It's rare for children to get statements for dyslexia... my LA doesn't recognise it as a condition!

piscesmoon · 16/04/2009 20:35

They might not call it dyslexia, but my DS got an IEP which is all that matters. He never had a statement but he was able to have extra time in GCSEs and extra English lessons. You often have to push for it.

mrz · 16/04/2009 20:50

It's relatively easy for schools to get extra time for children in exams for a variety of reasons but depending on your LA statements can be impossible to get.

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:19

so another postcode lottery - fantastic
I just wondered if there was likely to be a chance, y'see. I will be jumping all over it.
It's good to know that the IEP and paperwork should give him a start on getting support and extra time for exams and stuff. At the moment it's hard to see much progress at all as his decoding skills are virtually non-existent, and his writing is very poor. Predictions say he might manage a reading age of 7.5 to 8 by the time he leaves primary

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Hassled · 16/04/2009 22:23

I have a friend whose DS got a Statement in Year 6 for Dyslexia - and it has been a godsend at High School. It is possible.

cornsilk · 16/04/2009 22:25

You need to fight for it as a parent. It's possible.

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:26

hassled, could you give me a vague clue what area?

Assuming that my ds is quite severe on the dyslexia scale, with a high IQ (frustrating) I wonder whether we have a case on those grounds... anyone know if this is the case?

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Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:27

so it seems, corny

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FiveGoMadInDorset · 16/04/2009 22:28

I used to work as a TA with agirl who had a statement for duslexia, so it is possible.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 16/04/2009 22:29

And that was Dorset LEA

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:29

ahh, plenty of hope vibes - thank you all ladies

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cornsilk · 16/04/2009 22:31

The school or yourselves will have to prove that his needs can't be met by the school. Is he at school action plus? If so how long has he been at that stage for? There was a massive gap between IQ and attainment with my ds also and he didn't get a statement unfortunately.

stillenacht · 16/04/2009 22:36

In my GS school we have about 30 or so children with dyslexia none have statements. It is possible tho i am sure.

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:43

he's on action plus, but only since October. He was on school action for 3 yrs (? obv, sorry)

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cornsilk · 16/04/2009 22:45

The school or yourselves will have to prove that his needs can't be met on action plus. Make sure they're giving you regular IEP's.

stillenacht · 16/04/2009 22:45

My DS1 is going to be assessed for dyslexia in 2 weeks giggle - he is on school action (year 5) and has been since reception. Good luck! My other DS has a full statement due to his low functioning autism. Keep fighting for it!

cornsilk · 16/04/2009 22:47

Have you spoken to your LEA's parent partnership officer Gigglewitch? They are usually very helpful.

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:48

thanks cornsilk Could you give me any clues how we evidence that they're not meeting his needs - that's a difficult one. Doing loads of interventions and giving him some classroom support, yes, but it is shared. Do we head down the direction that he needs individual support or more individualised teaching?

Ironically I'm a sen teacher - but they all come ready 'packaged and parcelled' and I don't deal in the statement process at all, they've all got them by the time they get to me!

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Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:49

yes - am in touch with the parent partnership and they've been fab. Good idea to speak to them again, though!

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stillenacht · 16/04/2009 22:49

we had to go to our area education officer for DS2

cornsilk · 16/04/2009 22:51

LOL gigglewitch - you're just like me!
The school need to say they've tried x,y and z but it hasn't worked. I would say with dyslexia he needs regular individual teaching from a specialist teacher - is there one working in his school?

Original poster
gigglewitch · 16/04/2009 22:52

stillenacht - with ASD??!! This is the area I teach in, without a doubt they all need individual support and I thought that Statements were almost automatic. Am shocked.

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stillenacht · 16/04/2009 22:55

oh no they are not automatic - we have to go through an observation and assessment period of 6 months and an Ed Psych report (when he was just 4)...he was dx at 28 months...no we had the whole lot to go through but in a way it was pretty obvious cos if he didn't get one no other bugger would!