Is it worth getting dyslexia test for 6year old?

[lambethma]

Hello all
DD is in year 1 and bright but HATES school with a passion "it is so boring it HURTS mummy" (I don't think she means 'boring' she means 'I don't like it'). She absolutely loves stories and would be read to all day long if she could, but when you ask her to read you get a violent reaction (at home anyway) - as if something painful is going on in her brain (I think). She will sit and look at picture books happily but she will not read the words herself unless you sit down and go through it with her (cue angry reactions and general bad temperedness).

On her spelling learning she wrote 4 out of 7 words is a muddled up way (e.g. now - 'nwo', down 'dwno', see 'ees', and for 'fro')
I've spoken to her teacher twice since half term (I'm becoming THAT mother) and she is lovely, but says that dyslexia isn't something the school talk about. --- erm.... what do I do? DD can't follow simple instructions either e.g. , put on your pants and then your vest... but maybe that's just because she hates school and doesn't want to get dressed... is this just perfectly normal 6 year old stuff?? No one else in her class seems to hate school quite as much; TBH it looks like a lot of fun to me, SOO much better than 1977, except I remember a home corner and a lot more playing....

I think the earliest you can do a dyslexia test is 7 so you probably won't be able to get one yet. Have a word with the school teachers and then senco. You can't do dyslexia tests though the school though so you will need to pay for one privately.

Whether you get her assessed or not the school need to listen to your concerns. I would arrange a meeting with the class teacher and senco and start asking them how they plan to address the problems your daughter is having. Being so turned off school at her age is a problem. If you get no where involve governors and local parent partnership.

My ds has similar difficulties and the school is being helpful now which is how your dd's school should be. We have and are still having issues over how they deal with my ds and I continue to keep the pressure on. You will need to be 'that mother'. I'm one and will be for as long as required.

Took me ages, with lots of parent-teacher meetings before the teacher advised a dyslexia test. Turned out that DD2 wasn't dyslexic but has other reading barriers. The report was really useful, helping her class teacher and the SEN team provide targeted support. If you can, I'd strongly advise getting the test done.

Dyslexia is not a label generally given before a child is about 7 and a half. How a school goes about testing for it, sadly differs from Local Authority to Local Authority. However in most LAs the Educational Psychologist would be the starting point and would assess the three areas referred to in the Jim Rose report (2010). These relate to Phonological Awareness, Speed of processing (auditory) and Working Memory. Many Authorities also have Specialist Advisory Teachers for Specific Learning Difficulties who could help and assess. A referral to the Orthoptist can identify whether the child has a reference eye for reading but they do not assess children under the age of 7 and a half.

The Ed Psyche would assess a child at 6 but would/should not give a label of Dyslexia at 6 but could identify needs and support with strategies. The snag is that most Services are now traded, ie schools have to buy in their service and not all schools do...so it also depends from school to school what sort of support your child could receive.

I agree though, the first step is to meet with teacher and SENCO.

Many thanks everyone. I've got an appointment to talk to the SENCO and I've been finding out more about dyslexia and child development, a friend who is a teacher gave me some tips about big finger writing on the wall to help with 'getting' it between verbal spelling and spelling on paper. I am looking for solutions as to why DD hates going to school so much, the other children seem to love it. So thanks all of you again for help, advice and sensible suggestions.

As I understand it they don't test before 7.5 because some of the criteria for a school to accept there's a prob is for the child to be X months behind where their general intelligence would suggest that they should be. And it takes a couple of years before (in school terms) before those expectations and 'norms' can be measured ie it isn't possible to say that a six year old has a reading age of 4 because generally 4 year olds don't read! Clear as mud?

Of course none of this means that your dd isn't dyslexic or that she doesn't have specific learning difficulties that are making school a misery for her. If you can find the cash then a private psych report can be useful in pinpointing the areas she has issues in so you can work to her strengths. There is also a book called Apples and Pears (I think) that I used with ds before he was officially 'diagnosed' and it helped his reading hugely. Unfortunately none of these things are cheap - a private test will cost upwards of 400 quid. But tbh it was the best money we've ever spent in terms of ds's learning issues and his personal happiness - ie him understanding that while he had some issues to overcome he also had some special skills that he could deploy to tackle the situation. Good luck with the senco - your daughter is lucky to have a good advocate in her mum.

Just a thought, have you taken her for an eyesight test. I doubt that her eyesight would explain the scrambled letters, but it worth geting it checked anyway.

My DD wasn't formally diagnosed until year 5 but in Year 1 she had intensive intervention because we strongly suspected Dyslexia ( strong family history) . The methods the SEN teacher used were in any case ones you would use with any child struggling to learn literacy skills through traditional teaching methods, whether dyslexic or not. We (a lot of extra work at home) got her up to average level and she uses the tools she was given even now, she is 17. And yes, using her finger to write in sand was one method. If the school cannot respond the reputable charities like Dyslexia Action can help as well.

We had ds tested age 6y 8m - best thing we ever paid £400 for. We all felt much better to find out. Our LA wont test until they are 3 years behind (and have no chance if catching up)
Ds problem is a very very poor working memory, so links to other struggles too - like following instructions.

If you can afford to then do it. School did respond and make changes - not as much as I would like but he is my son and I want him to achieve his potential - not just be "ok"

Also if she is dyslexic she will need strategies to overcome this - more than just going over and over phonics and the basics

dana2005, I completely agree, but ideally by a behavioural optometrist. This American video published by COVA explains why it is important not to just test for 20/20

I couldn't launch your link...sensorychange.co.uk would you check to see that you haven't missed a character?