Need advice for Dyslexia research, Brighton area

[arunadasi]

Hello everyone! This is my very first post here on Mumsnet; I'm hoping you can help! I also hope this post is allowed, as it is for information really and not for help for myself, though I am a mother (two children, boy and girl).
First of all, may I introduce myelf -- I'm an author; I write novels, five published so far, and in my latest one I'm a bit stuck, as I do not live in the UK now and that is where the novel is set.
It's about a family living in a village outside Brighton -- the parents have adopted a little girl from India, and it turns out she is dyslexic. They cannot afford to send her to an independent school. My question is basically: what help, if any, would be given to such a child in the state school system? She is five years old and is only just beginning to learn English anyway. It turns out she cannot read letters, writes them backwards, reads backwards, is totally confused by anything written. However, she is gifted as a musician.... with a natural gift for playing by ear.
Mostly, I'd like to know what help would be given such a child at school. What problems the parents would have. Are there special schools for this, special classes?
Thanks in advance!

Hello - this website should help :-)
www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/parent/choosing-a-school

Depends how bad her needs are. The fact that they can't afford an independent school makes no odds, even if they'd won the euromillions it doesn't mean there's provison out there I have a son who's VERY dyslexic and live near Brighton so I speak from bitter experience. As it happens he gets funding via an EHCP and is actually placed at an independent school.

Thanks for responding! It's actually useful to know that. Thanks again.

Also it is rare to get an official diagnosis of dyslexia before the age of 7. It can happen, but as children are just learning to read at 5 it is common to may the sort of errors you are describing, hence the reluctance to 'label' too early. This can be very frustrating as a parent when you know something is wrong. I might find a plot line where a 5 year old has a been recognised as having dyslexia to not ring true, but a plot about the struggles for recognition and then for support much more so.

You don't necessarily get earlier diagnosis or better support in private schools anyway. Think your premise might be flawed!

At 5 nobody would be thinking Dyslexia. They'd think she was 5. And they'd do nothing.

No to special schools. And no to special classes.

She'd be on an intervention. I.e. (Especially if she was older) do extra work in a group with a TA (teaching assistant)

School would tell parents nothing was wrong. Because the last thing teachers want is worried parents.

I work in an eye clinic. It is not uncommon for children with dyslexia to have visual stress and need coloured overlays/glasses.
This testing is available on the NHS and the NHS provide coloured overlays. Glasses have to be paid for though as not funded.
Children with dyslexia also can have problems with their convergence, accommodation, saccadic eye movements and tracking which can also be tested by an Orthoptist on the NHS.
I agree most SENCo's at schools don't go down the testing for dyslexia route until 7/8 as children develop at different rates.
There is usually help in place before that though if they are struggling.
The only way an official diagnosis can be made is by an educational psychologist.
Look at www.thedyslexiashop.co.uk and www.crossboweducation.com.

Also Google Maple Hayes School in Lichfield.

DD is dyslexic and a good musician when playing by ear.
Her piano teacher at school used to shout at her to look at the music and cover her hands with a sheet of paper to stop her looking at them, she used to remember the patterns her fingers made as well as playing by ear.
DD got to grade four before she told me how much she disliked the lessons 😢 and we stopped them.
Looking back I think the actual music reading/lessons were good for her concentration and brain connections.(have also read this) played from age 6-10.
But it clearly wasn't much fun.
She is 18 now and has been learning to DJ for the last few years. That has structure and pattern but she mainly still works by ear.
Comes out of those lessons saying I don't know why I love it so much but it just makes me happy.