DD just dx with dyslexia - foreign languages/other suggestions - beginner's survival pack please!

[ErnestTheBavarian]

Ok, I'm hyperventilating. We are in Germany. DD, aged 9, 4th Class. Just been diagnosed as dyslexic.

She starts secondary school in September. We have to choose in the next few weeks.

The diagnosis has turned everything on it's head. She wanted to attend a language specialist school, where she would have to do German (standard) and English (also standard), then she could choose latin or French, and would 3 years later learn Spanish.

I have just been reading that foreign langauges are particularly hard for dyslexics, so this is probably not the right choice for her now. She is a very good at using langauge, it is definitely a real strength, very eloquent, great use of vocabulary etc, which is why she wanted to study langugaes. But she has never had to learn a new, foreign language, so no experience.

Other option would be same school, but choosing business studies . where she would (on top of the German and English) be able to choose just 1 other langauge, Latin or French. But she is not keen on the idea of business studies. (or Latin) I've read French is a particularly bad option for people with dyslexia?

3rd option would be a totally differnet school ( ) where she could specialise in sciences, where, like with the buisiness studies option, (on top of the German and English) be able to choose just 1 other langauge, Latin or French.

So, which school, and specialism? I feel like I need to learn and understand a huge amount in a very short time.

Any tips on how best to help her learning/daily life/anything would be appreciated! Books/apps/even computer maybe?? thanks

Silly question but how dyslexic is she. I was diagnosed with mild dyslexia at the age of 12, did 3 languages to GCSE, two to A Level and a degree in modern languages where I picked up two new ones. So it can definitely be done.
Can you spend the next few weeks getting her on something like Duolinguo to see if she enjoys that experience of language learning? And maybe try and get her to translate some of what she's learning to paper? May help you and her get a sense of how easy it hard it will be.

Thanks for replying Milli... The answer to your question is I don't know. Several people (diagnosing doctor, school psychologist, head teacher, teacher who was SEN....) and their responses vary from it's not that bad to it's really bad She is very good orally. Sometimes makes a million spelling mistakes (like every other word) and sometimes almost none. Again, .

She reads quite well, but reluctantly. She will get a 1/1+ (A/A*) in eg maths tests or ones where she just has to learn information and answer straightforward questions, if that makes sense. But the last maths test was lots of word problems, or more complicated, several steps instructions, and she got a 4. She also ran out of time. SO the test with more language and reading, she did significantly worse in. She just had to write a story and got a 4. It would have been a 3 but she made so many spelling mistakes it took her down a grade. And again, she ran out of time. She is horrifically disorganised.

She is at the level, where she is legally entitled to more times in tests, having the questions read out to her, having the test paper enlarged to A3 size etc Does this give a clue? Does it suggest mild or more serious to you?

But thanks for your suggestion re Duolingo! Of course! I feel totally stupid that I didn't think of it! I'll definitely do that.

Oh, and thanks for the reassurance. We are going to visit the schools in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we can ask what support they have. What are good questions to ask or find out? Other than do they have good support for dyslexia!

Some kids do well in languages - DS has higher levels in Spanish than English.

Look at the British dyslexia association

Some kids are coping dyslexics others aren't - depends on the areas they need help with

Spelling
Writing
Reading
Memory
Processing

All or a few?

I think you're in shock and need to ask some questions - the first being What's does DD want to learn?

I think there would be a difference between a dyslexic bilingual child and a dyslexic monolingual child. I'm dyslexic and wasn't good at languages, then as an adult I had to learn a second language. Now I find languages easier, like my brain strengthened that area. My son has ADHD and dyslexia, he's also bilingual from childhood so new languages have not been difficult for him. Also some languages would be easier, for example Spanish or Italian is easy to decode and read than say English.