Understanding Dyslexia diagnosis

[despondentatwork]

Hi, my 13yo DD was diagnosed with Dyslexia exactly a year ago at the very beginning of Lockdown. It was a Private assessment we paid for, but was recommended by her school-they were unable to fund. The school SENCO was made aware of the disgnosis & an IEP put in place. However, all the IEP really suggests is that she is given extra time; & verbal & written instructions: time to process what is being asked, time to understand & complete the work & to look at quality of work & not quantity. Lockdown, of course meant no verbal instructions were really given (some pre recorded lessons & videos). She seems to have struggled massively with knowing what she's meant to be doing. And organising her time. Also, when I asked what help she needed, she didn't really know! So her understanding of what was required of her, or what problems she's actually having, appears to be limited. She's struggled with using Google Classroom & switching between various Apps/methods of handing work in. Needless to say, she has missed a lot of work.
I want to understand in lay man's terms WHAT her exact issues are. I have the report from the EP, but am struggling to understand the jargon & how it translates to her wee world/comprehension.
I am also quite concerned that she may have ADHD-the inattentive type. She seems absolutely incapable of avoiding distractions & does not respond to consequences at all. We have had so many different attempts to help her, but it's exhausting keeping her on track! HELP!

Assuming that you paid a lot of money for the private dyslexia diagnosis, could you go back and ask them to explain it to you?

Or provide school with a copy and ask them to explain her areas of difficulty?

An IEP is a method of setting, monitoring and reviewing targets every term. What are your dd's targets?

Many schools and LEAs have a policy of addressing the 'symptoms' of dyslexia in exactly the way you describe, through differentiated expectations, additional time and so on. If you think she needs a specific intervention, you could discuss this with the SENCO or ask them to recommend one to trial at home.

In terms of organisation - are there strategies you could help your dd with? She needs to write down her homework, ask teachers for clarification if she doesn't understand the expectations, and find out how to submit her work. I'd be surprised if school hadn't already done all of that tbh.

Regarding ADHD. Pathways to diagnosis vary from area to area. Again, talk to school about a referral, or the way to self-refer if they don't see those behaviours in school.