Dyslexic child underachieving

[Purpleploppy]

Dc was diagnosed with dyslexia at beginning of y6. We were told they have a high IQ, and the expectation from the assessor (20 years plus qualified teacher) was that they would go into top sets at secondary, and could achieve very highly if all adjustments were put in place.

Dc is currently middling in terms of sets at end of y7 and got mediocre-poor results in the end of year exams. They had 25 percent extra time but even with this, they just couldn’t finish most of the exams. They did revise.

in addition, their executive function is quite poor and they really struggle with organisation, and having what they need when they need it etc.

They are compliant and interested in learning and broadly like school and their friends.

I have a SEN review meeting with the school soon. Is there any further support I can ask for? Dyslexia tutoring? We have done a visual stress test but the only outcome of that was a pair of glasses with minimal prescription for £400.
Thanks for any advice.

Other than 25% extra time, does DC have any other exam access arrangements?

What support is the school already providing and what have they already tried that hasn’t helped?

What support schools can offer at a SEN Support level varies depending on the school. Examples of support could include using a laptop and looking at assistive technology, use of programmes such as Lexia and a touch typing programme, breaking instructions down and checking DC have processed and understood instructions, looking at using visuals and checklists, looking at placement within the classroom, providing handouts/power points rather than expecting DC to copy from the board, not cold calling, pre-teaching new vocabulary, precision teaching, key worker/mentoring to support organisation/study skills looking at further exam access arrangements, looking at the homework load, movement breaks, and use of noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders. While some schools can, many schools can’t provide dyslexia tuition at SEN Support level. Some schools withdraw DC needing literacy support from MFL. Some DC with dyslexia need an EHCP, many don’t. You can request an EHCNA yourself if you want to do that.

A few thoughts from someone who has spent the last 16 years supporting children with dyslexia and additional learning needs.

The first thing I would say is that a high IQ and dyslexia can be a surprisingly frustrating combination. It is not uncommon for a child to understand the content well but struggle to demonstrate what they know under timed conditions.

The fact that your child received 25% extra time but still could not finish the exams suggests that it may be worth looking more closely at why they are running out of time. Extra time helps, but it does not automatically address the underlying difficulty.

For example:

• Are they reading significantly more slowly than their peers?
• Is writing speed a difficulty?
• Are they spending a long time planning and organising answers?
• Do they struggle to find information quickly in longer texts?
• Are executive functioning difficulties affecting revision, organisation and exam preparation?

These questions can help identify what support may be most useful.

I would ask the school what assessments they have carried out since the dyslexia diagnosis and whether they have any data on reading fluency, reading accuracy, writing speed or working memory. It is often easier to advocate for support when there is clear evidence showing where the bottleneck is.

Regarding tutoring, it depends on the nature of the difficulty. If the issue is still decoding, spelling or reading fluency, then structured literacy intervention can be helpful. If reading is broadly secure but organisation, planning and independent study are the main barriers, a different type of support may be needed.

I would also be cautious about visual stress claims. Some children genuinely find coloured overlays or tinted lenses helpful, but the evidence base is mixed and they are not generally considered a treatment for dyslexia itself.

For your meeting, I would be asking:

• What are the school's concerns?
• What assessments have been completed?
• What specific interventions are currently in place?
• How is progress being measured?
• What support is available for executive functioning and organisation?
• What is the plan for monitoring exam access arrangements as GCSEs approach?

I hope the review meeting is useful. It sounds as though your child has lots going for them, so the key is identifying the specific barrier rather than assuming extra time alone will solve it.

I'm dyslexic and so is my daughter.
Can I ask what mediocre is to you with regards to exam results? Some people will see a grade four for example as low but for some children that's a good grade? Middle sets can be quite normal for dyslexic children.
My understanding is that it's the transition from short/working memory to getting it down on paper, DC could have a really high IQ but might struggle to formulate answers on to paper. Is using a laptop an option?
Organisation is a thing to but for some dyslexic children but not others.