I mentioned the "D" word to DSs teacher and got shot down before I could even ask for assessment!

[teamcullen]

After giving DS a couple of weeks to settle into his new class (yr 6) I spoke to his teacher about his literacy. I was all set to ask if he could be tested for dyslexia, as he has a writing level of 2a, and other issues which seem to fit into being dyslexic.

She was telling me that they had set up his new IEP and were really going to tackle his literacy this year. As soon as I asked if she thorght it could be dyslexia that is causing his problems, straight away she said no and started talking me out of believing he is.

I trust this teacher to do the best for my DS and she does specialise in literacy, but why do teachers not want to believe our DCs might be dyslexic

I think sometimes you have to trust your instincts. I told the school SENCO 3 years ago, when ds was in reception that I was concerned he was on the autistic spectrum, she laughed and said, why on earth do you think that? 3 years later with a statement of special educational needs and a dx of AS the same teacher is now involved in helping find a new school for ds as they can no longer support his needs.

Is there someone else you can speak to about your concerns?

The SENCO did a lot of work with DS2 last year. He did Reading Recovery as he was not progressing as well as he should. He was found to have Irlen's Syndrome at the end of it. But it was things that she was pointing out when working with DS2 that made me start to think of DS1 being dyslexic.

We have a parents evening in October so I think I should prepare myself better for that. Im not very good at arguing my point to teachers!

Read up on it and start compiling a file. Match examples of Dyslexic traits with specific things that your ds does. Get ideas and support from other parents whose children have a dx.
Build up your ammunition.
Then go in with a reasonable but firm stance and listen, but treat any opposition as illogical if you are sure. She may be a literacy specialist, but not dyslexia.
Why don't teachers want to believe? Because it's often the first word parents reach for to explain any difficulties in reading writing and spelling without an understanding of what they are looking for.
Hence you collecting evidence and specific concerns, go in as informed as you can.

Have you fully explored Irlen's syndrome and given the school the chance to use strategies linked to that to support him? She might want to work on that first.

Thanks for that advice goblinchild, I will start to compile a file. his teacher taught my DD for 4 years and I know she will get the best out of him this year, she has already identified areas where he needs help which is more than his inexperienced teacher did last year. But its his last year in this school and I want to get him the right help now before he goes to secondary school.

Sorry i didnt make it very clear, Its my younger son who has Irlen's, and we are using the stratergies set out in his assessment last year (and trying to save up £200 for coloured lenses.)

You were clear, I was reading too fast and trying to cook dinner at the same time.

If you suspect your child might be dyslexic I would push for an assessment. A mother's instinct is most often right! There are various degrees of dyslexia and often teachers can only spot the most extreme cases. Unless the teacher is a trained educational pysc(which I doubt) it's not really her place to say whether a child has dyslexia or not.

My DD1 struggled and struggled all through Year 2. Despite me asking the teacher if she thought it was dyslexia I was fobbed off with a "she's a bit slow, lazy, etc". After another term of struggling I had her assessed and it turned out she was dyslexic.