Frustrated after SENCO meeting

[Mreid]

Can anyone give me any advice as I feel I am hitting a brick wall yet again. My daughter is 8 yrs old. All the way through infants I was told she was taking it at her own pace (I voiced my concerns about how much this would put her behind). I feel there is something wrong (dyslexic) and brought this up at parents evening last Feb. She is extremely quiet in class and I feel if she had behaviour problems something would be done before now. Anyway cut a long story short,after meeting last night I felt I was fobbed off. The meeting was intimidating with the senco and 2 other teachers present. I wanted to know what age level she is at for her age in all subjects.. e.g reading age 6yrs (2 yrs behind). I was told they don't do that. They made me feel that it was in my head but I know my child. I was also told that if she was assessed they could not pick up dyslexia. She as most of the symptoms, letters and numbers wrong way round and lack of concentration. Her tantrums are getting worst,which I only have when she is at school. I feel it's out of frustration because she is given work like the rest of the class and left in a corner to plod on. Please can anybody give me advice as I don't know what else to do.
Thank you

Sorry you're going through this. How do they know that the assessment could not pick up dyslexia if they have not actually assessed her?

I agree, I asked for her to be assessed in Feb and they told me that she couldn't as the list was full up. I was go through doctors which I did. Appointment came through end Of Aug only to be told that I couldn't go through the docs it had to be the school. I asked this doc about paying for it ourselves and she advised me not to because the school sometimes won't use the findings from this and yet again as to be the school education physcologist. Whilst she was there she was checked physically to rule things out...everything okay. They are always quick to put her forward for speech and therapy, which she did in Yr 1 after I asked for it because the teacher hadn't heard her talk.

Sorry Mreid you are going through this. I have been through this and it is extremely common for schools to be this rubbish.

First of all, assume she has dyslexia. A dx buys you nothing. If she is having serious difficulties at school with no other problems than she has dyslexia

Secondly, the school won't tell you her reading age - but they should tell you what levels she is currently working at. If she is in Year 4 she should be working at a level 3. If she is working at a level 2 she is 2 years behind where she should be. Insist they tell you her levels.

Thirdly, although it is very hard to get to see an EP - make them get the SpLD (specific learning disability) team to see her. This service is free to the school and is not limited.

Fourthly ring Parent Partnership for advice. They will know about SpLD in your area etc.

If Parent Partnership confirm that the SpLD team is free in your LEA and the SENCO refuses to tell you her levels or to refer her to the SpLD team Parent Partnership and the chair of governers can be brought in to a meeting between you and the SENCO.

I had to do this...

Good luck. It is a hard battle you are going to have to fight.

Thanks IndigoBell,
They told me her level, which is Level 1. I don't understand these levels and they did not explain them to me.
I am waiting to be assigned a Parent Partnership Officer, called last Thurs and expected a call today or tomorrow as they told me it will be up to 5 days.
Thank you again and I am going to fight and won't give up...it shouldn't have to be like that though

Ok - a level 1 is the expected level for Year 1. So she is doing pretty badly. She should be on the SEN register and have an IEP in place.

My DD is 7 and in Y3 and is a level 1 and she has been on the SEN register since Y1. (Due to dyslexia not for any other reasons)

She is getting :

1. 1 hour a day small group literacy work and 2) 1:1 reading every day with either a TA or the teacher.

So your school needs to be doing something like this - or you'll have to move schools.