Dyslexia?

[Anna85]

What age can they assess a child for dyslexia?

DS has ASD/ADHD and recently told he is delayed in visual perception which could be the reason for his problems but also this mirrors dyslexia!

He muddles letters and thinks some are numbers. Handwriting is a problem and general literacy he finds hard!

Just wondering what age they assess and who does?

It would normally be from around age 7 and ideally an Ed Psych although in practice the school SENCO may "screen" prior to referring. Before 7 reversals and confusion are common.

There's a high co-morbidity rate between ADHD and dyslexia/SPLD. An assessment can be carried out by an Ed Psych or a specialist SPLD teacher who has an AMBDA qualification. There are screening tests that start from age 5 although some difficulties such as muddling letters can be developmental up to about age 7.

So would you say I shouldn't be concerned?

If he is 5 probably not yet , if he is 9 then yes.

Indigo has a website with loads of helpful info - she may be along soon. What is it about literacy that he finds hard do you think?

Lots of things really the sounds, what he thinks the letters are etc!! Concentration or lack of it doesn't help but numbers he loves!

Hi Anna85. DS has DCD (dev dyspraxia) I really suspect Dyslexia too. He is 6.5. I am basically working with DS as if he has dyslexia and I feel this way I can make sure he is getting the best help I can give him.

Dyslexia is a man made problem about having problems processing or accessing a man made communication system the visual notation of speech, or decoding and recoding the graphic symbols society chooses to represent the sounds of speech.
There are two types of dyslexia Developmental Dyslexia, which has a genetic origin, and Alexia, acquired dyslexia, which is the result of a brain injury, substance abuse, stroke, dementia or some form of progressive illness.

Most children have Developmental Dyslexia, which has three cognitive subtypes: auditory, visual, and attentional. which means that an auditory processing disorder, a visual processing disorder, an attention disorder, or any combination of the three can cause the dyslexic symptom. Any diagnosis of dyslexia is only a screening process for one or more of the underlying causes which should be referred to an audiologist, optometrist, and or psychiatrist, who are the required specialists able to provide the clinical diagnosis of the underlying causes of any dyslexic symptom. Each different underlying cause requires a different types of support program.

Each dyslexic is different having various underlying issues, and different alternative compensating abilities to work around their information processing deficits / disorders. The Genetic link means that at least one parent will have some ideas as to best help a young dyslexic based on their own experiences of how they coped.