DD teacher thinks she has a learning disability - Any ideas what it could be please?

[mummytopebs]

DD is nearly 7 and has always been behind her peers at school. She is currently around 2 years behind on reading and is not very good at spelling and can not seem to pick up the blends of words. Bit of background she was a late walker around 17 month, she didnt learn her colours till she was 5, couldnt write her name till 5, didnt learn the full alphabet till 6. She couldnt ride her bike till this September and she still cant use a knife and is a very messy eater. She was always and still is a very emotional child she gets upset very easy and has meltdowns, she also worrys a lot.

Any ideas?

Really no idea, sorry. I'd say you need to see your GP and ask to be referred to a developmental paediatrician to be assessed. In parallel, are the school supporting your DD? Is she on school action or school action plus? Has an ed Psych been involved?

The doctors may be able to give you a DX but it's the school that will be able to actually help your DD to reach her potential. Has a statement of SEN been mentioned? Sorry it's all questions, but we can't DX over the internet!

Some form of dyspraxia would be the obvious. I suggest you push for Statutory Assessment, either through school or GP, and be very encouraging of her to keep her self esteem going.

And hopefully the experts of the board will be along shortly with more useful advice!

Has your DD seen a developmental paediatrician to date?. The GP should refer you to such a person given her difficulties at school and home in terms of eating food.

Am no expert but your DD may well be on the autistic spectrum. Dyspraxia is another condition that may well feature here with her too.

What additional help if any are they providing her with at school?. Its a lot for you to cope with on top of everything else that is going on but I would now look into applying for a Statement of special needs from your LEA. She clearly needs additional help in school otherwise she could fall even further behind in relation to her peers.

I have to say her teacher so far has been excellent. She has an individual learning plan and her teacher is providing with a lot of extra support. She has bought her some phonic books to read and a blends game for us to do at home. Her school tends to have the children in sets and there are only 4 in dd's group and she seems to be having some lessons on a 2-1 basis.

Ed pysch not been mentioned or anything like that. She did get seen by a peaditrician uuntil the age of 5 as she has failure to thrive she also went to camhs as she was so emotional and she had issues with having a poo on the toilet and pooed in a nappy till she was 5. She got discharged from all these at 5. It is just now she has gone in y2 the difference to her peers is really becoming apparent.

Some examples of some reading problems she would have are in her reading book the other day it said big pup, dd saw this as big big even when i asked her to look at it over and over again, she only saw pup when i covered up big.