any dyslexics with a word finding problem?

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www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/word-finding-word-retrieval-problems-in-dyslexia

I am curious because I have been convinced since I taught her to read that DD1 is dyslexic. She had a screening test recently but I had already followed toe by toe with her and she has an exceptional memory so all the words she was tested on she already knew (and the time ran out as she got to the ones she didn't know and couldn't do) and the nonsense words were all very short so she managed them. nothing else showed up but the lady taking it was surprised by the results as she could see what had made me think it was dyslexia. anyway long story short we ended up seeing a SALT and she was diagnosed with a word finding difficulty. Then I saw this and I am just curious about it. The SALT said it was unusual to see word finding difficulties in mainstream schools as they normally occur with other, more severe conditions but she didn't mention a possible link with dyslexia so I wonder if this article is right.

My son has severe word finding issues and dyspraxia - he is in mainstream year 1

thank you - it is interesting because DD seems to be in many ways dyspraxic but in other ways not at all (there is definitely something going on but tests within normal ranges although apparently her ways of moving and doing things aren't usual she just can actually do them, in her own way) and then she in many ways is dyslexic but again tests ok and has this language thing. I had never heard of word finding difficulties before so it is new to me. It does sound like it goes with all that area of the brain just working a bit differently doesn't it.

Interesting link. Both myself and DS are severely dyslexic and we both suffer from the Word Finding problems. Although I can put mine down to old-age now!

DS is also dyspraxic/ADHD/speech problems/irlens so it's very hard to know with him what issues goes with which diagnosis.

Here are some very recent examples from this week

• DS was talking about his cousin Amy and he said "you know, Louise's sister" (Louise being his other cousin and therefore Amy's sister). He'd totally forgotten his cousin's name but had made the connection that he could get to her name via his other cousin.

-When we were looking what to put in a sandwich, he said "I'll have cow's meat" (meaning beef).

• He was talking about a kettle (I think we were making a cup of tea) so he said "you know, that thingy that boils water"

Common every day words just totally escape his mind. It's not even consistent - different words on different days.

I'm dyslexic btw. Ds could also be - he's a complex one so who knows what I may yet discover on him :0)

I never knew he was dyspraxic or had sensory issues. I missed all the clues but a ot immediately figured him out

zzzzz I wonder if the SALT meant because my daughter has no other language problems, no language delays (was speaking in sentences when she turned 1), nothing at all other than these sort of 'almost' dyslexic and 'almost' dyspraxic traits but still testing way above her age for vocabulary, reading and writing. She specialises in it and said she had only had 2 children test in the way DD did in over 30 years.

oh she is a fully qualified SALT at the local hospital.

The dyslexia thing stemmed from the fact that I taught her to read and she struggled to relate written phonics to aural phonics. She was young but had started to try and learn words from watching us reading so I thought I ought to teach her phonics rather than just let her do it her way and get problems. In reception although she could read fluently because she had learned the words she couldn't break down a word and sound it out at all. When tested on phonics she knew them instantly if they were the only thing on the page but put them in a word and confusion arose. Possibly not unusual in children of that age but unusual when considered alongside her for want of a better word 'intellect'. She would look at say 'hair' and would get very confused that although she knew ai if she saw it between h and r she wouldn't be able to work it out. If you said to her what sound does a i make she would reply immediately with the right sound. Having worked in primary schools for many years and experienced lots of beginner readers it just wasn't quite right. We established she had irlen syndrome and her coloured glasses help with her reading (that was discovered by accident whilst looking for a solution to her oversensitivity to bright light). She will also often give the letters or syllables in the wrong order. or sometimes say the wrong ones. this is how we were steered towards the SALT because DD would say that she could see it was a t not a th but she could only get th to come out in the word. DD2 meanwhile was learning to read in what I would call a normal manner so DD1's approach to it was looking even more odd to me. Handwriting is appalling but as we have recently discovered she is hypermobile that could play a part, writing on a line is very hard for her as she doesn't see text on a line really I don't think, her glasses have just been changed and it is better but she does find it hard work.

however having said that she is still achieving well above her age but then she has an exceptionally high IQ (which we found out whilst trying to get her memory and processing etc all tested to see what the problem was) so in reality she should probably be further above her age if that makes sense. As she therefore qualifies for no help with anything we are trying to make sure we help her as much as possible.

I am just curious about this language thing going possibly alongside the dyslexia as I honestly feel if she had been tested a year ago before I did toe by toe and other intervention work with her then she quite possibly would have been borderline dyslexic. perhaps it doesn't work like that, perhaps you can't compensate enough to pass the test if you genuinely have the problem I don't know but something is a bit different that is for sure.

It doesn't always follow that dyslexics also have s&l issues - I don't, nor does my DD1 - who is also severely dyslexic. We are both severely dyslexic (with no other issues) - whereas DS also has s&l issues.

Don't confuse "intellect" with dyslexia. Many dyslexic people have very high IQs and high intellect.

If she's learnt words, but can't break them down into their component parts, it could be that she's learnt the "patterns" words make. Many dyslexics use coping mechanisms to support their problems and reading via the patterns words make on the page is one such mechanism. It's one I use all the time - I know the pattern a word makes so know whether I spelt it correctly or not.

So, yes, you can pass a screening test if you've learnt coping mechanisms.

You say she's been "screened" for dyslexia. What's that? A proper EP assessment or just a school diagnostic tool? Go to somewhere like Dyslexia Action and get a full EP report. This is much more likely to give you a full picture of your DD's needs.

She should be assessed by an expert who knows how dyslexia presents in gifted children. She is twice exceptional for sure - I believe she is dyslexic.

My son is severely dyslexic, dyspraxic, dyscalculic, dysgraphia and ASD. He will be assessed for auditory processing disorder. High IQ and his problems were already evident at nursery level.

My daughter, I suspect is dyslexic too and is compensating as she is very very bright. So I'm trying to find someone to assess her.

I didn't read the link. My son does what mayTowie explained about her son.

And I do too. I've often wondered if it was due to me speaking 5 languages but I do it in my 2 native languages as well lol. And a dyslexia screening showed I am dyslexic.

thank you everyone - I am not concerned about the SALT's qualifications or experience, she works specifically with aspergers and autism in a specialist unit and has plenty of people with word finding issues but none with the way DD is.

The dyslexia screening was a DEST (I think - something like that) carried out by a child psychologist (we couldn't find an Ed Psych locally who would see anyone privately and school wouldn't investigate because she can read!). I kind of felt it didn't go quite far enough for her if that makes sense, it was like it just didn't get as far as her problems which are more hidden but I wasn't sure if a full test (which is obviously immensely more expensive) would make any difference.

We know there is a visual processing issue of some sort, auditory processing was fine I believe (I must admit I am starting to get confused now because she has had WISC and the dyslexia screening from a child psychologist, an ABC test with a physio and a SALT screening of some sort and then the German Word Finding tests). She is waiting for another SALT appointment as a result of seeing a paediatrician for possible ASD which I am adamant she does NOT have, she honestly hasn't the symptoms for it I am not just in denial but the school SENCO decided she did because she cried once at school (I am not kidding) and referred her! the other staff don't agree and the physio, Child psychologist and SALT say they have seen no signs either.

I don't know, part of me thinks just leave the poor kid alone and perhaps it will all settle down a bit but I want her to be able to achieve her potential (if she wants to that is) and not struggle in the future because something has been missed. my personal feeling is she is dyslexic and dyspraxic but compensating for both and has this word finding problem which could go with dyslexia.

thank you

Screeners are only useful if the assessor is able to spot those children who score within the average range on the screener, but may have underlying difficulties regardless. It sounds like this has happened with your dd.

How old is she - DEST only assesses up to 6.06 I think? scores become less accurate when children get near to the test ceiling.

ds2 has word finding difficulties (dyspraxic). Also struggled with verb tense (he fighted me) until he was about 10.
Has had full dyslexia assessment (school thought he was dyslexic) and scored average and above average in all areas.

she was 6yrs 7months when she had the DEST.

I just don't know with the ASD side of things. When it was first suggested I spent months wondering about it and looking for things I wouldn't have previously looked for, then went back to my original belief that she definitely doesn't have ASD, then the 'other' professionals said the same and noone else seems to see it but then saw the paed and she said to see what SALT said. I don't know. she has no social problems in the slightest, she is popular, she has empathy, show sympathy, she understands and can read emotions (although I realise that some bright girls with ASD learn to do this), she displays appropriate behaviour at appropriate times (usually but she is only 6), she is always being invited to friend's houses, she shares and plays well (likes her own way some of the time obviously but again she is only 6) and so on, My mum was a teacher and has SENCO friends who also can't see any signs in her so she is extremely clever at fitting in if she does have ASD. I think my fear in some ways is that because they are being told to look for bright girls with ASD they may accidentally diagnose her with something I genuinely feel she doesn't have or that if she does she is so 'on the edge' of the spectrum she probably ought not to be diagnosed anyway.

oh why is being a parent so complex.

I appreciate having the opportunity to discuss this.

thank you. I could see me and my sister being on the edge of the spectrum in some ways but I always believed it had to involve the social side of things too which is why I have always felt DD doesn't meet the requirements. It is reassuring to know it is still hard to get a diagnosis. I think I was just expecting her to be dismissed very quickly from the whole process but she hasn't and this made me worried.

my gut feeling is very bright with dabrowski's overexcitabilities but then to be honest most of the dabrowski's overexcitabilities do overlap greatly with ASD symptoms I think.

thank you, that is so reassuring. noone in our family has any problems at all, the little 'traits' are very mild and could easily just be overexcitabilities. we all have normal lives, jobs, families etc.

interestingly the paediatrician was astonished that the school questionnaires (completed by the class teacher) showed no problems just like our home one (although our home one did say she overreacts to things and can be a bit literal about stuff - obviously overreacting could just be age and literal interpretations will be found in the language assessment when they do it)

Thanks for reassuring me.