Can a 6 year old be diagnosed with dyslexia?

[gabbybaby]

Just that really. My 6 year old DD, now in Y2, has made very little progress at school since reception (still on the same reading level as she started Y1 on). She ticks all the boxes. Can't write legibly, terrible working memory, can't get the hang of basic sequences (eg, days of week, months, seasons, etc), badly organised, letters and numbers all the wrong way round. This is despite a number of school intervention groups she's been on over the course of the last year or so. She has other (undiagnosed) issues. I could point to a number of things if I were to self diagnose her!
She has an ed psych assessment (through the school) in a couple of weeks. I know that generally, under the age of 7 or 8, it's very difficult to get a diagnosis for dyslexia, but I feel as though we desperately need it to try to get anywhere with her academically. The Senco doesn't think it's impossible to get as she's in Y2. What do you think the chances are of getting a diagnosis? The school already have a number of interventions in place, as well as small groups that she's taken out of class for, for various things. The secnco is now looking for the recommendations of the ed psych so they can weigh up what else they're able to do. I'm so nervous that the ed psych is going to say she's just immature (as I've heard from her horrible class teacher on more than one occasion - that she just needs to grow up and get over it, because she's got lots of assessments coming up over the course of this year, with SATs ahead of her :( ). I need something on paper from a professional to show the teacher that I'm not trying to make exceptions for my daughter, but that she really does need more specialised help.
I don't really know what I'm asking. Just very nervous about the upcoming ed psych assessment, and it concluding that there is "nothing wrong". What can I push for from the school and ed psych in hopes of getting more support?

Anyone? Any experience of a child under 7 being diagnosed with dyslexia, and how "bad" they needed to be to get that diagnosis at a young age? And what I can push the school to do for her if we can't get any diagnosis, which is my big worry?

I don't know the ins and outs, or if it's true, but I've heard it's age 7.

My children were older when tested. Could you contact someone like Dyslexia Action or Dyslexia Association for some advice?

It is not a dichotomy; dyslexia or nothing. If they don't diagnose dyslexia it will be because they don't see enough evidence for that diagnoses (yet), not that they think she is fine. The school obviously share your concerns if she is getting an assessment. You will probably get a more narrative report outlining where her difficulties are and giving pointers as to the best way for the school to support her. Her teacher does not sound helpful.

How is the rest of her development? Do you have any concerns about for example her motor skills? If so, it may be worthwhile asking your GP to refer her to a paediatrician for a different angle on her difficulties.

Thanks for responses. She has already been referred to a paed (which we got nowhere with, as she was too young for their referral to audiology for possible auditory processing disorder), although they are seeing her again in a couple of months. She had a private OT assessment a year ago now, and has been having (private) OT sessions for a couple of terms, as well as being in a school run motor skills group. So there are general issues with her development - not just reading/writing. I don't want to spend loads of money on a purely dyslexia assessment, as I do feel there are more issues there, so need to ed psych to get the full view, but I also feel as though dyslexia has to be a big part of it and causing other frustrations/anxieties around going to school, which are getting worse all the time and not helped by a not very sympathetic teacher who seems to just find her a bit annoying (although that may just be my paranoid interpretation of the situation!). I just feel as though we desperately need to do something to help her academically, socially, emotionally, and I'm so worried ed psych will just say she's young, she'll grow up, mature and get over it, which was what her teacher seems to be trying to fob me off with.

I think the general problem is that I don't have much faith in the system! I've heard so many horror stories about trying to get help at school that I'm worried we're going to get lost in the system somewhere, and my DD will struggle through a few more years without the support she needs, until her anxieties about school reach breaking point :(

What support do you think will help? If she hasn't made progress in over 15 months then I can't see how the teacher can say there is no problem. Not everyone has a bad experience of getting help at school but one thing that does seem to be required is a record of failure before any help is put in place. It sounds like you now have that!