Has anyone used a dyslexia screening test with their Dc, if yes could you please take a look at these results and tell me what you think???

[creamycrackers]

Hi, I recently used a dyslexia screening test on my Ds. Ds had no clue what it was for just that I wanted to help him and the games would give me an idea of how I could help him. He had to perform the same tests 3 times. So I have put the results for each below. Unfortunately I don't think the first 2 are accurate results as I had to leave my son shortly after he started to help his sister with something and when I returned I noticed he had been writing numbers down but I'm sure you will spot the difference in the final results which I sat next to him while he completed.

The results for the 3 tests were:

Working memory: Average. Very High. Low.
Phonological awareness: High. Average. High.
Auditory sequential: High. High. Average.
Visual sequential: Average. High. Average.
Visual memory: High. High. Very High.
Processing speed: Very High. Very High. Very High.

The result page states that low or very low results in one or both of the Phonological awareness and working memory tests is a flag for dyslexia alongside low results in 2 others but I'm not sure if that means 2 other sections e.g processing speed OR if it means out of the 3 trys??

I have looked to see how the working memory affects children in the classroom (and at home) and I can safely say that nearly everything he struggles with was listed even down to any diversion techniques or 'excuses' that may be used by a child struggling with a poor working memory. In fact these are the things that I have constantly mentioned to staff over the years.

My Ds has happily agreed to do it again (although I'm not sure if he should incase he gets used to what to do IYSWIM) so that we can get a more accurate result but tbh I think the only thing that will change will be the working memory results.

What do you think? and what should I do?

TIA

I used to use these as a SENCO, tbh they look a bit hard to read into. Ive never had one though that had to be done 3 times, maybe he got unfocused? Generally I wouldn't look at 1 low out of three in such good results.

I didn't find them hugely useful if I'm honest, bright pulls with dyslexia did not tend to get the spikey profile you'd expect. Lower attaining pupils were often falsely flagged. Adding in the very high processing speed...rushing a tad?

How hold is your child? If yr2 or more I found the Bangor dyslexia test a good simple starting point. More useful though is a proper look, is his literacy in line with other areas? Is it an area of disproportionate difficulty?

Was it Nessy you used? I used this in school and don't trust the results as they were wrong a few times. TBH I wouldn't worry about the tests and just look at strategies to support his areas of difficulty.

Screeners are pretty useless really. You need a specialist to assess.

Agree, I don't think the results are consistent enough to be conclusive. You really need a face to face assessment under controlled conditions. How is "low" defined? What are you hoping to achieve from this exercise?

Thanks for the replies. My Ds struggles with written work at school and has for sometime. Cognitive assessments which were done when he was 8 with the ED Psych came back as above average and lack of motivation was to be targeted (he was diagnosed with Aspergers shortly after). He is very eloquent with his speech which everyone keeps using as a guide to how well he will perform.

Now my son has days when he just shuts off, but after speaking with him it's never because of the reasons you would expect with Aspergers it's more I keep forgetting, when he asks for help he is told he knows what he needs to do and should stop making excuses. We have had numerous conversations with past staff who have basically said it is because he just isn't interested. I have sat and listened to my son BEG me to help him more times that I care to mention! He has literally punched himself in the head, pulled at his hair and repeatedly told me he is thick. Every year he has additional support from a TA until he settles into the new year(about 2 weeks), as the year progresses it takes a downward spiral until eventually he is being restrained and suspended. I already see the same thing happening at his new school.

Every time I look back through his books I see the same things such as "Why haven't you copied the information from the board" or "make sure you copy the information accurately from the board". His eyes are fine.

Spelling tests which have letter reversals (u/n, b/d, m/w) same as I see when he is completing his homework which frustrates him, it drives him crazy and again he thinks he is stupid. This is never evident at school because he works so slowly that he rarely manages to finish the task or doesn't attempt it to begin with.

At home over the years the amount of times I would send Ds around the house to do things and he would do 2 of them and then walk around in circles in his room until one day I shortened what I was saying e.g Go upstairs-wash, teeth, dressed, shoes..are under the stairs which now he just does.

There is so much more I could add but would take me all day.

It was Nessy and took 40 minutes to complete(it should of taken 20 mins), but as I stated in my Op I did not supervise him on the first 2 tests (which he had jotted numbers down on paper) due to my daughter but I did sit with him for the third. It was the numbers recall in reverse order that he really struggled with and kept looking to me to help him because he couldn't do it but with encouragement he tried his best. If we were to do it again I'm 100% certain that the scores would be the same for working memory for all 3 attempts.

The thing is he actually WANTS to do it because he WANTS me to help him which is why I believe it's more a case of he isn't because he can't rather than he doesn't want to.

Just to add: Reading above average, writing average, spellings below average (he is still miss-spelling words I have personally helped him to learn 4+ times before using all sorts of techniques), maths slightly below average (worded maths questions throw him, he doesn't retain his multiplications).

Did the educational psychologist assess his processing or working memory?

In all honesty the info I was given at the time from the EP was so rushed and sketchy I still to this day do not have a clue what was tested, I did ask if she could give me a copy of the report (because I am anal like that ) but she said it was too time consuming. I was just told that most was high average although there was one section which she said was below average but she said she would put that down to him being distracted/not interested so she said she would go with average . I do remember however that his visual perception was in the superior range though. She basically said he was perfectly capable of producing the work he just needed to be motivated to get there.

The results of that test pretty much put a wall against anything I mentioned from that point on. Something isn't right. For him to react the way he does I can't sit back and agree with what I am being told I really can't.