Dyslexia in a topsy turvy world

Are all dyslexics "highly intelligent"? Surely there are some stupid ones too? That's like saying everyone in a wheelchair would be a top sprinter if they could stand up.

shouldn't that be tpsoy tyrvu world?Just kidding!Most people think of dyslexia as just not being able to write properly.There are quite a few strains of it,including Mears Irlen Disease.Funny how the the actual word is so hard to spell though,isn't it?Excellent for scrabble.

From Australia.

Late for this forum but I am a mother of a dyslexic and the idea is to give them all the support they need to live equally with their peers. A spelling calculator in the pencil case. A parent to reread all work. Situations where they don't feel a fool reading out aloud. A willingness to be patient when in tiredness they reverse the spoken word. Skills to learn left and right using their hands. Luckily, I am a teacher but my child managed to get through Primary School, Secondary School and University ,and now two post -grad courses with only a wonderful neuro-psychologist ever picking it up at 24 years of age. Of course, I waited every year for a teacher to tell me but no-one ever did(four schools). I picked it up with children in my class how come no other teacher can?

Spelling is memory as is reading. Use constant reinforcement and encourage your child all the time. Story writing is modelling so show them how to model a story on another. Many tears later and at 26 my child(married), knows that it may be inherited but knows exactly what to do and knows that dylexia can never stop your dreams.

I feel sorry for parents who haven't my background but I am now writing computer flash activities for children with similar problems in my grade so they can enjoy repeating words until reversals diminish and disappear. It takes time but the result is worth every minute.

Dur brain me! There are several links above these postings that you can click on - I've only just seen them. I am not sure if the British Dyslexia Assoc. was where we took our daughter, I am sure it was called the Dyslexia Institute or some such, but they would be a good one to contact.

Good luck.

Emma: You need to have your children professionally assessed by an Expert in Dyslexia - get in touch with the Dyslexia Institute - I believe they are in London, I can't remember. Google them and the link should come up. Teachers, albeit that they may be real experts in the teaching of Dyslexia or any other learning difficulty for that matter, are not necessarily the best people to diagnose, or not diagnose, a child with a SPLD.

If this is no good, try ringing Stanbridge Earls School in Romsey, Hampshire. My daughter went there for a few years, funded by our LEA, and they specialise in dyslexia, although my daughter did not suffer from that but other SPLDs. They should be able to give you the names of some experts.

If and when you have a specific diagnosis, you can then use this to beat your LEA over the head with to get the longwinded and very difficult process started on the road to a Statement of Special Educational Needs, something which is as rare as hen's teeth but vital if your children do have a SPLD such as dyslexia.

Bob Oct 2006 states that in SE Kent children are tested early and provision made however I live in this area and am running into brick walls left right & centre. I have been told my twins have dyslexic tendancies (whatever that means) but there is no extra help to be had apart from 2 x 10 min sessions as part of a group per week. Which have done no good so far. I have been worried now for 4 years and keep being told that due to funding or lack of it there is little or no extra help available. I have had to pay for a specialist teacher to assess them and am now having to pay for private tuition based on the tests we paid for in order to help them, but I have wasted 4 years whilst waiting for help.

So my sympathies to all parents struggling the same way.

Albert Einstine, John Lennon, Andy Warhol, Steve Redgrave, George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell, Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney, Nigel Kennedy and Leonardo da Vinci. All these people have had dyslexia or, 'related problems'.

Steve: you have to know how to beat the system - otherwise known as the LEA. After years of fighting them, and after 5 SEN Tribunals, we eventually managed to get our daughter into a wonderful specialist school, funded by the LEA, where she left a year ago having achieved 6 very good GCSE passes.

It is possible to achieve this through hard work and dedication - it took us about 5 years - but of course it was all-consuming and very, very costly. We have never regretted it, but it wouldn't be for everybody. We were lucky enough to be both self-employed working from home, which helped, but it was hard, especially for our daughter.

This sounds exactly like my son.From the age of 4 I always said he had dyslexia. Primary sch did do wonders but the exception being I was always told that he has 'special educational needs' that was the diagnosis, and accordingly he was assigned to have some 'extra' help...to jump a few years this help helped him to achieve SAT results that gave him a lev 4 in Eng & Science and a 5 in Maths and then made him a boarder line case for Secondary Sch to give him the extra help. Nobody at Primary sch gave it a name until he went to Secondary Sch where I shouted for the extra help to continue (Why should the primary sch do all that hard work for it to slip once he got to secondary) the SEN teacher at secondary said 'Do you know that your son has Dyslexic tendancies?' NO I didn't it was labeled 'Special Educational Needs'. Whilst I thank primary for all that they did they did keep me in the dark, had someone told me I would have made allowances I assumed he needed extra cajoling, and when I asked the Primary school why didn't say, they said 'We don't like to label a child' is it a label? Tell the Parent who doesn't have a degree in education exactly what it is instead of talking in their code. I feel guilty, I actually brought my son a dictionary to HELP him, HELP him I may just as well have said write your homework up in Chinese. This spurred me on to do a course in all aspects of 'Special Needs'. He is way above average in Maths. English he is below his 12 year old brother, and science great with the pratical, fab verbally getting it on paper is a hard slog for him. He has the PC which helps with his handwriting and obviously spell check, but I am fearful as we are now entering the GCSE phase. All I can say SHOUT and SHOUT loud Rays.

Wouldn't you think NIKKI would have spouted up in here. Surely she would have something to say,,, she ALWAYS does. Or is it a Nikki free posting.


Anyway,

I can only sympathise with the original poster,getting help these days is useless,, unless you pay. Schools don't WANT to help,all they do is blame the parent.

I have been there,done that,,where does it get me,, NO WHERE. Bloody red tape.

Hi Rays, hi Bob.

The only thing I would add to Bob's comment is that it may be worth checking if there is a Parent Partnership group in your area. They provide advice and support for families during the statementing process, and have a very good reputation among parents.

www.parentpartnership.org.uk

Keep fighting!

I don't know what area you live in but keep pushing your sons school doctor and anyone else concerned. If your doctor won't cooperate then get another opinion which you are entitaled to do.I know it is hard to get a statement for your son but getting his condition diagnosed and registered on paper is vital as there is so much help available for kids with any learning disability but they must be registered.
As usual it's all down to money.The local Education authority is reticent to register children for any disability because it will cost them money which they will legally have to make available.You should not have to pay a penny.
In my area SE Kent, this sort of condition is tested for quite early and appropriate help given in class.This should be to the benefit of the school as it helps with their results.In the school I work in, we are all trained in recognising and working with dyslexic children and just because they have difficulty reading and writing doesn't mean they cannot excell in school,just the opposite.Keep on pushing Rays