CP, EP and Irlin.
Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:47 pm
Dc has Cerebral Palsy which has caused weakness down their left side and they use a splint and built up shoe. This has not proved to be too much of a problem so far, mainly because we can see the physical effects and make allowances for them.
Dc is a bright child and has always been one of the highest achieving children in their year. About 10 months ago dc started to complain about having problems seeing the board clearly, especially towards the end of the day. Different seating positions in the classroom were tried, to no avail. When dc watches the tv they sit with their head at an angle, favouring one side over the other. DC’s eyes were tested and there is no physical problem with sight or the eyes themselves. Irlin syndrome was suggested but the hospital state that they can’t use that term although there is a processing problem. They suggested overlays or glasses. The school Senco spoke to us and acknowledged that there is a processing problem and said that irrespective of the fact that dc is bright they should have extra time for exams to even the playing field. As dc was soon to sit the 11 plus we contacted the school setting the exam but was told that we needed official paperwork from an EP or similar. Despite our best efforts we couldn’t get to see an EP until after the exam (2 weeks ago). The EP was going abroad and fitted us in at the last minute and only had time to give us a brief outline of the results before going away. He spoke to my wife and gave her the scores; verbal, 160, 99.9%, non verbal 126, 96%, working memory 99.7% and visual perception 67%. This is where the problem obviously lies. Dc does get more tired than able bodied kids and we always assumed that it was because of physical limitations. After seeing the EP dc was exhausted and went straight to bed. EP states that dc doesn’t need extra time for exams but does need “ brain breaks” and he will be doing a full report and come and discuss it with ourselves and dc when he returns.
Should dc have failed the 11 plus, would this be grounds for appeal? We were unaware of the problem and unable to get a diagnosis in time to have the necessary paperwork. From what I understand Irlin syndrome is a problem with reading, dc is a voracious reader and the problem seems to be with blocks and patterns rather than the written word. We won’t know the result of the exam for a couple of weeks and hopefully dc will pass but should they not where would we stand?
Dc is a bright child and has always been one of the highest achieving children in their year. About 10 months ago dc started to complain about having problems seeing the board clearly, especially towards the end of the day. Different seating positions in the classroom were tried, to no avail. When dc watches the tv they sit with their head at an angle, favouring one side over the other. DC’s eyes were tested and there is no physical problem with sight or the eyes themselves. Irlin syndrome was suggested but the hospital state that they can’t use that term although there is a processing problem. They suggested overlays or glasses. The school Senco spoke to us and acknowledged that there is a processing problem and said that irrespective of the fact that dc is bright they should have extra time for exams to even the playing field. As dc was soon to sit the 11 plus we contacted the school setting the exam but was told that we needed official paperwork from an EP or similar. Despite our best efforts we couldn’t get to see an EP until after the exam (2 weeks ago). The EP was going abroad and fitted us in at the last minute and only had time to give us a brief outline of the results before going away. He spoke to my wife and gave her the scores; verbal, 160, 99.9%, non verbal 126, 96%, working memory 99.7% and visual perception 67%. This is where the problem obviously lies. Dc does get more tired than able bodied kids and we always assumed that it was because of physical limitations. After seeing the EP dc was exhausted and went straight to bed. EP states that dc doesn’t need extra time for exams but does need “ brain breaks” and he will be doing a full report and come and discuss it with ourselves and dc when he returns.
Should dc have failed the 11 plus, would this be grounds for appeal? We were unaware of the problem and unable to get a diagnosis in time to have the necessary paperwork. From what I understand Irlin syndrome is a problem with reading, dc is a voracious reader and the problem seems to be with blocks and patterns rather than the written word. We won’t know the result of the exam for a couple of weeks and hopefully dc will pass but should they not where would we stand?