Dyslexia help please!
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cetaylormade
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:12 am
Dyslexia help please!
Hi was just wondering if anyone had any experience of this? My son is 6 1/2 has a very high IQ and has the maths ability of a 10+ yr old but struggles with reading (although his comprehension is very good) and he is especially poor at spelling. He has to have coloured filters, has tracking issues and auditory processing disorder. All point to him having dyslexia, but because he is average in reading the school refuse to accept there is anything wrong and I'm concerned especially with the changes in CSSE exam that he may not pass 11+ unless he has some help now with the dyslexia.
Re: Dyslexia help please!
First step is to get him assessed.
If you can possibly afford it then get him to the centre in Chelmsford for a private assessment - the report will also set out an action plan that you can discuss with school.
If they still won't shift you can ask to see the Governor with Special Needs responsibility. If your son has a disability that is stopping him fully accessing the curriculum and reaching his potential then the school can be forced to act. The fact he is 'average' is irrelevant if he is not reaching his potential because of a diagnosed disability and dyslexia is recognised as a disability.
How did you get the coloured overlays etc?
Have you been to CPOC? - they will provide exercises that you can do at home as well.
If you can possibly afford it then get him to the centre in Chelmsford for a private assessment - the report will also set out an action plan that you can discuss with school.
If they still won't shift you can ask to see the Governor with Special Needs responsibility. If your son has a disability that is stopping him fully accessing the curriculum and reaching his potential then the school can be forced to act. The fact he is 'average' is irrelevant if he is not reaching his potential because of a diagnosed disability and dyslexia is recognised as a disability.
How did you get the coloured overlays etc?
Have you been to CPOC? - they will provide exercises that you can do at home as well.
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cetaylormade
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:12 am
Re: Dyslexia help please!
Thanks KB I'll look into the Chelmsford place - and it was CPOC who diagnised himj with needing overlays etc so we're doing the exercises 
Even if he did pass th 11+ is there much support at gs for children with dyslexia concerend that he may struggle especially as gs tends to be more wordier.
Even if he did pass th 11+ is there much support at gs for children with dyslexia concerend that he may struggle especially as gs tends to be more wordier.
Re: Dyslexia help please!
We have had something similar - my DS is now happily settled and doing just fine at CRGS (Y7).
Although my DS is apparently NOT dyslexic - he was assessed by dyslexia action at 7yrs - Over the years, various teachers, and mostly myself, have been confused as to what is actually NOT quite right with him, as it is clear there is something discrepancy between his general intelligence and mathematical ability and his ability to read out loud; write fluently etc. (My 5 year can read more fluently than him).
As CRGS seems to require quite a lot of copying from the board (much of which arrived home badly spelt and incomplete) over half term I bit the bullet and took him for a private assessment with a behavioural optometrist just outside Cambridge. It turns out he does have visual processing issues which meant reading - tracking - spelling - have all been very very hard for him. We are now doing physical exercises (including crawling) to get rid of his retained reflexes (such as Moro - remember that?). It is a little bit left field but I am being open minded.
I share this - because it is important to be aware that there are other difficulties apart from dyslexia that may be the problem.
Your son is still young and if he is bright, he will develop compensating techniques which will hide the degree to which he is struggling and he will end up top quartile for everything so the school will tell you you don't have a problem. I read somewhere that overlays only help a very specific form of dyslexia - they did nothing for my DS. CPOOC has a fantastic reputation but they didn't figure out what was wrong with my DS.
As for coping at Grammar School - my DS is absolutely fine so far. He has even started to really enjoy English! They do do quite alot of writing but there is a HUGE amount of development between 6.5 and 11years...he still can't 'see' spelling mistakes but he is really good a learning spellings now - which actually makes him much better at technical/complicated words whilst he gets easy/common ones wrong.
Feel free to PM me if theres anything else you want to know.
Although my DS is apparently NOT dyslexic - he was assessed by dyslexia action at 7yrs - Over the years, various teachers, and mostly myself, have been confused as to what is actually NOT quite right with him, as it is clear there is something discrepancy between his general intelligence and mathematical ability and his ability to read out loud; write fluently etc. (My 5 year can read more fluently than him).
As CRGS seems to require quite a lot of copying from the board (much of which arrived home badly spelt and incomplete) over half term I bit the bullet and took him for a private assessment with a behavioural optometrist just outside Cambridge. It turns out he does have visual processing issues which meant reading - tracking - spelling - have all been very very hard for him. We are now doing physical exercises (including crawling) to get rid of his retained reflexes (such as Moro - remember that?). It is a little bit left field but I am being open minded.
I share this - because it is important to be aware that there are other difficulties apart from dyslexia that may be the problem.
Your son is still young and if he is bright, he will develop compensating techniques which will hide the degree to which he is struggling and he will end up top quartile for everything so the school will tell you you don't have a problem. I read somewhere that overlays only help a very specific form of dyslexia - they did nothing for my DS. CPOOC has a fantastic reputation but they didn't figure out what was wrong with my DS.
As for coping at Grammar School - my DS is absolutely fine so far. He has even started to really enjoy English! They do do quite alot of writing but there is a HUGE amount of development between 6.5 and 11years...he still can't 'see' spelling mistakes but he is really good a learning spellings now - which actually makes him much better at technical/complicated words whilst he gets easy/common ones wrong.
Feel free to PM me if theres anything else you want to know.
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Araucana girl
- Posts: 492
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:48 pm
Re: Dyslexia help please!
That is my concern as well cetaylormade, ds is in year 4 and diagnosed by Chelmsford as dyslexic. Starting to do work with him for 11 plus but not sure if gs would be suitable for him or not. He is bright but currently really lagging in english, only predicted 3c for reading and writing for end of year 4 but a 4c for maths!!! Need to start improving his english in a big waycetaylormade wrote:Thanks KB I'll look into the Chelmsford place - and it was CPOC who diagnised himj with needing overlays etc so we're doing the exercises
Even if he did pass th 11+ is there much support at gs for children with dyslexia concerend that he may struggle especially as gs tends to be more wordier.
Here we go creative writing It would help if you could read his writing half the time though."Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Re: Dyslexia help please!
Without going on about this - please don't worry about your DS coping at GS.
He is entitled to the same help even if he is at GS and while they don't have a significant Special Needs Dept your DS will not be the only one with special needs along these lines.
The best solution is for him to get help developing coping strategies but the school can also put simple things in place as well as any interventions needed - eg making sure his MFL vocab is copied down correctly in the first place!
There is also a specialist optometrist at Ipswich btw.
Also happy to help with any specific questions.
toolate - if you are worried about your DS not having the information he needs in his notes then do make early contact with the school. He might be able to get printed notes for example. Assume he has asked to be seated at the front to reduce re focussing issues?
He is entitled to the same help even if he is at GS and while they don't have a significant Special Needs Dept your DS will not be the only one with special needs along these lines.
The best solution is for him to get help developing coping strategies but the school can also put simple things in place as well as any interventions needed - eg making sure his MFL vocab is copied down correctly in the first place!
There is also a specialist optometrist at Ipswich btw.
Also happy to help with any specific questions.
toolate - if you are worried about your DS not having the information he needs in his notes then do make early contact with the school. He might be able to get printed notes for example. Assume he has asked to be seated at the front to reduce re focussing issues?
