Early signs of Dyslexia?

[PoppyAnna]

Hello friendly DISers

Does anybody have a primary age child that is dyslexic?
What support do you and your child recieve? Is it adequte?
What was the diagnosis process like?

Maybe you're a primary teacher who can let me know your POV, and maybe help put this mind at rest.

At my parent/teacher appointment it was suggested that although it's early days my DD5 (6 next month) is showing early signs of Dyslexia. I must say I wasn't surprised, as it has crossed my unqualified mind before.

So, I've done what any modern, normal parent would do, I've come straight home and googled dyslexia! Particularly the early signs, to say it's my DD down to a tee is an understatement. I've got myself in a bit of a pickle.

The school says it s very early days and they are experimenting with special teaching techniques to see if she responds, and they will have her assesed in the near future when they have more evidence. They are keen to stress that it's very early days and I am more than happy with the way they are dealing with it so far.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Cyrano]

Joanne wish I could offer help and advice but could only offer a shoulder and a

 

[Pinky166]

I don't have any info Joanne but sending you a big hug.

It sounds like the school are on top of it. Hopefully someone on here will be able to give some advice.

 

[natalielongstaff]

sounds like a fab response by the school !

 

[Gaynor]

Sorry can't offer any advice. But good news that the school have picked up on it early and are dealing with.

 

[emily1982]

Sounds like the school are doing the right thing. Schools don't normally formally say until the child is abit older as most child write names backwards and word jump etc. I would just play lots of games with her....so she is following instructions, doing things in order, phonic bingo and treasure hunts are good...where reading instructions is required...just make things fun for her.

 

[jns]

Great that the school has notised it so early
make sure to keep in touch with them and make sure that she gets assesed as soon as possible
My oldest son is is dyslexic now 22
we had a workshop in our area that he went to after school which was great as he meet others like him
my youngest showed signs when he started school and was assesed too but it turned out he was just a bit slow

 

[wishspirit]

I am about to get checked (initial check) for dyslexia tomorrow!!
I am a uni student, but have always been told they would get round to testing me at some point throughout my school career. It used to get me down a lot, throughout my years at school having everything coming back covered in red pen. (if you think my spelling isn't that bad, my browser, google chrome, spell checks everything for me!)

It finally came to a head when the only comments made about an exam last term were of terrible spelling and grammar, and my tutor told me to seek help.

Hopefully they will ether be able to help me or reassure me that it won't impact my grade. I am lucky I am quite bright, so I have coping mechanisms, they have just started collapsing recently.

The best of luck for your daughter! I know how hard it is to struggle with spelling etc. Keep on pushing the school, it costs them to do it, and if they can possibly not do it, they won't.

 

[Snowy-girls]

I hope your daughter gets assesed pretty soon,it's a good thing that they have picked up on it,i wish you the best.
My cousin now 18 was 'diagnosed' with dyslexia at 13,it took all that time previously to get something done about it.x.

 

[PoppyAnna]

Joanne wish I could offer help and advice but could only offer a shoulder and a

Thanks Reid.

I don't have any info Joanne but sending you a big hug.

It sounds like the school are on top of it. Hopefully someone on here will be able to give some advice.

Thanks Claire.

sounds like a fab response by the school !

Thanks Nat, I think so too.

Sorry can't offer any advice. But good news that the school have picked up on it early and are dealing with.

Thank you.

Sounds like the school are doing the right thing. Schools don't normally formally say until the child is abit older as most child write names backwards and word jump etc. I would just play lots of games with her....so she is following instructions, doing things in order, phonic bingo and treasure hunts are good...where reading instructions is required...just make things fun for her.

Thanks for the advice. These are early initial findings that "sparked" the same questions in her teacher and her TA. She is a bright child, that could actually go up a year for Numeracy if she didn't need extra reading and writing help. Apparently she also gets in a muddle trying to express herself and give opinions (we find this a lot at home too) She was a january starter last year so she has only been an school a year so I am reluctant to jump on any bandwagon and label her. At her first parents evening a year ago her reception teacher voiced concerns about her memory, so from then on we've initiated a lot of play based around board games, scrabble, ludo etc.
May I ask what you mean by phonic bingo? We have these http://www.elc.co.uk/toy/jolly-phonics-picture-cards/

Great that the school has notised it so early
make sure to keep in touch with them and make sure that she gets assesed as soon as possible
My oldest son is is dyslexic now 22
we had a workshop in our area that he went to after school which was great as he meet others like him
my youngest showed signs when he started school and was assesed too but it turned out he was just a bit slow

Thank you for the advice.

I am about to get checked (initial check) for dyslexia tomorrow!!
I am a uni student, but have always been told they would get round to testing me at some point throughout my school career. It used to get me down a lot, throughout my years at school having everything coming back covered in red pen. (if you think my spelling isn't that bad, my browser, google chrome, spell checks everything for me!)

It finally came to a head when the only comments made about an exam last term were of terrible spelling and grammar, and my tutor told me to seek help.

Hopefully they will ether be able to help me or reassure me that it won't impact my grade. I am lucky I am quite bright, so I have coping mechanisms, they have just started collapsing recently.

The best of luck for your daughter! I know how hard it is to struggle with spelling etc. Keep on pushing the school, it costs them to do it, and if they can possibly not do it, they won't.

Good luck for tomorrow and thank you for being honest and open about your experience.
I'm usually a really postive person but I'll be honest, I've been on a bit of a downer today, your contribution has perked me up again. Thank you

I hope your daughter gets assesed pretty soon,it's a good thing that they have picked up on it,i wish you the best.
My cousin now 18 was 'diagnosed' with dyslexia at 13,it took all that time previously to get something done about it.x.

Thanks Michelle.

 

[TinkTatoo]

Both DS and DD are Dyslexic, DS showed early signs but he was already at a special school due to his Autism and they told me that the educational programs they were following for his Autism would also benefit his Dyslexia and that he was too young for formal testing (he was 6 at the time)

We paid for a private assessment for him when he was 9 and the psychologist confirmed that he was dyslexic. At the same time we had DD assessed as we needed an educational report for her move from special ed into mainstream. She had already been held back a year as she was struggling with maths and english but the assessment revealed that her IQ was off the scale and she had been using it to mask her dyslexia.

DD was offered a place in an after school workshop (similar to the one that Jackie's DS went to) and the improvement in her reading and confidence around words is brilliant. DS has just started at this workshop in September and is also improving. They both have different programs that they use but Wordshark is a computer program that they both really like. It might be something you could look at for your DD

I don't know what the assessment process is in the UK but I would see how she gets on in school this year and push for an assessment next year when she is 7

Hope that helps

 

[jjk]

no real advice, just glad the school have picked up on it early for you Joanne

 

[Ware Bears]

I'm usually a really postive person but I'll be honest, I've been on a bit of a downer today, your contribution has perked me up again.

I can't offer you any advise but just wanted to give you a huge and hope you're feeling better now.

Thank goodness your school is on to it, so often you hear parents claiming otherwise on the news.

 

[wishspirit]

Had my initial meeting yesterday, and I am being referred onto an Educational Pyschologist!

Now 3 hours worth of tests await me! (adult test, I don't think it's so long for children)

Only time will tell now!

 

[irongirlof12]

My eldest was tested for dyslexia at 7 as she was showing signs of slowing in her educational development at this age. the thing that was obvious to me was her jumbling of words when constructing speech; when she was excited it was even worse. she was tested by the SEN co-ordinattor and was assessed as borderline. this meant that she has good days and bad days.

She had never been told as her teacher decided that she would be able to keep up and they would provide extra support without her knowledge.

she has kept up. I think this decision was made as she was borderline and needed encouragement. Her speech is now as good as any (whatever!) She does struggle with maths but is doing really well and she has tunrded a corner with english.

Your school will organise a test, this is quite simple and not stressful. it gives the teacher a starting point. If you disagree with his you can have it done outside school again.

thank goodness that we know about this know, my DH had a terrible time at school as he is dyslexic and it is thought to be hereditery.

Hope you get the tests and support that you need.

 

[PoppyAnna]

Both DS and DD are Dyslexic, DS showed early signs but he was already at a special school due to his Autism and they told me that the educational programs they were following for his Autism would also benefit his Dyslexia and that he was too young for formal testing (he was 6 at the time)

We paid for a private assessment for him when he was 9 and the psychologist confirmed that he was dyslexic. At the same time we had DD assessed as we needed an educational report for her move from special ed into mainstream. She had already been held back a year as she was struggling with maths and english but the assessment revealed that her IQ was off the scale and she had been using it to mask her dyslexia.

DD was offered a place in an after school workshop (similar to the one that Jackie's DS went to) and the improvement in her reading and confidence around words is brilliant. DS has just started at this workshop in September and is also improving. They both have different programs that they use but Wordshark is a computer program that they both really like. It might be something you could look at for your DD

I don't know what the assessment process is in the UK but I would see how she gets on in school this year and push for an assessment next year when she is 7

Hope that helps

It does help, thank you so much. I'll take a look at the software, thanks for the link

no real advice, just glad the school have picked up on it early for you Joanne

Thank you.

I can't offer you any advise but just wanted to give you a huge and hope you're feeling better now.

Thank goodness your school is on to it, so often you hear parents claiming otherwise on the news.

I am very luck, DD goes to a very new, small, well equiped school. I can't help wondering if it had picked up if she had gone to one of the (much) larger schools nearby.

Had my initial meeting yesterday, and I am being referred onto an Educational Pyschologist!

Now 3 hours worth of tests await me! (adult test, I don't think it's so long for children)

Only time will tell now!

Best of luck to you, three hours of testing is gruelling for anybody.
Thanks again for your input.

My eldest was tested for dyslexia at 7 as she was showing signs of slowing in her educational development at this age. the thing that was obvious to me was her jumbling of words when constructing speech; when she was excited it was even worse. she was tested by the SEN co-ordinattor and was assessed as borderline. this meant that she has good days and bad days.

She had never been told as her teacher decided that she would be able to keep up and they would provide extra support without her knowledge.

she has kept up. I think this decision was made as she was borderline and needed encouragement. Her speech is now as good as any (whatever!) She does struggle with maths but is doing really well and she has tunrded a corner with english.

Your school will organise a test, this is quite simple and not stressful. it gives the teacher a starting point. If you disagree with his you can have it done outside school again.

thank goodness that we know about this know, my DH had a terrible time at school as he is dyslexic and it is thought to be hereditery.

Hope you get the tests and support that you need.

Thank you for your post, it's very helpful.
Your DD sounds like she is doing so well, the way you describe her in the first paragraph is Anna down to a tee. For example we had lots of tears yesterday as we were talking about her school friend Millie going to Australia and she accused me of saying Lillie was going to Australia. She got very confused. This went on for over fiftenns minutes. Exactly the same as you describe, it's worse when she gets excited she also has good and bad days.
The best thing about Anna is she is a very hard worker and she does enjoy school work, and if she didn't need extra help with literacy she could actually go up to year 2 for her maths. She certainly isn't a frustrated child to the point where she gives up and gets distracted, I have read this is common.

I just want to end by saying thank you to Emily1982 who sent me a lovely PM today with ideas for games and techniques to help Anna. Thank you

 

[fuse04]

Hi Joanne, our daughter Hannah is dyslexic and at risk of ADHD (some of the traits are very similar but for differemt reasons) and she is now 10 coming up 11

This was easy for us to spot because she used to write backwards to the point you could hold a mirror up to read it....clever really if you think about it. Hannah was tested as was all children at her primary school when she was 5. From memory this was referred to as a Sydney test but whether I have correctly represented its name is another matter! Hannah result showed her to be at high risk of being dyslexic and has many of the more common traits.

Now the interesting thing is that now having a much better undertsanding of what it is and its traits, it is very clear to me that I am probably dyslexic to some degree; some of you may have noticed from some of the spelling in my posts. I can re-read a draft email or letter several times and its looks fine, and I can re-read it later and I think how on earth can I have missed all those errors.

Hannah has had much special needs support which has now stopped and her reading and writing is pretty good. Her spelling is not always so good but that is due to laziness! Hannah has some behaviour issues at times mainly in respect of frustration and a very strong sense of what is right (usually her ) and what is not right (usually me).

What we have found is that it is not always easy being a parent but Hannah would not be Hannah if she was not Dyslexic. Feel free to PM me if that would help

Rob

 

[joolz1910]

Hi, if your DD is dyslexic, she will be entitled to support. Later she will be allowed extra time or perhaps a scribe during exams. One of my students was also given a new laptop when she started university. There is a lot more help (and understanding) when it comes to supporting dyslexic students now - unlike when we were at school.

Some parents have sworn by special coloured lenses - I'm not sure how these work but they are available to try. There is also the 'Dore' method where one of the techniques is to improve co-ordination and in particular balance.

I want to reassure you by saying that dyslexia will not stop your child from achieving great things. It sounds like the school is tackling the situation at an early stage. Sometimes it can take a long time for dyslexia to be identified, and this is where the problems occur. I would ask to speak to the Special Needs Co-ordinator in the school to get a clear picture of the support the school intends to offer.
Good luck.

 

[PoppyAnna]

Hi Joanne, our daughter Hannah is dyslexic and at risk of ADHD (some of the traits are very similar but for differemt reasons) and she is now 10 coming up 11

This was easy for us to spot because she used to write backwards to the point you could hold a mirror up to read it....clever really if you think about it. Hannah was tested as was all children at her primary school when she was 5. From memory this was referred to as a Sydney test but whether I have correctly represented its name is another matter! Hannah result showed her to be at high risk of being dyslexic and has many of the more common traits.

Now the interesting thing is that now having a much better undertsanding of what it is and its traits, it is very clear to me that I am probably dyslexic to some degree; some of you may have noticed from some of the spelling in my posts. I can re-read a draft email or letter several times and its looks fine, and I can re-read it later and I think how on earth can I have missed all those errors.

Hannah has had much special needs support which has now stopped and her reading and writing is pretty good. Her spelling is not always so good but that is due to laziness! Hannah has some behaviour issues at times mainly in respect of frustration and a very strong sense of what is right (usually her ) and what is not right (usually me).

What we have found is that it is not always easy being a parent but Hannah would not be Hannah if she was not Dyslexic. Feel free to PM me if that would help

Rob

Hi Rob,
Thanks for the insight. I'm fascinated that Hannah was tested along with all her fellow students at age 5, is this normal practice?
I agree with your last statement about Hannah, I wouldn't change a thing about Anna.

Hi, if your DD is dyslexic, she will be entitled to support. Later she will be allowed extra time or perhaps a scribe during exams. One of my students was also given a new laptop when she started university. There is a lot more help (and understanding) when it comes to supporting dyslexic students now - unlike when we were at school.

Some parents have sworn by special coloured lenses - I'm not sure how these work but they are available to try. There is also the 'Dore' method where one of the techniques is to improve co-ordination and in particular balance.

I want to reassure you by saying that dyslexia will not stop your child from achieving great things. It sounds like the school is tackling the situation at an early stage. Sometimes it can take a long time for dyslexia to be identified, and this is where the problems occur. I would ask to speak to the Special Needs Co-ordinator in the school to get a clear picture of the support the school intends to offer.
Good luck.

Hi,
Thanks for the information.
I was warned by her teacher that we may not know for some time, and if we tested her too early it could prove inconclusive. They have been monitoring her and adapting their teaching techniques around her since November, so they have taken their time to asses her before telling me, which is good because the news was positive in that her progress since oct/nov has been fantastic. I was also assured by her teacher that it didn't mean she was slow or unintelligent, in fact she is quite bright and her written and verbal work doesn't reflect her knowledge and ability.
Thats a good tip about the special needs co-ordinator, I'll do that.

Thanks again everybody, it seems that once diagnosed, the dyslexic child gets lots of help and support and goes on to improve