dysTalk Schools Dyslexia - Dyslexia - Forum - dysTalk

I'm having difficulty getting my child's school to provide the proper support for his dyslexia. I'm based in the UK.

What options do parents have to put pressure on the school to provide the correct intaventions and change the schools dyslexia provision.

Any thoughts on how other parents have successfuly takled their school would be really appreaciated.

14/10/2009 12:10:11
Sue

It's my understanding that there is a legal requirement for schools to provide for all special needs including dyslexia. So you might want to raise this with them.

If you're looking to go down the statement route then parent plus have been very helpful for some people I know.

Good luck!

15/10/2009 09:23:45
Bels

Some schools are still stageringly bad on their schools dyslexia policy. All I would say is keep the pressure on and try and get a group of parents together rather than doing it alone. Part of the problem is awarness of things like dyslexia and if enought parents with children with dyslexia put pressure on the schools you will hopefully get somehwher.

20/10/2009 12:43:21
dyslexia45

my child wants to stop on at school to the sixth form, but she has number dyslexia so she doesnt think she will get 5gces to stop on, does she have a right to stop on if she has got dysexia

14/01/2010 19:31:25
sue amanda armitage

Despite extensive report on grandson's dyslexia/dyspraxia paid for by us last year - and agreement with school that appropriate support AND understanding of his disability would be put in place - this has not happened. This bright boy nearly 13 (we have been pleading for help since he started education is now hating most of school and teachers attitude towards him mostly due to ignorance of his disability .The Report isd with the Learning Support Team should we photocopy our copy and ask that it be distributed to those teachers who teach him this year? Would this help?

We have had to make a formal complaint to the County Council Education Dept - will they

close ranks?

Advice and guidance and experience please if you have any

25/01/2010 11:23:11
Jan

I am Ms. Uma Lakshmanan. My son 13 years old is a dyslexic and I would like to know the exemptions given for language for such children in Tamil Nadu. He is Matriculation stream and any one who knows about the same, please help me as he is unable to score any mark in 2nd language

16/02/2010 07:01:05
Uma Lakshmanan

Uma, If your son has no problem with Tamil and has problem with English than he id dyslexic. If there is no way to avoid learning English than get him to read and learn English as fast as possible.I have many ideas on how to teach a dyslexic and I also have simple lessons to start learning to read. I will be having more lessons.

Visit:http://www.parentingdyslexia.com

27/03/2010 09:09:38
Luqman Michel

This is a response to the last message.

I would advise against taking this man's statements as authoritative. His blog makes it clear that he has done no research into dyslexia apart from tutoring a few people in the last few years.

We all have our points of view - this forum is a great opportunity to read lots of opinions. However, be wary of people who identify dyslexia (I dislkie the term 'diagnose') with no knowledge of the individual child's learning strengths and difficulties or of the learning environment.

Respectfully

22/04/2010 19:39:48
Hilery (Member)

This is in response to Hilery's comment.

I regret to note the comment by Hilery. To say that I have not done any research is not correct. I have many research reports in my blog by various researchers which confirm my findings. I could not have those reports in my blog without doing research.My blog is free of charge and as such I have no reason to write what I write except to help parents with dyslexic children. There are many who will say that dyslexic children need therapy, medicine and intensive tuition etc with the aim of making as much money as possible from parents of dyslexic children. Surely I don't belong in that category.

I speak 4 languages and my dyslexic students speak at least 2 languages. They have no problem reading in languages other than English which is an orthographically inconsistent language.

By the way, how many languages do you speak Hilery? Have you taught dyslexic students in languages other than in English? I speak Tamil which is orthographically consistent. Did you ask yourself as to why Uma's son can read in Tamil and yet have a problem reading in English?

Hilery are you mixing up dyslexic children with children who should be classified under other categories?

I simply do not agree with definitions given by people who speak only one language and written more than 100 years ago.One should know by now that there are many languages other than the English language.

01/05/2010 04:56:11
Luqman Michel

Learning to read and write English is, of course, more challenging than acquiring literacy in many other languages. That is not the point.

Problems acquiring literacy are characteristics of learners with dyslexia; not the fundamental etiology.

Dyslexia is first and foremost a difficulty with working memory which is generally accompanied by phonological processing problems (though not in all cases).

Undeveloped memory and auditory processing inevitably has a profound impact upon the acquisition of literacy skills however regular the orthography. Reading is about more than decoding: automaticity and of course comprehension are important too.

Thus, if a person is able to read and, crucially, spell fluently in a language - even one that is orthographically logical - then any difficulties are unlikley to be purely of a dyslexic nature, if at all. Even in such regular languages as Spanish, learners with dyslexia will have problems with short-term working memory and oranisation that affect their learning.

If such difficulties are not apparent then it is unlikely that the person has dyslexia.

To identify dyslexia without a deep understanding of the individual's strengths as well as difficulties and the learning environment is impossible and to suggest that there is one method of teaching a child with reading difficulties is unhelpful.

All learners are individuals first; all have different needs and profiles.

I counsel against blanket and unsubtle statements to the contrary.

By the way, I am a teacher in the state sector and have nothing to gain by contributing to this forum, except a broader understanding of the difficulties my students experience, and a sharing of my considerable experience.

05/05/2010 00:00:36
Hilery Williams

Hilery, I have no intention on continuing this debate with someone like you who does not answer questions asked and just say whatever you like which appears to be completely out of topic.

First, my question to you is '' Why did you tell Uma not to listen to me?'' What gives you the right to say something like this in a forum?

What is it in my statement on 27.3.2010 that you are against? I hope you will answer these direct questions. We'll debate the rest separately.

08/05/2010 09:18:51
Luqman Michel

Now to address what you have written on 5.5.2010.

You wrote:Undeveloped memory and auditory processing inevitably has a profound impact upon the acquisition of literacy skills however regular the orthography.

My response:1. How would you know this? Have you taught in any other language other than in English?

2.Have you read any one of the 6 research reports in my blog?

You wrote :Even in such regular languages as Spanish, learners with dyslexia will have problems with short-term working memory and oranisation that affect their learning.

My response: 1.Why are you writing this? I guess anyone who has taught a dyslexic will know that reading is not the only problem a dyslexic has. I have written 3 articles on some of the most difficult problems faced by a dyslexic (other than learning to read). So what is your point?Please do not write every thing that you know but is irrelevant. Each one of us know a little compared with all there is to know.

2.You have only read my first article and made up your own conclusion and start influencing other forum members.

You wrote :To identify dyslexia without a deep understanding of the individual's strengths as well as difficulties and the learning environment is impossible and to suggest that there is one method of teaching a child with reading difficulties is unhelpful.

My response: Where did you get this from? I have read my statement many times and I still cannot figure out where you got the notion that I say there is only one method of teaching.

My advice to you Hilery is to keep an open mind and read what others have to say before you start criticizing. No one here is an expert and definitely not you. So please try to not act as one. We are all here to learn from each other.

My request is for you to answer each question I have asked before bringing new topic for discussion.

08/05/2010 09:51:15
Luqman Michel

Hilery, you wrote: Thus, if a person is able to read and, crucially, spell fluently in a language - even one that is orthographically logical - then any difficulties are unlikley to be purely of a dyslexic nature, if at all.

Response:I think you should refrain from writing about anything that you do not know. Please stick to what little you know. You know one language and you have no idea what Malay , Tamil and Mandarin are all about.I speak in all four languages and therefore I believe I should know a little more than you about dyslexic children learning to read in Malay, Tamil and romanised Mandarin. They can not only read but spell well in these languages.

There is no such thing as 'Spelling bee' in Malay or romanized Mandarin (I have written this in my blog as well). This is simply because any child (dyslexic or otherwise), unless they are mentally retarded, can spell any word in Malay or romanized Mandarin by the time they finish primary one.

The dyslexic children I taught were all certified as dyslexic by 'experts' in Singapore and West Malaysia. I know they are dyslexic from the many other difficulties they have in addition to reading in English.

08/05/2010 11:29:36
Luqman Michel

I am from pakistan 19 year old. Ifound that i have dyslexia when i was 16 years of age.well now i am 19 years of age and still not done weth Olevels every school i have been in but they havent helped me at all i have given my olevel exams maney times now but i still cant do well in them.I feel really dishearted some times i just dont know what to do now.

12/05/2010 21:04:08
Faizan rafiq

My 8 yr old was diagnosed with dyslexia last yr. The school has been using a program called Wright Group Early Reading Intervention this past school year and he is still struggling with spelling, word blending etc. Now they are talking retention in same grade level. I've done some research regarding this program but I have not found anything that says this program is geared for children with dyslexia. Does anyone know more about this program?

26/05/2010 05:46:32
Ronnie

my child is dyslexic and dyscalculic. is in high school french 1 and having great difficulty even with 2 hours of tutoring a week. should she change to mandarin? she is required to take 4 years of language

05/02/2012 20:11:50
lke