anyone dyslexic?

[hellohefalump]

Hi

I'm worried about my daughter and I googled dyslexia, and now I'm scared that's what she has. Does anyone else, or their children have dyslexia? And what were they like at nearly five years old? Madeleine will be five in April. I know they don't diognose dyslexia this early, but she is showing a lot of symptoms.

Madeleine's school teacher took me aside today and said we need to have a talk because she's now quite far behind with her reading and writing.

With her writing, she can only write the beginning part of her name. She can write her whole name if you write it first so she can copy it.

With her reading... she can't read at all. The only word she can read is 'I'. I tried with her to read the word 'in' today and she couldn't do it, even when we sounded out the letters she couldn't put them together. The other kids in her class are reading words like 'look, took, coat, goat' and Madeleine isn't even nearly there yet!

She also says she doesn't want to go to school because it gives her a headache, and when I try to work with her sometimes she gets upset and says it's giving her a headache. I did a little research and it says that headaches when reading are a symptom of dyslexia.

She was a late talker (age 3) and is still slightly behind with her talking, sometimes she pronounces things wrong and she gets her grammer muddled up.

She's very imaginative though and quite artistic.

 

[lisa35]

My DD is dyslexic, so is my DS. They both went/go to special needs schools to get that 1-1 help and they come on leaps and bounds. Their not the greatest of writers/readers but improved heaps. They were also late talkers and got muddled up with words and sentences. Have they mentioned wearing glasses or having an eye test with her getting headaches? They both have to wear glasses for reading and writing.

My DD is very artistic and great at drama

 

[hellohefalump]

thankyou for replying, that's a really good point about her eyes, I think I will get her an eye test appointment

 

[Bex84]

I am dyslexic and a teacher, I wouldent worry to much, some children are slow starters any way. You could try a yellow see through sheet (or another colour, different people find different ones help) and lay it over the page she is reading. Reading black off white is harsh on the eyes (I used yellow personally, I wasent diagnosed with dyslexia till university as my school did not believe in it and I used to get called thick). You could also try letters and sounds games which teach the sounds https://www.letters-and-sounds.com/ this is a good site, if you look on left hand side there is links to games which children love, there is a game called phoneme pop where children have to click on the sound to burst bubbles as it is said. Maybe try covering up each sound in the word so you can split it up more, you could also do flash cards. Maybe make a game where she has to find the right word or card. With writing you could have some wet paint brushes and do letters on wall outside, or writing in the sand, sometimes children find it intimidating to write on paper. I found reading and writing difficult at primary and middle school but now love reading. My mum and dad used to use I can read videos with me. I was always more musical and artistic, I was once told its good to be dyslexic as you think more outside of the box, you dont think in a strait line like other people. If you want any other methods pm me, I have lots of methods I used myself both in teaching and being dyslexic myself (I am a primary teacher and taught reception and year one so your daughters age group). When you read to her you could sound out words to, so that she learns them by listening. When I was 5 years old I realy struggled with reading and writing and used to get frustrated to the point where I hated it, I was shouted at by my teacher and told I was thick, it was purely my parents help which helped me cope. I could write my own name, and a few basic words, could not spell and hated reading since I was frustrated I could not understand.

 

[Mrs_X]

i am dyslexic too and tbh, i have done alright lol. yes there is challenges but once you have learnt ways of dealing with them, it gets easier . bex84 has given some fab advice! i wish you and madeleine well xxx

 

[OmiOmen]

I have no idea why people say they are 'scared' or 'worried' that their child may be dyslexic. Firstly, if someone is dyslexic they have a minimum of average intelligence never less (it is part of the assessment to prove this). Secondly, the ONLY thing it means is that they will learn things a little differently to others. Thirdly, many very successful people were/are/will be dyslexic from scientists to inventors to people in creative jobs.

I am dyslexic and was lucky to go to a school for a year that figured it out and helped me with it but after that it went down hill and with no support or encouragement I did dreadful at school. However I am now a mature student at University and doing better than the non-dyslexic students.

If your daughter is dyslexic the best thing to do is get an assessment, however I believe this tends to be done at around the age of 8 (although this may have changed). She will need a bit of extra help because she will learn differently but I beg you to understand that she can learn just as well as anyone else. I personally find it offensive to suggest the way that non-dyslexic people learn is the 'right' way, people are diffident and leaning is not a one size fits all.

 

[Peanut78]

I have no idea why people say they are 'scared' or 'worried' that their child may be dyslexic. Firstly, if someone is dyslexic they have a minimum of average intelligence never less (it is part of the assessment to prove this). Secondly, the ONLY thing it means is that they will learn things a little differently to others. Thirdly, many very successful people were/are/will be dyslexic from scientists to inventors to people in creative jobs.

I am dyslexic and was lucky to go to a school for a year that figured it out and helped me with it but after that it went down hill and with no support or encouragement I did dreadful at school. However I am now a mature student at University and doing better than the non-dyslexic students.

If your daughter is dyslexic the best thing to do is get an assessment, however I believe this tends to be done at around the age of 8 (although this may have changed). She will need a bit of extra help because she will learn differently but I beg you to understand that she can learn just as well as anyone else. I personally find it offensive to suggest the way that non-dyslexic people learn is the 'right' way, people are diffident and leaning is not a one size fits all.

Yep, you have a very good point

I think some of the "worry" parents experience with this is the stigma, and the fact that for the most part the education system is still not geared up to be very supportive to alternative methods of learning and catering to the needs of children with dyslexia or dyspraxia (although I know it can be said, we have come a long way from the level of ignorance in the past!)...

My sister is dyslexic and really struggled at school - she was made to feel "thick" like someone esle mentioned. She is an incredibly hard worker and has left a top university with an excellent degree and was working for a major firm (for now she is a SAHM with 3 small children). Languages still aren't her favourite pass time, but she has made everything work for her.

My son is dyspraxic and we are working with him on trying to find alterantive ways of doing things and learning. It is amazing how many different ways there are of learning new skills, you just need to find the ways that work for you and your daughter.

 

[pixiebaby87]

im no proffesional but to me she sounds like a normal little girl

my daughter will be 5 in april, she can write her own name though il say most letters are backwards lol and has only just started to join the letters up to read, in her class shes average if not ahead of the reading off some of the other children.

my friends 4 year old sits there and reads a whole page shes just really forward!

i wouldnt worry too much attal, make sure you buy plenty off books for her reading level and help her with the sounds off the alphabet and how you join those words together.. im sure shell be fine

 

[Creative]

My husband has dyslexia and see's it as a real handicap, he was brought up told that he was thick and stupid, so he played hooky from school and had no qualifications until at age 30 he joined up with the OU and did a degree. He spoke his exams and I tyed his essays. he got a 2:1 honors, but still lacks confidence about writing in public. He's embarrassed to admit it to people.

My son on the other hand is now 20. He calls his dyslexia a "super power" he was brought up supported through school and with other outside agencies (he also has aspbergers. he left primary school still not able to write much and had one to one help all the way through. he was happy though and accepted by his peers.
When he went to secondry we always thought that he would struggle, but again with one to one support, lots of talking rather than writing, a lap top provision and one to one helpers he progressed. He took o levels and then asked for no support and took a levels, left school and walked straight into a job as a science technician apprentice at a local school. He has done so amazingly well.
He was 7 when diagnosed. it's really important to get the official diagnosis as it opens doors in education to support, flexibility and extra time in exams. Have a very positive attitude towards her learning. It will be slower and you'll feel like pulling out your hair, but it will be worth it in the end!!

 

[Septie]

I am not really sure what's normal at that age...BUT my SIL is dyslexic. They found out pretty late (I think second or third grade), as she masked it very well (she knew all her textbooks by heart lol). She then got help, and has had a lot of success professionally (she completed an advanced degree). I also know that in my elementary school they tried to identify the students at risk of dyslexia as soon as possible, again so that they could have additional help. So it's really something that can be dealt with; I would try to see if you can get her diagnosed and get help so that she doesn't get too frustrated.