Dyslexia?

[Eoz]

HI Ladies and Gents.

Firstly:-YAY somewhere for me to rant and rave.I've been a member of bnb for a while but never have fessed up my worries for my daughter.Now I can and hopefully get advice.

Well Megan is 10 years old and is very much like a 7 year old.She struggles terribly in school and has a reading age of a 6 yr old.She cant concentrate on anything and daydreams lots.Her spelling and writing are shocking.Her b's and d's are always back to front.She can't read simple words.She can not keep up with her friends who are the same age.she can not do simple sums.She only just learnt her d.o.b off by heart.She is very difficult in the house as well.I ask her to do simple things and she really struggles.I ask her to brush her hair and do her teeth so many times I end up saying it in my sleep.I say to her "go get the pink cup and she comes back with the blue plate"She only just learnt to tie her laces and get dressed properly.The school are getting a educational pyschologist involved and I'm going to parenting lessons as I really find it hard to cope.I have 3 other children one of which is a new baby and a very naughty 2 year old.I find it hard slicing myslef in to 4.I have joint custody of my children so I can not get in to a routine and always be there for her schooling or home work.I do blame myself at times as me and her dad went through a messy divorce and I think she got the brunt of it.Plus her dad very unsupportive and offish about the whole thing.She always has head lice and looks scruffy.When I have her it's a different story but what can I do when she is there?

Do any of you have children with dyslexia?I want to know how they deal with day to day tasks and schooling and how do you guys cope?Any advice would be great xx

 

[porkpie1981]

I have dyslexic (my spelling is rubbish) . can i just ask who decided to pick the word dyselicix for sum1 who cant spell . Anyways i found out in grammer school that I had it and im now in uni (im 27 at the mo, but just left it late). I know u must be worried but try not to. Mine is mild but a few in my family have it bad eg my bro. TBH i thought he was gioing to do crap in his gcses but he did good with hardely revison. I think the best thing to do is get the child tested (my mum thought for this for my bro and had to pay privatly as he was just classed as a disruptive child. That way at least you can get the help u need. Im not saying its about cash but i got a new laptop, scanner and offered classes by a personal tutor at £30 an hr(didnt take them as dont feel the need). So I was well chuffed that it had its advantages for me. Tho dont get me wrong im sure my mum didnt want me to have dyselixia

 

[Caroline]

Hi hun I do sometime s wonder if my 7 yr old has dyslexic tendancies, as I have a few too, but am not truly dyslexic (well as far as I m aware).

Its good that the school have called in the educational pysch as it is only they who can fully diagnose dyslexia (@ a cost of £500+ to the school).

Once diagnosed they will give her lots of extra help.

You should have a local dyslexia association who may well be able to put you in touch with other local mums/ppl with dyslexia who may also be able to give you advice.

Try googling british dyslexia association too as I think they are pretty good for help & advice.

Coloured overlays/ tinted glasse can help some children with learning difficulties, but not all & it can be expensive route to take.

If she's using a pc though it may be worthwhile trying to cahnge the background colour to see if she finds any easier to use. If she has a preference for a specific colour then try and see if she finds it any easier using that colour to write on, and see if school can print stuff on that colour paper.

Hope this helps

 

[JASMAK]

I have no advice, but just wanted to give you some and I really hope that she gets the help she needs soon. Good for you for noticing that she is struggling and recognizing that she needs more. You are probably right, she probably is really behind, and expecting her to act or do things that a 10 year old can do from her is probably impossible for her. Sounds like she is having a hard time understanding what is being asked of her. That must be very frustrating for her - and you. Hang in there, and do your research.

 

[Miss_Oblivion]

Hey there. I have dislexia and adhd(so days in our house can be very interesting for myoh LOL). I only got diganosed when i went to uni and had somehow managed to scrap through my gcses and a levels LOL. My organisation is atrousious plus i do tend to go off somehwere quite a lot. I cope by writting lists LOL. Also i have to genrally avoid food adatives and such or i go cookoo.

The ed psy will test her and get her diagnoses then hopefully the school will support you more. Ds has autism and is non vocal we cope by sticking to things he knows, routine and keeping things on the level so he doesnt feel overwhelemed by everything. Cant really help on the child with dislexia but many hugs to you and your family!

 

[Emmea12uk]

i have no advice for you at all, but I am dyslexic myself and it has had no impact on my life. From a young age i just learnt how to do things a little differently to compensate. I have to work 10x harder to learn times tables and spelling - but the biggest help to me was my love of reading.

I am doing a law degree now and I will never let dyslexia get in my way. I study using pictures and maps instead of long texts and i re-arrange all my literature this way.

 

[Eoz]

Thank you all for your advice.I certainly will try everything.

Emmea12uk-Well done to you.I'm doing a social work course and it's a long slog.I did want to do law but decided to help children.Thank you xx

Miss Oblivion.You sound so similar to Megan.She def has a world she dissapears in to.All the best to you and your family xx

Jasmak-Thank you for your kind words.You are very right,Megan does get frustrated and I struggle to keep calm but like you say I'm on the ball now! xx

Caroline.Thank you.I have heard lots about different colours of paper helping.I will look in to it.I see you are from my neck of the woods.I was north cornwall.I take it you are Barnstaple way? xx

Porkpie - It's good you can have a laugh!Glad you and your brother got the help you needed xxx

Happy New Year to you all xxx

 

[Miss_Oblivion]

Also another thing to add 4thbump is i'm due to see an optomitrist(sp lol) and there going to test different colour lenses with me as if i dont read aloud the words on the page littrally jumble up and change places making it pure nonsense LOL. So that might help megan with her school work.

 

[massacubano]

HI Ladies and Gents.

Firstly:-YAY somewhere for me to rant and rave.I've been a member of bnb for a while but never have fessed up my worries for my daughter.Now I can and hopefully get advice.

Well Megan is 10 years old and is very much like a 7 year old.She struggles terribly in school and has a reading age of a 6 yr old.She cant concentrate on anything and daydreams lots.Her spelling and writing are shocking.Her b's and d's are always back to front.She can't read simple words.She can not keep up with her friends who are the same age.she can not do simple sums.She only just learnt her d.o.b off by heart.She is very difficult in the house as well.I ask her to do simple things and she really struggles.I ask her to brush her hair and do her teeth so many times I end up saying it in my sleep.I say to her "go get the pink cup and she comes back with the blue plate"She only just learnt to tie her laces and get dressed properly.The school are getting a educational pyschologist involved and I'm going to parenting lessons as I really find it hard to cope.I have 3 other children one of which is a new baby and a very naughty 2 year old.I find it hard slicing myslef in to 4.I have joint custody of my children so I can not get in to a routine and always be there for her schooling or home work.I do blame myself at times as me and her dad went through a messy divorce and I think she got the brunt of it.Plus her dad very unsupportive and offish about the whole thing.She always has head lice and looks scruffy.When I have her it's a different story but what can I do when she is there?

Do any of you have children with dyslexia?I want to know how they deal with day to day tasks and schooling and how do you guys cope?Any advice would be great xx

I have not had any issues of dyslexia in my family. I do know how hard it is to divide yourself among to many kids. I feel torn in many pieces each day. Then I rest up a bit and come online after chores are done. Call it therapy for me!

The head lice is something I can help you on! My daughter had a mess of them when she was in kindergarden, always hugging everyone at school!

My sister worked in a pre-school and all the teachers swear by a thick layer of hairspray to prevent the buggers getting in! So, after the hours of lice combing and a clean bill from the school nurse. I sure did not want them back!

I would tie her hair back in a pony tail for school. Then do the hairspray thing on the top. Worked pretty well, she has not had them since *knock on wood*.

 

[Eoz]

Thanks hun i will try to smother her in it xx

 

[Pops]

Hi Hun, you have had some great advice but for what it is worth, I thought I would add my little bit.

My OH is dyslexic and it wasn't noticed until he was 17 and at college. All through school they put it down to him being lazy or not as clever as the other kids. Truth be told he is incredibly intelligent and once he got some extra help, he absolutley thrived.

He has done very well for himself and other than asking me every now again how to spell something (which in fairness I do as much with him) you would never ever know it.

I know it must be a worry but she will be fine with you supporting her

x

 

[Caroline]

Hi 4th Bump, I actually live on the North Devon/North Cornwall border, near to Bude, and work in Barnstaple.

I am an optometrist, and used to do a lot of work with coloured overlays & coloured lenses, until we got new directors, who decided it was too expensive & stopped it, so if you or anyone else any info/advice let me know & i'll do what I can.

 

[Caroline]

Also another thing to add 4thbump is i'm due to see an optomitrist(sp lol) and there going to test different colour lenses with me as if i dont read aloud the words on the page littrally jumble up and change places making it pure nonsense LOL. So that might help megan with her school work.

Miss Oblivion it sounds form what you describe that coloured overlays/ coloured lenses could work well for you.

Good luck with your appointment

 

[HannahGraceee]

I don't have any advice as a parents point of view - but i have dyslexia and was no detected till 17 and at college (As was Pops OH did)
I was just put down at being stupid with a shirt attention span, i couldn't and still cant spell the simplest of words and don't no my times tables which honestly i think it due to the lake of help i received.
So im very glad that she has been told what she has at a young age, and you and her teachers can help with

good luck hun x

 

[Tilly]

Sorry I can't help but my brother is dyslexic and he struggled badly and got treated badly by teachers etc, called dumb. There is a really good book apparently, and a course.. see if you can search Google for it as I don't remember it's name - it has great reviews.

I hope things get better for her and for you.

 

[mummypeanut]

I know this was posted a long time ago but i wanted to post and speak to you about my experience as a dyslexic adult.

I was diagnosed with Moderate to severe dyslexia when i was 17 yrs old. I have 5 A-levels (including english which i got a B in) I have a Bsc degree, a post graduate diploma and i am now a self employeed busiiness woman running my own company, not what people would expect from someone who still struggles to read the time!

The best advice i can give you is fight for your child and give her high aspirations. The education system can easily wear you down and make you feel stupid. 99% of dyslexics have high IQ's, its not a matter of intellegence it more often about a different way of seeing the world and a different way of learning. This really can be a gift because we often think in ways other people just cant follow - because of that we come up with the best ideas Take richard branson, severely dyslexic but one of the biggest buisinessmen in the UK!

Try to find out what works for your daughter. It may be that visual learning works better for her that auditory. Schools are very geared up for sitting and listening which may not work for your daughter. Que cards might help, I find i remember faces but not names so i keep a card database of all the people i work with - with a small photo of them and thier names. In buisiness meetings i write a table plan of the people in the meeting so i remember what theyre called. Some times dyslexic people learn by doing rather than by being told - my husband is a prime example of this he failed all his school exams but went on to do an apprentiship to become an aeronautical engineer in the RAF and then retrained doing a degree in audio design and he now manages 8 other people in an international company, not what you would expect from someone who has no qualification in english or any other school subject. If you tell him what to do he struggles, if you let him learn by doing he picks it up quicker than anyone i know!!

I think what im trying to say is teach your daughter to stand up for herself, enthuse about the things she is good at. Give her the confidance to believe she can when others tell her she cant and she will be fine. Try to make learning fun and try to counteract the negatives that will come up in school.

Sorry this is long - i just want to reassure you that although you're worried we grow up to be amazing people - she will too!!

 

[zoe6660]

hey, you doing your best i was told i had dyslexia im 19 and still find it hard to read some words and my spelling is shocking lol, u may not understand me now as im typeing its all in my head but it dont come out correct on the computer they found out i was in school and my twin sister was but they only offered her help coz she was understanding more and they didnt help me but as i been one the computer playing on games like horseland and bebo when i was 14 it has helped with spelling if u have to learn to chat to your friend you'll have to, im a animal lover thats why i used to play that game.
well i think it can only get better and the more help it be great dont make to much fuss unless she wants it but do it so she dont know coz now my boyfriend will see me typeing and say about my spelling and it stress me out so i will correct it in my own time.
make sure she ask for help to i never did in college and was alway asking my mates but i did learn the only thing i did know more about than anyone i knew was animals i know anything from rodants to reptiles im on here everyday reading about them but its coz im intrested so find something she likes too maybe that will help she is still young tho. good luck with what happens i hope the best for you all.