I really wish I had been told about dyslexia when my first baby was born if I had only know what I know now about dyslexia earlier - here is some of the key points all parents should know but often we don't especially with our first babies.
While reading is the primary problem, of dyslexia it can and often does also include difficulties with:
Writing
Spelling
Listening
Speaking
Math
A person with dyslexia is someone whose problem in reading is not the result of emotional problems, lack of motivation, poor teaching, being dumb or lazy, or vision or hearing deficits. Dyslexia is a persistent, lifelong condition. There's no cure for it, but there are ways to learn new skills to deal with it and be successful.
Although kids with dyslexia have language processing and learning difficulties in common, the symptoms and severity can be quite different. I have 3 children with dyslexia and all 3 have different needs and different problems even though they are all similar.
Kids learn some academic skills at a level lower than others their same age and intellectual peers, but they can do other things quite well. They may be talented in the arts, skilled in technology, or adept with spatial relationships. These strengths and talents need to be encouraged and reinforced.
What Should parents Look For?
Most kids have problems in school at one time or another. Ask yourself has your child shown these characteristics to a greater degree than normal over a extend period of time and in different environments, e.g., school, home, child care.
Ages 6-11
Has difficulty pronouncing words, may reverse or substitute parts of words.
Has difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
Doesn't hear fine differences in words; e.g., writes "pin" for "pen".
Has problems stating thoughts in an organized way
Confuses the order of letters in words
Doesn't recognize words previously learned
Spells a word several different ways; doesn't recognize the correct version
Has poor reading comprehension
has high verbal comprehension
Ages 12-adult
Has difficulty remembering what he just read
Has difficulty concentrating when reading or writing
Is unable to tell important information from unimportant details
Spells poorly; misspelling is not phonetic
Has problems taking notes accurately (avoids writing notes at all)
Has difficulty organizing and completing written projects
What if I Suspect My Child Has Dyslexia?
Prepare to talk with your child's teacher about the problems you've observed at home and learn how your child is doing in the classroom.
There are many techniques that may help your child succeed, either by gaining new skills or by using bypass strategies.
look into options the school can offer including reading recovery in year two, rainbow reading or banatynne multi sensory programme.
get your child an assessment by the teacher or RTLB through the school or an educational psychologist.
If the school is reluctant to act contact
SPELD http://www.speld.org.nz/ or
DANKS DAVIS http://www.danksdavisdyslexia.com/
to get further advice or support.
don't forget to check out http://www.teamup.co.nz/default.htm
they also offer advice on how you can help your child and the process to follow if you are concerned about your child's progress.
they offer the following good advice on steps to meet your child's needs
What is involved
There are four key steps involved in meeting your child’s special education needs:
Assessment
Developing an Individual Education Programme(IEP)
Accessing services
Working in partnership
Step 1 - Assessment
It is important that your child’s learning needs are assessed so that the most suitable programme and support can be developed. Assessment is largely the responsibility of the class teacher and school staff, and specialists from appropriate agencies. Wherever possible, the child should be involved fully in the assessment process. This may include noting their aspirations and goals for planning purposes. This information will form the basis for the Individual Education Programme (IEP) for your child.
This assessment will be done over time and it will probably be based on one or more of the following:
Observation in different settings for example, the classroom or playground. Interviews and discussions with your child, and with those closely involved with him or her
Formal, standardised tests
A curriculum-based assessment
Assessment of their learning environment
Assessment of how they learn, for example, do they work better when instructions are written, not oral
A review of records of your child’s activities, including school attendance
Self-assessment
A portfolio of your child’s work.
Step 2 - Developing an Individual Education Programme (IEP)
An individual education programme is developed in a meeting between you, your child’s teacher, your child (if they wish to attend) and specialists as appropriate. The aim is to set short and long-term goals together for your child that will show their learning progress overtime. It is also to identify:
Teaching practices that will help your child to learn
Changes that need to be made to the way the curriculum is taught, and to resources and materials
Any additional or specialised equipment your child may need
The best way to provide personal care, where required
How you can support the learning programme at home
Timeframes, responsibilities, and ways to monitor and evaluate your child's progress towards reaching goals.
The IEP should be reviewed at least twice a year in a meeting with you, and the same support team who developed the plan. You will be given a copy of the revised programme after each meeting.
Step 3 - Accessing services
Schools should have the information on all the Special Education services available.
You can also call the Special Education Information Line free on 0800 622 222.
If you are concerned about your child’s learning at school you should talk to your child’s classroom or form teacher, or the school principal. These people can assess your child’s needs, discuss what the school can provide and if there is a need to bring in other services.
If you have talked with these people and you still feel concerned, you can talk to a local Special Education service manager, your local Ministry of Education office or your National Operations student support manager.
Step 4 - Working in partnership
Special education is about the people who are close to your child jointly making the decisions on how their needs should be met. This means taking the time to build a close working relationship with your school – particularly your child’s teachers – so you can decide together on the best approaches and learning programmes.
What makes a successful partnership?
The partnership with your school will work best when everybody:
Accepts responsibility for meeting the special education needs of your child
Has a view on how these needs should be met and works together to find the answer Works with others in ways that concentrate on your child, not the personalities involved or the relationships
Presents their views openly, sensitively and honestly
Shares the responsibility for making decisions
Seeks to achieve the best outcome for your child
Deals with problems as they arise.
If your child receives individual support, it is a good idea to have a notebook that travels between school and home with your child. Issues and day-to-day events can be recorded to let everyone know what is happening in your child’s life. This could include family events, things that are coming up at school, meeting dates, food likes and dislikes, how the child slept last night and medication details. Other ideas include setting up a regular 10 - 15 minute meeting or phone call each fortnight or month with the school's special education needs coordinator, teacher or principal to discuss progress.
Talk to school staff and work out something that suits you both.
It is important that everybody in the partnership is fully aware of the roles and responsibilities of the school and of you as parents.
Working in partnership - the role of the school the school’s management responsibility is to:
Welcome and enrol your child as they would all other students
Provide a safe place for learning
Establish a comprehensive special education policy with clear priorities based on the National Education Guidelines, which include the National Education Goals, the Foundation Curriculum Policy Statements, the National Curriculum Statements and the National Administration Guidelines, and the Special Education Policy guidelines
Provide programmes and teaching resources for students with special education needs through special education resourcing and school operational funding.
Support teachers and other staff in their professional development in such areas as assessing and evaluating progress
Inform parents or caregivers about the special education services available and how these can be accessed
Work with you, specialists and other agencies to assess your child’s learning strengths and needs
Develop, where appropriate, an Individual Education Programme (IEP) for your child, and review it at least twice a year in a meeting with you, your child’s teacher and specialists as needed
Provide and oversee staff to teach students with special education needs for each school day. For example, a student should not be sent home because a staff member, such as a teacher aide, is absent
Provide frequent reports of your child’s progress
Regularly report, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of learning programmes
Ensure staff are appropriately trained and work professionally at all times.
It is important for everyone to recognise your child is just as much a part of the school as any other child.
Working in partnership - your role as a parent or caregiver your responsibility as parent or caregiver is to:
Ensure your child is enrolled and regularly attends school until they turn at least 16 years old
Let the school know if your child will not be attending school on a particular day. This is particularly important where the school operates a monitoring system to ensure students arrive at school safely
Inform the school ahead of time if you need to take your child out of school for a special reason, such as a medical appointment
Work with your school to identify your child’s needs, develop appropriate programmes and to monitor their progress
Provide the school with essential information such as particular medical, dietary, exercise or personal care requirements for your child, and where to reach you in an emergency
Communicate to resolve problems as they emerge and to share ideas about what is working well
Take part in the development of Individual Education Programmes (IEPs), goal-setting, specific learning programmes and follow-up activities at home.
BE Prepared for the school to be reluctant to recognise dyslexia, Why? in NZ the MOE does not officially recognise dyslexia!
On a personal note one more dank davis session for my second child and he is finished what a relief he will finish before the new school term rock on up on the 7th feb!
the big question now is what is next?
I know finishing one form of support but what will we rplace it with?
I am reseraching some options and will let you kow the choices - next time.
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