Dyslexia

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Handle9

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#250702 21-May-2019 22:39

My older (7 year old) daughter has been confirmed to have dyslexia. We're actually quite pleased that this has been confirmed as it fits with what we've been seeing and means we can help her. She's got a really positive attitude towards it which is great and we want to keep her love of school and learning alive.

My wife's a teacher at the same school so we have some advantages compared to most people but I'm interested in others experiences bringing up a dyslexic child. I know a few people on here have gone through this (@MikeB4) so if others could share their experiences and/or advice it would be appreciated.

floydbloke

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#2242900 22-May-2019 08:51

My son, 20 now, is dyslexic (and dyspraxic). Some of my experiences and thoughts:

It took a long time to get an official diagnosis because the professionals didn’t like to give people a ‘label’. Once it was official it made it a lot easier to get help. (Your daughter should be eligible for a community services card.)
I used to be a spelling pedant, having a child with dyslexia has made me a lot more tolerant of seeing spelling and grammar errors
Lots of patience required when helping with homework. Not one of my strengths but Mrs. Floyd was fantastic
We sent him to see a Brain Gym person for a couple of years. Sounds like (and possibly is) quackery but it seemed to help his focus and concentration
The big one; finding a (high) school with the appropriate support. (This isn’t easy with zoning rules.) He spent years 9 and 10 at a very big college where he basically got lost in the crowd. We (well, the mrs again really) decided to move him to another school with a far better program in place for those with different learning needs. He left school after year 12 with his NCEA Level 2 certificate in his pocket.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

Gurezaemon

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#2242901 22-May-2019 08:56

I can imagine that it is finally very reassuring to finally know what is holding your daughter back.

I don't have to deal with it, but a friend had his world changed when he discovered the OpenDyslexic Font.

Text to speech apps for computers (e.g. Balabolka) are also great for checking that what is on the page is actually what is intended.

Killerkiwi2005

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#2242946 22-May-2019 10:03

Dyslexia is strong in my family... Yeah spelling will always be an issue, be glad he lives in the time of spellcheckers

Keep in mind dyslexia just means you learn differently and usually have strengths in problem solving and has only been an issue since humans have needed to learn this reading and writing thing (~200 years).

This podcast is pretty good explanation and overview
https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-dyslexia-works.htm

The big thing is lots of practice and repetition it helps if they actually like the subject matter, our sons into star wars so we get him star wars comic books constantly (seems to help as he can follow along with the pictures if he gets stuck on words) as well as minecraft manuals. Dogman was also a hit

hio77

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#2242949 22-May-2019 10:19

I'm both clinically diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia.

think it was first tested for back when i was 12? may have even been younger.

Back then it wasnt really understood, but i was lucky to have a teacher that picked it up.

After about 10 years of tutoring, the typical computer based tests these days dont show a thing! - Created real issues with my Uni entry, i even had gotten professionally tested right before starting to ensure it was covered, but computer says no.

Those who see me post here know i'm not perfect, but I've certainly got there.

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Handle9

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#2243184 22-May-2019 15:43

Thanks all, it's very helpful. We live in Dubai so it will be interesting to see what this process costs and what the schools here provide. It is totally private education for expats so I expect to pay a bit.

My daughter loves books and stories so catching this before it becomes stigmatized and a mental block for her is great. She's really ok with the whole thing so I'm sure we'll make it work for her.

MikeB4

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#2243189 22-May-2019 15:53

I have four kids with varying degrees of dyslexia and it was very hard and very emotional and still is. However they have grown up and all achieved beyond all my hopes. I guess what we did is worked with their strengths and interests and got through all the hurdles of which there were many. Teachers that didn't understand or didn't believe, prejudice, bullying and cruelty but by supporting each other we all got through. Many at time I had to go and talk to various teachers etc and sort out issues. I hope my kids always knew I had their backs and was there for them always. My daughter is a Doctor now doing medical research, my oldest son is doing his PHD, my middle sone is in sales and my youngest studied History and Theology and is selling in IT.

One of the aspects of dyslexia that badly affected two of my sons was organisational skills, after secondary school they both chose to go in the Army and served overseas. They both say this gave them the organisational skills, strength of mind and confidence they have today. My oldest son says he would not be at PHD level without that experience.

I guess what I am saying is find your daughters strength and interests and work on those, yes these will change with time but by concentrating on her strengths she will have successes and they will all add up.

I hope this all makes sense as my dyslexia makes t hard so put things together. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

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Handle9

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#2243894 23-May-2019 16:09

Thanks. It does make sense and it's good to hear others experiences.

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#2244403 24-May-2019 09:24

Not dyslexic (though I suspect I have some traces of it), but diagnosed with Aspergers at 34. Certainly gave rise to some "ah-ha" moments of understanding why certain things were as they were for me.

Chose to use the diagnosis to better understand it rather than wallow in it.

Some 10 or so years living with the knowledge so far and every day is still a learning day. Still trying to work to my strengths and get the best out of it. And trying not to let the worst bits get the better of me.

That's really all you can do, but having support, good support around you makes a massive difference.

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