Archive for September, 2007
Spencer has been showing more signs of motor dyspraxia as well. Last year is when we really started to notice it. For example: he couldn’t tie his shoe laces tight enough to remain tied, he couldn’t button or snap his jeans, his handwriting was poor and he would complain of his hand hurting, etc. We had him in OT for about 3 months and all of these were fixed or had improved enough for our insurance company to say that his problems didn’t warrant any more therapy. He hasn’t had any OT since July and so far he’s doing fine. I haven’t seen any regression anyway.
We had him evaluated through the school system last year to see if he would qualify for any type of help from them and he didn’t. He definitely has problems staying focused and attending to his tasks, but he doesn’t have ADD or ADHD. His IQ is average to above average in most areas and even superior in a couple. His speech is intelligible enough so they won’t work with him on that and in order for a child to receive OT through the school they first have to have a primary problem (like speech) !!
Continue Reading September 28th, 2007
I am receiving at least one email a day asking how to get children or adults assessed for possible dyslexia. I do have a complete, and I hope, easy to follow assessment in my book “Dyslexia – How to Win”, which is aimed at establishing HOW a pupil learns and thinks rather than giving him/her a label. If you follow this you will learn how to teach your child and also find out why s/he is getting behind at school. It can be used on both children and adults.
However I understand that some parents want a full, professional assessment. I live in WA and we have a dyslexic SPELD Foundation here that will assess both children and adults.
However I do not know who to recommend in the rest of Australia, let on lone the rest of the world.
So please if you have found a good assessment centre or teacher or tutor anywhere can you post it on this site.
September 23rd, 2007
My daughter – Kaitlin, is in year 12 and has 7 days of school left. Last week she said to me “I think I might be dsylexic”. I queried with her and it seems that a friend is dyslexic and she thinks she may have similar concerns. She struggled a little in primary school with reading and struggles with Maths, but then so do my other children. However, when the Harry Potter books came out she developed a love of reading and is often seen with a book in her hands. We had her eyes tested some 4 years ago and there were no concerns, in fact the optician suggested that having started high school she is probably feeling eye strain.
I went through the Senior Secondary or Student Screening Sheet with her last night and ticked almost all the boxes. I was quite horrified thinking that after 12 years of school no one has picked this up, me included. Kaitlin was crying at the realisation of many of her learning difficulties and that she may not be as “dumb” as she thought she was. She is an average student at school and I am thinking that she has been resourceful and has found a way of adapting.
Although as mentioned she is often seen to be reading, it does take her a very long time, she is easily distracted and stated that she finds it hard to remember what she has read. In copying things from the blackboard she often loses her way and resorts to copying from others work. This I only just discovered last night. Kaitlin just thought that she was a bit slow (her words).
Apart from feeling guilty for not picking this up earlier I am now at a loss as to where to from here. Kaitlin chose not to do TEE but I do not think that was due to the reading problems. She is well liked at school, has worked part time since she was 13 and has always been well respected. She has a number of sporting achievements. She was looking at taking a year off and then applying to go to TAFE to do a tourism course but stated last night that maybe she does not want to put herself through going back to study.
September 23rd, 2007
