Monthly Archives: March 2009

I’m beginning to wonder if my Six Year old daughter has a form of dyspraxia

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After a recent visit to check on my daughters progress at school, I was quite dissapointed to find her handwriting was a cause for concern. Deep down I knew this was not on the same level as others in her class but put it down to me not doing enough at home with her. However she does also have some of the other symptons, she is very clumsy, constantly falling down and bumping things we at first blamed this on her eye sight but she now has glasses and is still as clumsy. She finds it difficult to eat with a knife and fork and I’m constantly telling her off for eating with her fingers, I’ve also noticed when she does try and use the utensils she holds them left handed, although she writes with her right. She tires very easy and constantly complains of tummy ache and I’ve witnessed many occasions when things are too noisy or busy she puts her hands over her ears. She can however ride her bike perfectly well but when swimming noticed she finds it difficult to coordinate both arms and legs at the same time, but on her back or underwater she is fine. She also gets very frustrated quickly and says that she is rubbish at everything, sometimes she grits her teeth with anger and when I ask her why – she can’t explain and says she can’t help feeling like this. She is a very loving and caring girl and constantly seeking approval from her friends and excels at creative drawing etc. The teacher says her maths and reading is average for her age, but we need to work on the handwriting, am I being over critical or do you think she could perhaps suffer from some sort of dyspraxia? Worried Mum

Hi,
It does sound as though she has some sort of motor problems, but i cannot tell for certain exactly what is is from your email.
However if you bought my book on Dyspraxia i feel certain you would know after reading it as i explain exactly why dyspraxic kids have the problems they have.

Clumsiness is helped by hand eye coordination games such as throwing and catching, crawling, and balancing games. There would be no disadvantage in doing these things.

Also it had been proven that omega3 fish oil helps and certainly our natiopath recommends this.

Cheers
Dawn

Worried Mother …

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I am the mother of three children aged 6, 8 and 10 who are all dyslexic. Although we have moved to a village where the school has excellent references etc My children are not benefiting after 5.5 years of primary school my 10 year old only has a spelling age of 7. I have been in constant contact with the school since my son started as I thought he was dyslexic although not as bad as his father. We have had him privately diagnosed as moderately dyslexic.

His peers also do not seem to be too keen on him and his behaviour appears to be more immature and attention seeking (he gets quite high). He is out going and fairly confident, he will give most things a try. He goes to cubs and karate and has recently started snow boarding lessons. He is also fairly good at swimming.

He loves factual books and has a good vocabulary. He is okay at maths although does not enjoy it. He is enjoys topic is interested in sharks, astronomy and the ocean.

Following his recent diagnosis Aug’08 we have started private tuition for an intense phonics programme with Dyslexic Action in Glasgow. However the school and I are at odds as they have taken my son of the core programme following a basement by a temporary learning support teacher – this has also happened to by middle child I have moved my youngest child due to bullying and poor progress and low confidence. They have also started an alternative spelling programme as opposed to reinforcing the DAs programme.

I am at a loss as what to do and my anxiety is increasing as my son has a year and half until he goes to high school.

I also can not find out what I can expect and no one will answer this – not the ed psych, not the head teacher and not the DA.

Everyone is rather polite but no one is very helpful in the way forward and how to maximise my children education in the 3 RRRs before they leave primary school or what I can expect.

I am focusing my efforts on additional support for the eldest as he only has a year and half until he moves from a school of 70 children to an 1100.

What can I expect what more can I do? Where can I buy your books?

Oh dear and you’re from my old hunting ground. I used to work for the Dyslexic Centre in Glasgow. And they sold my first books on dyslexia.

Now a dyslexic will never be a good speller. i rely heavily on editors. There is a massive, and in my opinion, misguided stress put on spelling when what is needed is strategies and good writing. Try to concentrate on content.

So this is what you do. You teach him word processing and get him a lap top. He can use this at home and at school. Then your target is to get his spelling good enough to be recognized by the spellcheckers. The words he cannot spell that are stupid, ie the words that are spelt stupidly, you collect in a personal dictionary, instructions to be found on my site, Dyslexia Testing as a freebee. He can then look them up whenever he needs them and will then start to learn how to spell them. Its very simple and takes away the stress because the kids end up writing fun, silly sentences and learn that writing can be a fun thing.

You then teach phonics skills at the same time. I have written a phonics course, available from the same site, and written for parents so is dead easy to use. All my books are written because no one else wrote easy, plain english books to help parents. Your answers are to found in these books and games.

Now the really important thing is to find out what your kids are gifted at. All dyslexics are gifted at things and it is these gifts that they will use in life. Please remember that Jamie Oliver is very poor at spelling also and dictates his books. But he is gifted at so many things.

Hope this helps

The difference between Global Learning Difficulties and Dyslexia

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My daughter aged 10 has just be diagnosed with global learning difficulties can you please tell me what is the difference between that and dyslexia?

Learning difficulties fall into 2 types, specific learning difficulties and global learning difficulties.

Specific learning difficulties, include dyslexia, dyspraxia autism etc where the child has specific strengths and weaknesses. This means that the child is basically bright but has weaknesses in some abilities. Their WISC test profile has high and low scores.

Global learning difficulties is where the child is low right across the spectrum. The chid has tested as having no specific strengths.

However many, many kids are being misdiagnoses all the time. i have worked with scores of dyslexic kids who have been labelled incorrectly as having global learning difficulties.

I assume that your daughter must have been given the WISC test. If you consider this to be incorrect in your daughters case, get hold of the WISC subtest scores and send them to me or have them evaluated again at a Dyslexia Centre.

I will be pleased to help.

Dyspraxia and Behaviour

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Hi. I purchased your book a few weeks ago and was most impressed. I am even more convinced that my 5 year old daughter has dyspraxia (still waiting on a paediatricians appointment for definite diagnosis, but at last check, she fits around 30 or so of your criteria on the checklist – definitely motor, with some verbal). At present she attends Prep, but only from 9am-12pm, because the strain on her brain makes her tired! However, I have been phoned by the school several times as early as 10.30am because she has hit/pushed/kicked another child. She was recently excluded for 2 days (school policy) when she kicked a teacher in the head after she tried to get her to go to the ‘quiet room’ after a block throwing incident. Whilst the school is being really good about it, they (and rightly so, I guess) seem to be focusing on getting funding for help with the academic side of things. Do you have any suggestions as to how to curb the sudden violent outbursts – they seem to be a social thing (ie, not wanting to share or have someone join her if she was playing her own game with a toy first, or if someone suddenly decides they don’t want to play anymore and she still wants to play with them). Obviously some are from frustration, or from not being permitted to finish her task before she’s ready etc – something the school should keep in mind I feel.. (She takes a long time to calm down too). I’m sorry if I sound desperate – what it boils down to is that my husband and I really don’t care (well, we do) if she never learns to read and write and add up. We are more concerned that if her outbursts are not somehow controlled, she could potentially grow up to be a very dangerous human being (especially if she grows as tall/well built as us). No doubt you’ve heard of the PPP (parenting program) – well, it doesn’t work! (I have 3 other perfectly well adjusted, healthy girls aged 9, 4 and 2). I hope you can shed some light on this for me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Hi,
Dyspraxia is a very significant learning problem and it takes a lot longer for these kids to understand the world and work out how to interact with it, but they do eventually. By adult hood she will have worked it out.

Have you downloaded the 10 tips sheet on how to handle dyspraxic kids? our school should take notice of this. it is very hard for her and they must adapt for her as well. If she is subjected to a sudden change of timetable of events etc she will be very frustrated.

They should not suddenly alter or stop he doing something as this will stress her. try asking for consultations with an Occupational Therapist. I believe you are allowed 5 free in Australia. S/he may be able to help.

Please remember that she will work this out for herself by the time she is grown up, as long as you follow up what is written in my book.
get back to me if you need specifics.
cheers
Dawn