NFER reading analysis + Daniel & Diack test

DS#2 has finally been assessed.

In the digital span test he was in the 26th percentile but the report didnt really say anything else. Also it has been suggested in the IEP that he uses alphasmart in class. Has anyone any experience of using this method and does it work?

I was quite shocked to read that he has a vocabulary and understanding equivalent to that of a 15yr old and is 2 years above his expected reading age he's 8.

spelling was approx 6.3yrs

And he has problems with sequential patterns (including months of the year)

One of the conclusions is that due to his difficulty in recording work due to poor fine motor problems he may have a possible dyslexic profile.

So, parents/teachers any advice? suggestions or experience to share with me.

don't know what all the tests are, but kiddo sounds dyslexic to me - dyslexics are often a combination of intelligent and frustrated, but don't realise because they've always been that way. while some people overcome their problems without proper help (like me - thanks mum! although i have to be fair and admit she is a special needs teacher), you should really push your child's school to investigate properly and offer any special educational needs that he needs. dyslexia needn't be a problem if the specifics can be identified and addressed. i used to have a major problem with identifying the difference between ms and bs (and ds and bs, and various other things), my spelling was atrocious, and i used to write backwards with my left hand/forwards with my right. all these problems resolved probably by the age of 9 or 10, which was probably about the time i started reading properly by myself. the lack of logic in english spelling probably isn't doing your kid any favours, so it's good his/her reading is good - maybe lots of exposure to correct spellings will help. definately find yourself an SEN teacher, though, whether the school wants to help or not.

Your little one sounds like a very intelligent little chap. Congratulations on having provided him with the environment where he has learned such good vocabulary and comprehension.

I'm not trained in these tests (I teach adults not children) but I think it's definitely worth making sure he is evaluated for dyslexia if the test has mentioned it, and the sequential issues make me think of conditions that can run hand in hand with dyslexia- have a little read up about dysphasia and dyspraxia. Both are to do with (physical and notional) spatial awareness and orientation.

There are lots of ways of helping children with any of the related conditions to learn and progress (like oral learning and learning things in rhymes, coloured screens and lots of little things) so the most important thing is that you know about it sooner rather than later.

Crumbs, this sounds like me at his age, but back in the late 1960s / early 1970s we didn't have the testing...

I had bd / gpq problems, issues with 1 and 7, lousy handwriting, and some minor coordination issues that I've mainly grown out of.

I basically found that I had to spend more time getting the presentation right, and checking my work, and also made some really dumb mistakes. But, with slog and supportive parents I won through.

Good luck!

Thanks for the answers and encouraging advice. I have found out the alphasmart is a keyboard they use instead of writing but in tandem with not to replace it.

Is that really a good idea?

Thanks for the answers and encouraging advice. I have found out the alphasmart is a keyboard they use instead of writing but in tandem with not to replace it.

 

Is that really a good idea?

personally i would say it's not a good idea - it may make it easier for him to keep up, and it'd make it easier for whoever is teaching him, but it would seem to me to be a quick fix that doesn't address teh problem and would only exacerbate his problems. That, however, is my opinion based entirely upon supposition - a special needs specialist might know better. in fact, i might just ring my mumsie for you and ask her.

a special needs specialist might know better. in fact, i might just ring my mumsie for you and ask her.

Ooh go on then

ok. mumsie says many things. firstly she says that your school are good if they already have an iep for your sprog. if he's already labelled as action plus then he's one step away from being statemented (which she thinks that he might need, judging by his description - it would safeguard his secondary education better if he is statemented, as the secondary school may not be as good at spotting things as the primary school. he needs the statement (i think she said this) to have access (that is, extra time in exams etc). as things currently stand, if he's labelled as 'action', you should push the school to 'action plus' - schools differ, but in her school this is the point at which the school resists sometimes as it's when they have to start paying for external specialists - in this case you would need an educational psychologist (ed psych in the lingo), who is the person that assesses the child more thoroughly.

she says he sounds dyslexic to her but wouldn;t say anything specific without a meeting the child in question. while you can teach dyslexics coping methods, he still might need extra time in exams. she's never usedan alphasmart keyboard - he should certainly go through various physical options first (different pen grips etc) and an awful lot of handwriting 'therapy' (aka torture, in my opinion...still my handwriting is absolutely fine these days). While the alphasmart thing might help him keep up, it obviously wont do his handwriting as many favours as lots of handwriting practise would. it might also help him absolutely loads if you can help him work out how he learns best - orally, kinesthetically ('doing' stuff) or visually. there are 2 things that are important - helping him get better at the things that he has trouble with, but more importantly don't let him get left behind or miss out on what is currently going on in his school life. Coping methods can become second nature with practise, but that doesn't mean he'll ever be able to do without them.

hope this helps! sorry if any of it doesn't make sense, i was just typing that one handed with a baby in my lap and a phone on one shoulder.

Babychick that makes perfect sense, thanks for that. I am going to see his teacher next week to establish where we go from here, I'll let you know.

I just had a really good read up on the dyspraxia website and its fascinating stuff, you may well be onto something there.