What is Dyslexia?

People with dyslexia may have difficulty with:

• Reading, writing, spelling and maths
• Short-term, long-term and/or working memory
• Sequencing
• Remembering instructions and organisation

They may be good at:

• Artistic or creative things
• Sport or physical activities
• Social situations and computer skills

Many successful people have dyslexia e.g. Jamie Oliver, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Izzard.

How will I know if my child is dyslexic?

At different stages children with dyslexia may have some of the following: (Some children may have some of these difficulties but not have dyslexia).

In the Early Years:

Difficulties in:

• Learning nursery rhymes
• Playing word games
• Following instructions
• Developing speech

At Primary School:

• Making poor progress in reading
• Failing to recognise familiar words
• Finding if difficult to blend sounds together
• Counting numbers in order
• Having difficulty remembering the days of the week or months of the year in order
• Being worse at written work than oral work
• Having poor handwriting
• Mixing up letters or words which look similar e.g. b/d, m/w

At Secondary School:

• Continuing to have difficulties with reading and spelling
• Finding planning written work difficult
• Having difficulty organising his/her work and getting organised for school
• Having difficulty completing homework

At all stages there may be some or all of the following:

• A family history of dyslexia
• Lack of concentration
• Disruptive or withdrawn behaviour
• Inconsistency in school work
• Tiredness after school
• Frustration and lack of confidence
• Good and bad days

Not all children with dyslexia will have the same combination of difficulties.

How can I help my child?

• Share books with them, including ones that are too difficult for them to read
• Allow them to choose suitable books, magazines, comics, etc to read so they enjoy reading
• Value what they discuss with you as much as their written work
• Encourage them to use at home the strategies they use at school, e.g. timetables, lists
• Discuss your child with the staff at their school
• Measure your child's progress against themselves, not against other children
• Be positive with your child and praise their strengths to help maintain their confidence

What should I do if I think my child may be having difficulties?

First speak to your child's teacher or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). They will be able to explain to you how your child's needs can be identified and what support is available.

Any action taken will be in agreement with you and may include:

• Providing some alternative activities for your child· Suggesting strategies and activities for use at home
• Providing additional support for your child, either in the classroom or by withdrawing your child from class for a small proportion of the week
• Drawing up an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for your child
• In mainstream primary school, referring your child to the Literacy Support Service or Dyslexia Screening Panel or the
  Educational Psychology Service

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