[senco-forum] In response to Message 1, Senco-forum Digest, Vol 51, Issue 6

On the question of dyslexia remaining undetected as

I agree there is still a lot of work to do on making
lessons multi-sensory. 

I am very saddened to hear that that child is
suffering so much, i wish it was uncommon. Often
bullying is added to equation too. I know it was for
me and many other dyslexic adults i have spoken too.

Personally, if i was a parent of that particular child
and the school was unprepared to support him, i would
find a school with good reputation for nurturing
children with SpLD. Contact the BDA they do exist. I
would probably also undertake the Hornby Course at
Dyslexia Action and learn to support the child myself,
which i know is an expense, but surely its a small
price to pay give the torture the child is going
through!

It is very difficult to make lessons auditory, visual
and kinesthetic. I have spoke to a few SEN TAs who say
its difficult due to lack of funding, but i am not
convinced that this is the main problem.  Given that
drawing letters in sand or salt is kinesthetic, using
solid wooden blocks could be too, getting the children
to animate letters or numbers in the air, role playing
are just a few of the ways i can think of that are
cheap effective kinesthetic ways of learning, and i am
not a Teacher.

I read in a recent poll that over 70% of Teachers feel
they would benefit from dyslexia training and many
also would not be confident in testing for dyslexia.
It really does n't take a genius to spot a dyslexic, i
can normally tell just from having a conversation with
a person, although i guess its more difficult with
children.

I think there should be compulsory training before
your before you achieve QTS, or maybe teachers need to
be more aware of the need to make lessons
multi-sensory. All children would benefit as everyone
learns in different ways. 

Suzanne 

--- kngbrndn at aol.com wrote:

> On the question of dyslexia remaining undetected as
> Suzanne rightly draws attention too?-- and
> having?visual and kinaesthetic styles of learning.
> I?am advising parents concerning a?constant stream
> of pupils transfering from primary to secondary --
> where dyslexia?/ SpLD and related difficulites have
> been undetected. Or hidden / denied by schools / LAs
> in response to parents continuous?concerns and where
> their children?have been?floundering and failing to
> acheive even a reading age of 6 yrs old at Year 6/7
> (bright / able children aged nearly 11? -- and over
> 5 years below average -- virtually unable to read,
> write or express or carry out very basic numerical
> operations). It remains a running scandal of immense
> proportions.
> 
> 
> ?
> 
> 
> I have just come across a severely dyslexic young
> person who is in severe deficit in both auditory and
> visual skills. But is very bright and a terrific
> 'natural discovery learner' -- i.e., has a
> kinaesthetic learning style. But no programmes?were
> specified in the young persons statement or
> strategiesoutlined in past?IEPs to accomodate this
> style of learning -- although?this learning
> style?had been identified by school and psychologist
> -- ?and indicated in the statement.
> 
> 
> ?
> 
> 
> Do schools aim to accomodate kinaesthetic learning
> styles -- other than minimal basic inclusion in
> 'multisensory' strategies??These adaptations had not
> been been made to this young persons tuition
> for?basic skills -- and the same approaches as for
> non-dyslexic pupils had been repeated and forced on
> this child -- despite repeated failure in front of
> the whole class of?the young persons peers for over
> 5 yers -- leading to such despair and low
> self-esteem that suicidal tendencies and complete
> school refusal has become the situation for this
> tortured? young person. What's going on here -- any
> advice for these parents????
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> From: Suzanne Mallabone 
> 
> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
> 
> Sent: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 11:31 pm
> 
> Subject: [senco-forum] In response to Message 1,
> Senco-forum Digest, Vol 51, Issue 6
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Barbara,    I just wanted to add that you are
> completely right in  thinking Dyslexia and other
> specific learning  difficulties are still being
> undetected in schools,  and even Universities.    I
> know this from my own personal experience. I 
> undertook my Law Degree and managed to obtain a 2.1,
>  but had to do enormous amount of work far greater
> than  my peers to achieve this. I only discovered i
> was  dyslexic in my last month of my time at my
> second  university undertaking the Bar Vocational
> Course, when  i failed an exam as i was studying for
> it using my  auditory memory, which is very poor
> compared to my  Visual and Kinethetic, which
> fortunately are  excellent. I did not know this at
> the time.    I believe i may have created my own
> coping strategies  without even realising.    There
> was always a huge difference in my results from 
> coursework or exams throughout my school life. This 
> maybe something to look out for. When i say huge, an
>  example is achieving a 1st in Coursework and 3rds
> in  exams!    I achieved good marks academically 2
> A*s, 7 Bs and C  at GCSE. I felt overwhelmed at GCSE
> level doing 10  subjects, i guess from 'seeing the
> bigger picture' and  felt i achieved far less than
> my potential, i even  cried on results day! I got
> very distracted in my  English Exam by an
> invigilator walking up and down  behind me, and
> failed it as a result, but because i  got A*s for
> speaking and my coursework i averaged a B  overall.
> I did tell my English teacher this at the  time, but
> it fell on deaf ears.    I obtained 3 A grades at
> A-level, but it came at a  cost. I by no means had a
> healthy work life balance. I  used to come straight
> home from school sleep and then  do homework until 9
> - 10 at night and always worked at  the weekends. I
> got ill a lot as a result of my hard  work, and
> still do to this day (I am now 25). I guess  i was
> just naturally driven and my parents never had  to
> tell me to do my homework and never helped me.    I
> always remember repeatedly trying to communicate 
> with my teachers that something was wrong, but
> nobody  would listen as i was doing well
> academically. I would  tell them, .'..but you don't
> understand i am having to  work so hard to achieve
> these results'. I was not  heard.    I never had
> time for many extra-curricular activities.  I hated
> PE, i think i am also dyspraxic.    I actually
> believe i have dyscalculia, not dyslexia,  but after
> being given the diagnosis of Dyslexia i did  not
> have an opportunity to speak to anyone about the 
> report. I did not want to go back to Uni to discuss
> it  with them as they had already told me that if i
> had  dyslexia this would undermine my confidence! I 
> retorted that it make me understand my strengths and
>  weaknesses and play to my strengths.     Am I right
> in thinking there is not a recognised  Dycalculia
> test?    I guess i am writing this because Teachers
> need to be  aware that people like me are common,
> and although i  doubt i would have needed that much
> extra support at  school, i never understood why i
> was different, and  really would have appreciated
> support with studying,  using my strengths my visual
> and kinesthetic memory. I  appreciate teaching is
> difficult, but please try and  listen when students
> tell you they think they have a  problem, even if
> their performance indicates to the  contrary.    My
> best friend who is a journalist, similarly has only 
> recently discovered she is dyslexic too, she is also
>  25 and went to Uni.    I have set up the Nottingham
> Dyslexia Support Group  and i am actively involved
> with the Nottingham  Dyslexia Association. They are
> currently supporting  quite a few University
> students who only recently  discovered they are
> dyslexic.    This forum has been extremely helpful.
> My mum is quite  badly dyslexic and it has provided
> me with ideas of  ways i can teach her in the
> future. It is now my  intention to re-train as a
> teacher and then become a  SENCO.    I hope this is
> useful and relevant to your  discussions.    Thank
> you.    Suzanne Mallabone    Suzanne Mallabone   
> http://www.xtraordinarypeople.com"
> title="Xtraordinary
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