[senco-forum] secondary dyslexia deficit

Hi everyone
I've just had a report about a pupil in Yr 9 - I have to say that I have
never heard of 'secendory defecit dyslexia' or someone  refer to a pupil's
'brand of dyslexia'.
I have the SpLD DIploma myself but am becomeing more and more convinced
(especially after today's radio announcements) that dyslexia doesn't exist
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What we have is a wide variety of learning difficulties and pupils who need
strategies to support their difficulties It just seems to me that if you pay
someone, they'll say anything you want.
This girl has short term memory weaknesses (digit span) and some
phonological difficulties ( the assessor did the PhAB) - rhyming and naming
speed.

Janice
Janice Wray

Secondary SENCO, Herts

What radio announcements?

Well maybe that dyslexia doesn't exist very often without other factors
coming into play?

At the BDA conference in 2004 Rod Nicholson spoke of the four blind men and
the elephant - none of them knew about elephants and all had a different
perception depending on their subsequent tactile investigation of an
elephant.  Amanda Kirby's talk on co-morbidity was informed and fascinating.

An holistic approach is best - to take account of at least the motor,
vestibular, proprioceptive, visual and hearing systems.  Is there anywhere
where this is available and at no or reasonable cost to parents?

Is there an epidemic of low digit span kids?  If so, why?  A pattern that
seems to be showing up on our assessments is low digit span, sometimes low
phonological awareness and low nonverbal score.  Do these kids need to play
more (old fashioned play, not electronic gadgets that reduce movement and
kinesthetics), listen more, read more, be better nourished, avoid
antibiotics...

Maybe the world of Margaret Atwood, as in Oryx and Crake, is on its way.  Or
Huxley's Brave New World.

Nightmares.

Philippa