Re: Dyslexia/ADD: RUTH (was Re: Changes and children)

[Guest guest]

Ruth

Re: Extraordinary, ordinary young people

It must be so difficult for you at the moment, I remember the frustrations

of having a child with splds who felt misunderstood and didn't 'fit in' in

school. And even more difficult for you to take all the responsibility

without your DH to lean on and share it with you

has ADD together with severe dyslexia. He was identified as having

behavioural problems in school and only after fighting the system and a

private educational psychologists' report which identified a by then

psychologically disturbed child did the Education Authority finally give him

a SEN for SpLDs. s' behavioural problems were *caused* by his treatment

at the hands of ignorant Teachers who labelled him disruptive and lazy.

was unable to socialise with his peers, he would join in games but then

insist on changing the rules, he became the class clown but finally in his

last year of junior school he had a teacher who concentrated on

re-integrating him in the class, she emphasised his strengths and his class

came to respect him - he developed some close friendships and we ensured he

stayed with those boys into High School.

This is a success story though We fought and obtained specialist

provision for him, refused to allow educationalists' to stigmatize him, gave

as much time as we could to help him - he sat his GCSEs with a scribe and

extra time last year and passed 8 (inc.2Bs and 4Cs). He is now studying for

his A levels and is Senior Student (Head Boy to us oldies!!) at his school.

Some suggestions:

* There is a good no-nonsense book 'Understanding ADHD' by Dr

Green (Author of 'Toddler Taming') which I highly recommend.

* My favourite all round book on Dyslexia is 'The Reality of Dyslexia' by

Osmond (a Channel 4 Book).

* We had Ritalin suggested to us as medication for 's ADD but decided

against it purely on the grounds that we did not want him put on

medication.

* The British Dyslexia Association is good for advice/literature.

* The Education Authorities have changed their regulations on

'statementing' and I'm not up to date on that, also it will vary from

area to area.

* There may be a voluntary group in your area for children

with special needs where they can obtain advice/support - CAB should

know.

* Finally if you have to fight the system to get a statement you

may need to consider seeing a private Educational Psychologist - this

was what we did, it wasn't cheap *but* it was worth every penny for the

power it gave us in fighting the system *and* the unconditional love we

were able to offer our son once we understood the difficulties that he

was facing and that it *wasn't* wilful as the education system was

portraying his behaviour.

I hope this is of some help together with the good advise that has already

been offered by others on the list

(((hugs)))

Jenni