ADHD & Dysleixa - advice for helping my son

[SaraWG20]

Hi everyone. My son has been diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia and I need help trying to help him read. His is below par for his age and struggles. His maths is also awful as is his writing. He looses concentration easily. We have had no help from the dyslexia association apart for advice regarding purchasing programs which r expensive. He had just finished at a private school as they were not helping us at all. He starts at a state school in September. I really feel as if I am letting him down as I don't know how to help him. Any thoughts please?

[Fionaishere233]

I've lived with it for 47 years I've only just been diagnosed both of them together and I'm sure my daughters got it too she is 14 I find taking her to private lessons and dyslexia are paying for it myself helps try to understand your child is very intelligent !!! He's got it all out there you just can't put it down in writing it's very hard and very cruel world we live in trying to the best for him getting a routine that's what I did to Cope !!! Never give up hope !!! Keep pushing at school !!! I remember once at school board by the teachers !!! Doing my own thing in my own world thinking the whole world is against me now I realise it was too late !!! Never give up !!! Fight harder x

[austinsmrs]

Sorry to hear your sons struggle. My son is 13 and in yr 5 at primary I had him assessed by a private educational psychologist. He was at the floor of the scale. I set about getting him help by applying to the Local Authority to place him in a specialist school. Of course they refused on the grounds of his grades at school did not warrant specialist placement. I didn't take no for an answer and applied to tribunal to see the LA in court. This costs nothing to do just hard work reading up on law, case law and knowing the system inside out. Also gathering evidence from my sons school academic life and showing that interventions put in place by the school did not show any further progression. I found a specialist school in Lichfield and sent the report from the Ed Pysch to them and they gave me loads of advice. The LA conceded on all points and he was placed at the specialist dyslexic school and has been there for 4 school years and he is a different child finally achieving and enjoying school. Look at IPSEA web site talking sense website if u r in the midlands area. Ken Upton from talking sense is brilliant for advice and offers a tribunal service far less cost than a solicitor. Good luck

[snakehips666]

Please have a look at Toe by Toe for your son.

[SaraWG20 in reply to snakehips666]

Thank you

[UaLiathain]

I know this probably sounds flippant but get him some comic books. Also graphic novels, picture books and comic strip collections. Not only are there fewer words and pictures to help you guess what those words are, but dyslexics think primarily in pictures. Less intimidating than a page of just words. I read one account of a kid that learned to read with a collection of Calvin and Hobbs. It may not cure everything but it might help him learn to read easier.

As for myself, no one would have dreamed when I was a kid that I was dyslexic because I was always reading. No one noticed it was picture books and Classics Illustrated comics.

[SaraWG20 in reply to UaLiathain]

Thank you