My son is 13years old and he is dyslexic.The school just found out last year, is there any help ? because myself i don't know what to do ?

[hassy93]

He cant read or spell and his writing is not good

[Pickledthing]

There is a Facebook page called special r us, this is for parents to post question and get answears from other parents!!! Very handy for helping out with things to do school stuff as parents seem to know more then the schools!!!

[madcat35]

Hi there also a webiste thedyslexiashop.co.uk which has equipment which might help. Also i found that dyslexia action help maybe you could get extra support lesson through then

[ssgchester]

First thing is you got to realize the child learns differently. This is from my own experience as a dyslexic. To this day, I can't spell. Sorry. But thank God for spell check. Oddly enough, people say I'm a good writer. But then I'm also told at many many good writers just can't spell.

What worked for me, to help me improve my reading was comic books. Now you think, "Comic books?" Yes. And here the reason why. They come with pictures, which helps explains the story line. And, they are FUN TO READ.

If the child has fallen behind, like I and some many others have, reading becomes a chore. It is work and hard work. And if the child is called upon to read out loud, and has trouble doing so, it is an embarrassment. And yes, children can be very mean. Been there, done that.

But a comic book is not threatening. Let the child pick the ones they want to read. Eventually, It became a routine with me and my parents to once a week go to the shop and buy new comics books. Back then an issue in a series came out once a month. To keep the shelf "fresh" they delivered new comics weekly. Different series of course.

It really helped me. It also was a relief to my parents because I was reading.

Over time I switched to reading science fiction books.Then I moved on to others. I read to this day and have tons of subscriptions. This also helped me later in school and when I went to college/university. I'm across the pond in Texas.

Now there is something else you need to know. By no fault of their own, your child has fallen through the "cracks". You child needs their "basics" and I mean on the level of, "this is a vowel and this is a consonant."

The same applies to math.

You may have to find a tutor. For several years my parents sent me to tutoring. They told me it helped. But way back then, dyslexia was new. I mean this was the 1960s. They knew I was different, but they just didn't know how or why. I wish I had the resources dyslexics have now. You and your child are very very lucky.

But as for a tutor. My math skills were just not there in some respects. I could get some things and not others. It befuddled my 5th grade math teacher. He even commented once on how I could get one thing and not the other.

So one summer my parents sent me tot a tutor where we just did nothing but math for about three hours a day. It was a one on one situation. And I got my basic math down.

So you might want to consider this option to help your child.

Mind you, I don't know what resources you have in the UK. It seems more organized then here in the US. But at least you've found this out about your child now.

But you also have to let the child know that they aren't stupid, or retarded or a simpleton. They just have to understand that they are smart, intelligent, they aren't alone, but they just are unique and learn differently.

Use some well know people like the head of Virgin Records and the things he's done.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Have a meeting with school and discuss how your son is coping and what support they can offer him, for instance some students prefer to touch type rather than write by hand. As school have found out about his Dyslexia they should also be assessing him for exam arrangements for instance to see if he would benefit by having a computer read out text to him or give him extra thinking time in exams. If he qualifies for exam arrangements he should also receive these allowances every day in class as they need to be his normal way of working.

[Mumo3]

I found my local Parent Partnership service very helpful...Just google Parent Partnership followed by the name of your local council and they may be able to provide you with free support...All the best!

[austinsmrs]

My son aged 9 also has dyslexia so know what you are going through. Firstly I would recommend that you get a private report from an Ed Psychologist or a BDA Sp L D teacher in your area as you really do need to know the severity of his dyslexia. We knew my son had it but until he had a report done we didnt realise how bad and now he is in the process of coming out of mainstream into a specialist dyslexic school. You need to know what you are dealing with. Ask for the report to name recommendations and if your son requires a TA or high level teaching etc. Keep a good rapport with the SENCO at the school but in my experience primary school hasnt been great as they dont seem to want to get kids tested for dyslexia as they dont see it as a problem. In our case our son is so severely affected by it he cant stay in mainstream something that would never had happened if we didnt fight for him. Good luck