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Dyslexic? What would have helped you as a child?

24

Comments

  • #32
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    Euro_Kraut wrote: »
    You can't 'get over it' until you know you have it.

    Once I was diagnosed (22) I was able to adapt my learning methods accordingly and things are much better now. Life was very confusing before that to be honest. I underperformed at school and college and was constanly told how lazy and 'careless' I was with my writing.

    Your Dad was fortunate to have been diagnosed. Not many people of our parents generation were ever assessed. Do you know when he was assessed?

    I think what she is saying is that you don't "get over it", you cope, and in our parents day that would have been more of a social norm.


  • #33
    pikachucheeks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    Good idea for a thread, OP.

    I'm not dyslexic, but a good friend of mine is. She had an awful time in school, being teased by one particular (Geography) teacher who would correct her homework and fix every single spelling error and openly discuss her "appalling spelling" in front of the whole class.

    I think she could have benefited from a bit of sympathy - She was made to feel stupid and inferior to other "normal" people, through no fault of her own.
    The teachers didn't seem to understand and made more of a joke about it than anything else.

    When she moved to England for University, it was a whole other story - She was means-tested and received special help for her course, as well as a free laptop and equipment, to aid her learning and working environments.

    I think the Irish education system is way behind, in terms of dealing with people suffering from Dyslexia. It's not accepted as seriously as it is in other parts of the world here - which causes many children a lot of hardship throughout their school years.


  • #34
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    Lylah Better Picnic wrote: »
    Its a different topic, but I hope your mother is ok.

    I'll just add before getting back to the topic.

    I posted about this before (I think, I might have went annon so I won't go into great detail). When I read the Ryan report I nearly got sick, that day I took a half day from work and went to the school.

    Its not a Christian brother school these day, but its a school and thats all I'll say.

    I drove in, parked up and went for a walk. It was during last summer (or on a break sometime last year) and the grounds were open for some sports day or something.

    I went into the playground, and it was the weirdest thing ever - I caught my breath and couldn't breed.

    I was in an army uniform so drew some attention, a lady came over and asked if I was looking for anything. I simply told her I wanted to see the school again, had read the Ryan report that morning and came back for a visit - she was more shocked and upset than I was.

    Anyway, sorry for all that. Hope your mother is good.

    Dyslexia.

    Whole other thread indeed. The Ryan report fucked me up for awhile - I had to do it in sections - too hard. Mum is wonderful thank you. A stronger, kinder woman you will never meet.


    /sorry mods


  • #35
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    What do you wish had been done to help you as a child?

    Is their anything you think would have made school/life easier?






    @Mods I know it's AH. Please leave this here if at all possible, I would love to get some opinions about what/who helped other younger posters cope. Many thanks.

    P.S. There's 7 billion other threads in AH to take the piss on, please don't do it on this one. Ignore if you're not interested.
    nibtrix wrote: »
    So you can just ask that people take your post seriously, and don't post funny answers, and people have to adhere to that? In AH?!?

    No, the OP asked for people to ignore the thread if they are not interested in the topic and not to take the piss.

    And yes, you can ask that in AHs.
    tomhappens wrote: »
    Ah.. OK I see now. Sorry for any problems I caused.

    If anything I have learned a good lesson. Post a thread here with rules... and the mods will do their best to make sure people keep to them. Nice to know!

    Serious threads that have a topic that affect a lot of people, yes.
    I see your posting style is back to normal now.
    Good.


  • #36
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    Psycholgist agreed with me today - "It's not the child that's wrong, it's the system". :D She is bright as a button, but the way the education system operates goes against logic for her.

    Anyway, any of you crap spellers got any tips? God knows there's loads of you! What pissed you off most when you were trying to deal with it? What did your Mammy not "get"?

    In fairness 'the system' were not aware in the past that dyslexia existed. Nowadays, I would find that 'the system' is bending over backwards for dyslexic students.

    Is this thread going to turn into a 'the system failed me and my dyslexic condition'?

    or it could be productive and people could suggest what might have helped them as the OP asked?


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  • #37
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,608 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    dolliemix wrote: »
    In fairness 'the system' were not aware in the past that dyslexia existed. Nowadays, I would find that 'the system' is bending over backwards for dyslexic students.

    Is this thread going to turn into a 'the system failed me and my dyslexic condition'?

    or it could be productive and people could suggest what might have helped them as the OP asked?

    Well I have to say my daughter is benefiting hugely in the present system, I simply can not believe how understanding her school and every one of her teachers are.

    She love's her school & is the sweetest child, for the rest of my life I'll thank her teachers.


  • #38
    cruiser178
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,654 ✭✭✭cruiser178


    cruiser178 wrote: »
    Ive suffered from dyslexia my whole life,its not something to be sniffed at.
    Its hard to explain,i can start reading something at the top of a page,but i cant take in as fast as my eyes can read,there for i loose intrest and i sometimes feel stupid,this post and the responce is an example.

    Im quoting myself here because i feel i did'nt say enough.
    In the 80's when i went to school. kids with dyslexia,adhd,and kids from a depived areas did not get the attention they craved/badly needed, thank god now a days things are different.
    I grew up with one thing in mind,,(from my school and experince of teachers back then),if you want your kids to get on in life make sure they come from good areas because from my experiance, teachers only cared more for kids they didnt have give too much attention too


  • #39
    pikachucheeks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    Lylah Better Picnic wrote: »
    Well I have to say my daughter is benefiting hugely in the present system, I simply can not believe how understanding her school and every one of her teachers are.

    That's great! - and a sign things are definitely improving.

    Out of interest, are all teachers given training to deal with children that have learning difficulties and / or special needs, or is that reserved just for people that specifically train to be special-needs teachers?


  • #40
    Burnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 492 ✭✭Burnt


    Finding subjects I was interested in and then reading; properly with help, everything I could about them. Sitting down with my parents and going through issues of the National Geographic from cover to cover, was one of the best things I ever did. This taught me to look for the shape & sound of a word not the exact letter spelling.


  • #41
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    dolliemix wrote: »
    In fairness 'the system' were not aware in the past that dyslexia existed. Nowadays, I would find that 'the system' is bending over backwards for dyslexic students.

    Is this thread going to turn into a 'the system failed me and my dyslexic condition'?

    or it could be productive and people could suggest what might have helped them as the OP asked?

    The system didn't bend over backwards for the last 5 years I've been trying to get my child help. They recommended "reading with the child". Well, my goodness, that never crossed my mind... :rolleyes:

    She was tested twice, at my insistence begging, for dyslexia. "Ummm, she may be borderline, but she's GRAND". Finally got her assessed by a psychologist today (which is akin to a lotto win) and she has severe dyslexia. The psychologist said, if she was in a job where she had struggled every day for 5 years, she would have walked out.

    But that my daughter couldn't. She just had to deal with it. :(


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  • #42
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    pikachucheeks wrote: »
    Good idea for a thread, OP.

    I'm not dyslexic, but a good friend of mine is. She had an awful time in school, being teased by one particular (Geography) teacher who would correct her homework and fix every single spelling error and openly discuss her "appalling spelling" in front of the whole class.

    I think she could have benefited from a bit of sympathy - She was made to feel stupid and inferior to other "normal" people, through no fault of her own.
    The teachers didn't seem to understand and made more of a joke about it than anything else.

    When she moved to England for University, it was a whole other story - She was means-tested and received special help for her course, as well as a free laptop and equipment, to aid her learning and working environments.

    I think the Irish education system is way behind, in terms of dealing with people suffering from Dyslexia. It's not accepted as seriously as it is in other parts of the world here - which causes many children a lot of hardship throughout their school years.

    I would disagree with this. The Irish education system is most definitely up to date and sympathetic with the needs of dyslexic children.


  • #43
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,608 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    pikachucheeks wrote: »
    That's great! - and a sign things are definitely improving.

    Out of interest, are all teachers given training to deal with children that have learning difficulties and / or special needs, or is that reserved just for people that specifically train to be special-needs teachers?

    A teacher here would be better qualified to speak about that, but they've been on the receiving on of so much ignorant BS lately I couldn't blaim them for not speaking up.

    Speaking only from personal experience, almost without exception all my daughters teachers are very aware of her needs and I'm surprised at the amount of research some have done in their own free time to learn more about dyslexia and how they can provide for her needs.

    There are also private schools with specialize in dyslexia and other learning disabilities (if thats the right term to use). I paid for two school terms for my daughter, and while it was a lot of money it was the best money I've ever spent.

    But her secondary school, while I'll sing its praises 'till the cows come home like everywhere else in the public sector its struggling with cut backs and poor moral, however you'd never guess it if you seen the sheer volume of work the staff put into children with needs.


  • #44
    Fear Uladh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 810 ✭✭✭Fear Uladh


    Jesus lads I was just joking. To be honest from what I read in some or your threads or posts you all throw in a joke about something you don't understand.

    On the topic, I had a GF who had bad dyslexia and it is a pretty awful thing to have, she had a sense a humour about it though ;).


  • #45
    pikachucheeks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    dolliemix wrote: »
    I would disagree with this. The Irish education system is most definitely up to date and sympathetic with the needs of dyslexic children.

    Well, from my experience in my school, I wouldn't agree with that at all.
    My friend was openly humiliated by one teacher, because she was dyslexic. It wasn't even accepted as being a learning difficulty, she was just goaded for being poor at spelling.
    I can remember occasions where the teacher would read out paragraphs she'd written and laugh at her mistakes and mixing up of words.

    Other teachers in the school just ignored the problem. The only solution given to Dyslexic pupils was to offer them an exemption from Irish, in their Leaving Certificates, if they were a severe case.


  • #46
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,608 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    The system didn't bend over backwards for the last 5 years I've been trying to get my child help. They recommended "reading with the child". Well, my goodness, that never crossed my mind... :rolleyes:

    She was tested twice, at my insistence begging, for dyslexia. "Ummm, she may be borderline, but she's GRAND". Finally got her assessed by a psychologist today (which is akin to a lotto win) and she has severe dyslexia. The psychologist said, if she was in a job where she had struggled every day for 5 years, she would have walked out.

    But that my daughter couldn't. She just had to deal with it. :(

    I'd recommend you have her assessed over in the Dyslexic Association in Suffolk St. Dublin.

    The cost four years ago was €350 but it was money well spent.

    My daughter went over an angry, fustrated and depressed children and it seemed once she could put a label on it the transformation in her was literally overnight.

    Learning that she was dyslexic lifted a huge weight from her little shoulders.

    Now I'd better get to bed :D

    Great topic OP. SharpShooter well done on handling the hecklers.


  • #47
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    pikachucheeks wrote: »
    Well, from my experience in my school, I wouldn't agree with that at all.
    My friend was openly humiliated by one teacher, because she was dyslexic. It wasn't even accepted as being a learning difficulty, she was just goaded for being poor at spelling.
    I can remember occasions where the teacher would read out paragraphs she'd written and laugh at her mistakes and mixing up of words.

    Other teachers in the school just ignored the problem. The only solution given to Dyslexic pupils was to offer them an exemption from Irish, in their Leaving Certificates, if they were a severe case.

    @ dolliemix, I can't afford your rose tinted specs I'm afraid. With all due respect.

    I think I might have got her out of Irish - when I told her she jumped on me and hugged me.


  • #48
    OutlawPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    Ignore if you're not interested.

    This should be added to the charter for all threads.

    Was told I was Dyslexic in my 20's.

    I was a nightmare at school, hating taking stuff down off the blackboard.

    People used to be flying along writing it down and I'd getting physical pressure in my head trying to figure out each word.

    Reading books took and still take me yonks to read, I'll often read a page five times and not understand a word of it.

    Another issue with me is mixing up words while I'm typing and writing that sound the same like "Won" and "One", "Know" and No", "Wood" and "Would".

    Only on a reread that I'll noticed it.

    I'd be lost if not for Spellcheck (when I remember to use it) :)


  • #49
    Formal shorts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 197 ✭✭Formal shorts


    Just a note regarding the system - I see several extremely positives comments about the current set up. What you guys might not be aware of is that allocation of special needs assistants changed very recently. Severe dyslexia used to be reason enough for an SNA. Under new rules, if the child is not a danger, they get no SNA. Similarly, where SNAs used to be assigned to a child, they are now to be assigned to the class. 1 per class max.

    You could have 6 kids in your class out of 30 with dyslexia - if they are not a danger there will be no allocation of an SNA.

    It's going backwards.


  • #50
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,608 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

    I think I might have got her out of Irish - when I told her she jumped on me and hugged me.


    Legally she's except Irish, and any other language.

    However because the schools simply don't have the teacher hours to excuse her completely from class she might be asked to sit in, but she won't be tested.

    The dysleix association will bring you up to speed on the laws in regards to her education, she'll also be provided with a read for exam's.

    Seriously I can't stress enough how helpful it was bringing my daughter over to Suffolk St.


  • #51
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    The system didn't bend over backwards for the last 5 years I've been trying to get my child help. They recommended "reading with the child". Well, my goodness, that never crossed my mind... :rolleyes:

    She was tested twice, at my insistence begging, for dyslexia. "Ummm, she may be borderline, but she's GRAND". Finally got her assessed by a psychologist today (which is akin to a lotto win) and she has severe dyslexia. The psychologist said, if she was in a job where she had struggled every day for 5 years, she would have walked out.

    But that my daughter couldn't. She just had to deal with it. :(

    Thats unusual. I've been working in education for ten years and dyslexia has always been part and parcel of the job. There are many procedures in place to make the learner with dyslexia's learning experience easier.

    Your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia. It's no big deal from an educators point of view. There are plenty of people out there who have various forms of dyslexia. There are policies in place to help her.

    My question is: are you asking what can be done to help her from now on in......or do you want to fire shots at the education system who didn't recognise her dyslexia at first?


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  • #52
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    Lylah Better Picnic wrote: »
    I'd recommend you have her assessed over in the Dyslexic Association in Suffolk St. Dublin.

    The cost four years ago was €350 but it was money well spent.

    My daughter went over an angry, fustrated and depressed children and it seemed once she could put a label on it the transformation in her was literally overnight.

    Learning that she was dyslexic lifted a huge weight from her little shoulders.

    Now I'd better get to bed :D

    Great topic OP. SharpShooter well done on handling the hecklers.

    Well thanks Makikimoni (I still think in old money Mairt :D) but we have the diagnosis now.

    I really want just everyday tips on how you dyslexics get by, day to day. What would have made life easier? It ain't the end of the world I know, but I want to make it as easy as possible for her.

    And thanks Sharpshooter - PITA for you I'm sure.


  • #53
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,608 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    This should be added to the charter for all threads.

    Thats going into the charter's on both forum's I Mod on, great idea.


  • #54
    pikachucheeks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    I think I might have got her out of Irish - when I told her she jumped on me and hugged me.

    If she gets an exemption, it'll make her learning a lot easier! She'll be able to focus on other subjects, rather than worry about something she's struggling with.

    Out of interest, certain college courses and jobs require people to have a high standard of Irish (study Irish at Higher Level for LC etc) ... Does that essentially mean that dyslexic people cannot get in to these programmes? (If they've been given an exemption or have a poor execution of the Irish language, due to Dyslexia?)


  • #55
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    pikachucheeks wrote: »
    Well, from my experience in my school, I wouldn't agree with that at all.
    My friend was openly humiliated by one teacher, because she was dyslexic. It wasn't even accepted as being a learning difficulty, she was just goaded for being poor at spelling.
    I can remember occasions where the teacher would read out paragraphs she'd written and laugh at her mistakes and mixing up of words.

    Other teachers in the school just ignored the problem. The only solution given to Dyslexic pupils was to offer them an exemption from Irish, in their Leaving Certificates, if they were a severe case.

    I'm speaking about today!

    It's so easy to bring up the past. I could do it myself! Genuinely teachers are bending over backwards for children with special needs. And rightly so. I'd would just love if people would give current teachers the credit for this and not bring up incidents that happened in the past when, in fairness, teachers were unaware of special needs conditions.

    The title of the thread is "Dyslexic? What would have helped you as a child?"

    .....and not "how were you or any of your friends let down in the past as a result of your dyslexia"?


  • #56
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    This should be added to the charter for all threads.

    Was told I was Dyslexic in my 20's.

    I was a nightmare at school, hating taking stuff down off the blackboard.

    People used to be flying along writing it down and I'd getting physical pressure in my head trying to figure out each word.

    Reading books took and still take me yonks to read, I'll often read a page five times and not understand a word of it.

    Another issue with me is mixing up words while I'm typing and writing that sound the same like "Won" and "One", "Know" and No", "Wood" and "Would".

    Only on a reread that I'll noticed it.

    I'd be lost if not for Spellcheck (when I remember to use it) :)

    Are you in fact my daughter? Thank you so much.

    The psych hopes to get her teachers to stop her having to write from the board, that she should be given work-sheets instead. And, they have this policy in the school of not writing in work-books so they can be passed on. So I have spent many an hour on boards supervising while she copies endless text, and that's just the questions... she then has to try to answer them. I end up saying I bought the flippin' book, I'll decide whether it's to be re-flippin-cycled or not. This is after 2 hours of homework and me losing the will to live.


  • #57
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    dolliemix wrote: »
    I'm speaking about today!

    It's so easy to bring up the past. I could to it myself! Genuinely teachers are bending over backwards for children with special needs. And rightly so. I'd would just love if people would give current teachers the credit for this and not bring up incidents that happened in the past when, in fairness, teachers were unaware of special needs conditions.

    The title of the thread is "Dyslexic? What would have helped you as a child?"

    .....and not "how were you or any of your friends let down in the past as a result of your dyslexia"?

    My child is in 4th class, I have been trying to get help since she was in Senior Infants/1st Class. She has been let down. I paid one of her teachers for two years to tutor her here at home. I still got "well if she read with mammy.." . I was trying to tell them "well she can't read so what would you suggest?".

    There are flaws in the system. I could give you a list of them, but that's not what this thread is about.


  • #58
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    @ dolliemix, I can't afford your rose tinted specs I'm afraid. With all due respect.

    I think I might have got her out of Irish - when I told her she jumped on me and hugged me.

    There's no rose-tinted specs here :) I work with dyslexic children everyday.


    I can't deal with what happened in the past or can't change their bad experiences.

    The title of this thread 'Dyslexic? What would have helped you as a child?' is something that could help me.

    i'm genuinely interested. But I need to know on a practical level and from a learning point of view.


  • #59
    pikachucheeks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    dolliemix wrote: »
    I'd would just love if people would give current teachers the credit for this and not bring up incidents that happened in the past when, in fairness, teachers were unaware of special needs conditions.

    This was three years ago.

    I'm not dyslexic myself, but I felt like contributing to the thread because I know first-hand how people can be affected by it.

    I'm not trying to criticise Irish teachers, my point was that, in recent times, *probably* due to a lack of education on the nature of Dyslexia, some teachers were dismissing it, mishandling or misreading the situation of particular students or unaware that the condition existed.

    I'm glad to see that times are changing, because Dyslexia is becoming more and more prevalent in Irish society and it's comforting to know that teachers are willing to be supportive to children and students, to give them the help they need, to deal with their difficulties.


  • #60
    TequilaMockingBird
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,392 ✭✭✭TequilaMockingBird


    dolliemix wrote: »
    There's no rose-tinted specs here :) I work with dyslexic children everyday.


    I can't deal with what happened in the past or can't change their bad experiences.

    The title of this thread 'Dyslexic? What would have helped you as a child?' is something that could help me.

    i'm genuinely interested. But I need to know on a practical level and from a learning point of view.

    I'm not asking you to deal with the past.

    I'm asking if people who have dyslexia would be kind enough to share with me things that would have made life easier for them when they were children.


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  • #61
    dolliemix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭dolliemix


    TequilaMockingBird wrote: »
    My child is in 4th class, I have been trying to get help since she was in Senior Infants/1st Class. She has been let down. I paid one of her teachers for two years to tutor her here at home. I still got "well if she read with mammy.." . I was trying to tell them "well she can't read so what would you suggest?".

    There are flaws in the system. I could give you a list of them, but that's not what this thread is about.

    Fair enough!

    I'm not involved in the process of diagnosis.

    And it's not what this thread is about.....which is where I was coming from.....

    I hope your daughter's journey from here on in is easier.....

    That's where I'm involved and which is why I have posted on this thread - trying to stay away from the negatives - and learn, possibly, from the positives.

    I would imagine from here on in that teachers will be on your side!:)


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