Dyslexia tests

[paris]

Having picked up on other threads about parents with children with dyslexia could anyone tell me , what sort of tests are available and what as a parent did you notice in the way your child reads and writes.
We have a 7yr old grandson who lives with us who were sure has dyslexia. His letters are all back to front and if he reads a word with our help and the next word is exactly the same he doesn't know what it is.
Any info would be gratefully received. Thanks. jan x

[Metalattakk]

I expect the first thing to do would be speak to his teacher. They'll be able to advise/refer you to the relevant specialists.

I'm actually surprised the teacher hasn't been in touch with you already.

[cuddlepop]

In Scotland the teacher makes a request for the Educational Physiology to carry out an assessment and take it from there.

unfortunatly even in my friends son's case school are not listening.:mad:

[Karen]

My son could read well but could not spell, he also has trouble copying. I think there are a lot of different problems for diferent people, my son also has a visual disturbance so that when he looks at a page of writing it seems to part as if there are rivers through the words and he also sees a halo around the words. He was not diagnosed until he was at High School, although the primary school had highlighted concerns and previously tested him. I think because he had worked out his own strategies to cope with the reading it confused the issue. His test were organised through the school with our permission. Hope this helps a little.

[paris]

I expect the first thing to do would be speak to his teacher. They'll be able to advise/refer you to the relevant specialists.

I'm actually surprised the teacher hasn't been in touch with you already.
Hi Metalattack, i have spoken to his teacher and it was actually me who brought the subject up. She got the necessary forms for me to complete for him to be tested but that was way before Xmas . Was just wondering what the tests entailed, how do they decide who has dyslexia and who doesn't.

[paris]

My son could read well but could not spell, he also has trouble copying. I think there are a lot of different problems for diferent people, my son also has a visual disturbance so that when he looks at a page of writing it seems to part as if there are rivers through the words and he also sees a halo around the words. He was not diagnosed until he was at High School, although the primary school had highlighted concerns and previously tested him. I think because he had worked out his own strategies to cope with the reading it confused the issue. His test were organised through the school with our permission. Hope this helps a little.
Thanks Karen
Yes this does help. Ive also been told there are quite a few different types of dyslexia, some worse than others. Just need to know how the tests are done to say who has it and who hasn't. jan x

[Karen]

I didn't see the tests, will ask my son when he comes home. I remember him saying he had to repeat words/numbers in order and backwards.

[paris]

Thanks Karen, it would be useful to know from your son what /how he was tested. Jan x

[Karen]

Hi, he says he was asked if there was anything he was particularly good at, art or sports as a lot of dyslexic people are talented in other ways. He had to thread beads in a certain time, copy a passage, read a passage, looking at and describe pictures, sequencing and something with numbers, he can't remeber what exactly. It took about an hour and a half. Hope that is some help to you.

[Julia]

There are dyslexia tests available to do online for adults and children

http://www.dore.co.uk/TestSelection2.aspx

[ciderally]

hi paris....it was ages for my son to get tested, he was always good with counting when he was little but reading ect was hopeless right from day one at school..infact it was my friend who reconised it in him when he was about 6 as she herself is dyslexic and right thru school he was classed as disruptive as when it came to reading ect he would just play up to get out of it..anyway he got tested by the Educational Physiologist when he was 11 and i just wish i had made more noise about it, as i asked and asked for it to be done but the headmaster said no he just thought he was high spirited....
well he went thru the test did take a few hours, and then the Educational Physiologist had a meeting with me to explain that they test the two sides of his brain add up the figures for the left and right sides example..say 2 out of ten is a high margin of eight and 7 out of ten low margin...higher the margin greater the level of dyslexia..so my son did have a high level and thats how it was explained to me...but thinking back some of the more obvious signs that was pointed out to me ...not being able to tie his shoe laces...send him upstairs for a couple of things he would only bring back one..
he is 18 now and still a poor reader, but i do beleive they do get more help now....hope this helps, kinda rambled on a bit..xx sorry

[helenwyler]

Hi paris

Online checklists like http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/indications.html#primary (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/indications.html#primary) are good as a start to see if your grandson might have dylexic type difficulties, but I wouldn't recommend doing a test online.

There are a range of difficulties associated with dyslexia and the single most reliable indicator is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken words (it's called phonological or phonemic awareness). This is done completely orally, and the child does not see any written words. It cannot be done online.

Only an Educational Psycholgist or a specialist teacher is qualified to do this, as the results need careful interpretation.

Other indicators are low scores on Rapid Naming (finding verbal labels for objects at speed), Digit Span (remembering series of numbers forwards and backwards to assess auditory memory and working memory), postural stability...to name the main ones.

Reading tests will consist of Single Word Reading, Nonsense Word Reading (to assess decoding skill) and comprehension. Speed is taken into account as well as accuracy on the newest tests.

There will also be spelling and writing tests, and the mistakes are not just scored but analysed for different types of weakness (visual or aural).

Usually there are also visuo-spatial assessments too. Dyslexics are often strong in these areas.

An Ed. Psych. should also give a Wechsler IQ test which can indicate a discrepancy between natural intelligence and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.

If your grandson experiences visual disturbances while reading, skips words or lines, reads words backwards, or experiences a glare or discomfort reading black on white, it might be a good idea to see an optometrist with experience in learning difficulties. Excessive blinking and eye-rubbing can be indicators of visual difficulties.

Sorry to ramble on:eek:. It's a complex area!

Good Luck!

[Big G]

The best thing to do is speak to the teacher who will then pass on the information the the relevant person. I think it is usually the learning support teacher who carries out these tests (don't quote me on that though) and if you have any questions i am sure they would be more than happy to speak to you about it.

[helenwyler]

The best thing to do is speak to the teacher who will then pass on the information the the relevant person. I think it is usually the learning support teacher who carries out these tests (don't quote me on that though) and if you have any questions i am sure they would be more than happy to speak to you about it.

Definitely speak to the teacher.

All I'm saying is that unless the Special Educational Needs Teacher has a qualification in Specific Learning Difficulties, they will only be able to carry out a limited number of general tests. If you want a more detailed investigation, you need a specialist.

[paris]

Thanks all for your replies. I have asked a thousand times for him to be tested but were still at the waiting stage. He was a year behind starting school ( long story ) but then we got him and he started straight away. Hes always struggled with reading and writing and has what i call a fuzzy head when i ask him to do something he does the opposite, not all the time, but i was really shocked to actually see how behind he is in most things. I never noticed until i got talking to other mums at the school as I'm usually stood on my own ( you know what i mean, little groups of mothers who don't give you the light of day )
Anyway i shall go into school again tomorrow to see what the situation is and thanks again. Jan x

[garrioch]

Hi new here,

I had to be reassed for dyslexia when I started uni as the local high school lost my orginal assment records that was about 5 years ago,

I think the older you are the longer the tests take mine was about 3 half hours.

The guy checked pretty much everything some of the stranger ones checked for balance, like standing on one leg closing you eyes and touching your nose.

Sense of direction closing you eyes them spining you round and asking you which way you are facing before opening you eyes, apprently we dysliexics are genraly bad at balnce compared to regular people good at sense of direction,

Visual accuity such as pen drawing and asked what was wrong like a house with snow on the roof but the roof is not there or faces with missing eye brows and the likes, everything the guy above said had all that done too.

They also ask you lots personal questions got many freinds or close nit group been bullied before being bullied now,

so expect everything really