If my son is diagnosed with dyslexia will he get help in exams ?

Question

If my son is diagnosed with dyslexia will he get help in exams ?

Answer 1

Depends on the school's position and education authority NOT the absolute nature of the child's disability.

Support may range from a bit of extra time - to a Reader and or a scribe.

If the school asks for too much it will undermine any position they or the LA later take in refusing a full assessment and statement. If they don't ask for enough support they will undermine their own achievement measures and add to their unsuccessful exam scores.

Assume that they are in it for themselves and do nothing out of the 'goodness' of their own hearts or for the genuine benefit of your son and you are almost there.

Fight for it - don't wait for it. You won't get it.

Answer 2

Yes he will get extra time in exams but make sure the school knows this! If he needs special learning support lessons the school will help you find help.

Answer 3

I have dyslexia myself, I went through a special program and got a lot of help with my schooling, tests, home work etc.  You really need to go talk to the principal of his school and see what is avl. for him.  If there are no school initiatives avl. then go through private tourers, and let him know he is not alone in having this issue. A lot of very successful people have dyslexia. You can work around it, but you do have to learn things a little differently then your average person does.

Answer 4

You don't say what state you live in, nor what exams your son is anticipating, nor whether he is enrolled in a private or state school.  (I am going to assume state, or public.)   When you say, "diagnosed", I wonder whether you mean that you are planning to have him privately tested, or whether you are relying on his school to do this.

There are many variables; however, no matter which state you live in, the common public school drill is this:  your son has a history of a demonstrably low (for his age) reading level, and possibly a low math level, as well.  You know he is not "dumb", in fact, he may be very intelligent.

The school will (often) trumpet publicly that it can offer help in the form of special instruction, or tutoring.  What will usually be offered, depending on his age and grade (I'm assuming high school), is an "LD", or learning disabled class for English and Math, which have their own problems.  But a series of time consuming steps will first have to be taken.  

They will want to "statement" him.  Your area may call it something else.  What that means is that, first, some of his teachers will be asked to track your son's progress and asked whether, in their opinion, he needs extra help.  The school will typically ask for six months of observation, no matter how long your son has clearly been struggling.  The teachers will also be under pressure to not find anything wrong, because the school will already have some set number of statemented students in mind that it is prepared to spring for financially, and it is always a much lower number than the actual need.

After the data from the teachers has been collected,  the school will convene a "student study" group, consisting of a teacher or two, his school counselor, an "SRA" (someone in charge of checking IEP's), and any interested party.  They are going to look for reasons to not statement him, because of what I said above, and also because the school district has to pay for the psychologist to perform the various tests.  If they decide your son can possibly get by with no extra help, they will tell you that, in their professional opinion, no services are necessary.

If you manage to get past that, in order for your son to have "help" in his exams, he would have to have an IEP (an individual education plan).  A special ed teacher would usually write this.  The IEP must note that he gets special exam assistance.  That said, not a lot of help can legally be offered.  The usual sorts of assistance include a small group setting (instead of two hundred kids in the cafeteria, he will be allowed to be in a room with a few other, similarly challenged students.)  He may be allowed to have the questions read aloud or paraphrased to him by the monitor.  He will almost certainly be allowed more time to finish the test.  If you had in  mind that he will have someone sitting with him and individually helping him to understand each question, that will not happen.

Since you mention exams along with your son being diagnosed, I am worried that you may have left it too long.  If your son is in high school, then honestly, your best bet is to get him some extra tutoring yourself.  The school will likely drag its heels and he needs help now.  Ask the school or ask around for a teacher with a learning disabled or varying exceptionality certification to come after school or on Saturday to tutor your son, or take him to the teacher.  It will likely cost between $25 and $40 an hour, which I know is a lot, but your son also stands the best chance of making the most rapid progress in this way.  If you get a good, well recommended tutor, you will be surprised by how much he will pick up in a few, one on one sessions.

My main point is that relying on public schools to do the right thing for your son is a chump's game.  They all have more kids with special needs than they are willing and / or abl;e to cater for, and they spend all their time looking for reasons to avoid doing anything.  If you are determined to go the public school route, you are going to have to be an incredibly forceful, repeated advocate for your son.  You will have to demand services, more than once, snd simply not take "no" for an answer.  Are you willing to do that?  Do you have the time to do that?

Even if that is the route you take, please strongly consider the private tutor option.  It is the best money you will spend for your son.

Answer 5

Yes, he would. I was diagnosed as Learning Disabled all through school. I would get extra time on tests, at times I was able to take tests in a quiet area, and once in a while if I wanted a test read to me I was able to have that. But, I felt more comfortable reading the test to myself. He will also be able to succeed and make his dreams come true.

I am a dancer and a dance teacher.

Answer 6

Please try not to worry.My nephew is dyslexic and he was allowed to dictate his answers instead of doing a written paper.He ended up with a double 1st in Maths and now earns a 6 figure salary

Answer 7

he is supposed to and if they dont help him atleast with extra time then they can get in trouble

Answer 8

Yes, if he is diagnosed he will get extra help in school. The school , at least where I live gets extra money to accommodate students with learning disabilities. They should also put a teachers aid in class with him and give him frequent breaks. My son was diagnosed with ADHD. The school did an excellent job of supporting him and he is doing better this year.... Good Luck !

Answer 9

speak to his teachers or the head of special needs but i think he would be entitled to extra time in exams anyway,

Answer 10

Not necessarily.  Unfortunately the special education system has a lot loop holes in it.  If your child is not performing 2 standard deviations below the norm, then your child will not get extra help.  A diagnosis does not guarantee any help from the school.

Answer 11

Yes he should get help .. he will need an educational statement which will describe his needs

Answer 12

It all depends on how severe his dyslexia is. Some children with learning disabilities can have a teaching assistant or other things to help them in an exam. You need to speak to the school in plenty of time before his exams to decide what will work best for him. Your sons school should listen to what you have to say and your suggestions and hopefully you should be able to come to some agreement on what is best for him. If you don't get a good result from the school i would suggest you talk to your local Parent Partnership as they will help you liaise with your sons school. Good luck.

Answer 13

Yes he may do.  He would need to be assessed by a qualified teacher for his reading, writing and spelling skills.  If necessary he could be allocated some-one to read, write or read and write for him during exams including Key Stage exams and GCSEs