BobbyDazzler

Hi there

I just thought I'd bump this thread in the hope that you've all got great news to tell us about the progress of your kids out there in Oz

I sincerely hope that the 'treatments' you have described here have done the trick to a certain extent and that your kids have started to flourish

One of our own kids has, for the past few years, been showing signs of some (all?) of the conditions referred to above, but despite constantly nagging the school to at least do some testing they keep coming back to us telling us that there is nothing wrong and how well is doing in class??!!

We do not agree with them and feel as if they (the school) or us have failed the poor lad as his standard of reading and writing is certainly not what is expected of a 13 year old. In fact, hard as it is to say it, I would have to say that the standard of his work can be and usually is appalling. He finds spelling the easiest of words (eg "catch" would be spelled "ctahc"), and reading a book and then trying to summarise it on paper (transfer from brain to paper) extremely difficult.

He enjoys school. He is a happy (if sometimes emotional), reasonably outgoing person who makes friends relatively easily. He is helpful, funny, polite and a joy to be with. His artistic skills and DIY skills (he can put up an MFI flatpack quicker than anyone I've seen!!). What concerns us is that his reading and writing skills are on a par with somone 3 years younger than him if not younger than that

With our visas (hopefully) round the corner we're faced with the dilemma of staying in the UK to try and get the problem nipped in the bud, or, risk moving to Oz and him being discarded or bullied due to his underdeveloped R & W skills

If anybody can provide any useful info or assurance then I'd be most grateful as his future is becoming a constant source of worry for us

Many Thanks

BD

jad n rich

I dont think your child would be bullied because of poor R & W skills, its not uncommon here at all, our son aged 12 now, is dyslexic, its called learning disability here and there is no funding for him at all now, he was removed from the support list at end of grade 6, exact same situation for aussie mates kid same age very similar problem. Funding is very tight, when he did get some support all in all he got around 27 hours help in a reading group.
However he has NEVER been bullied because of this.

As far as I have found out, at high school they have different levels of work for kids with learning disabilities. Subjects like languages are dropped to give them more time to do projects etc. When they get into the higher grades they are encouraged to do subjects that are easier, like dance, art etc, although these subjects mean they wont score that well in the final exams (OP in qld). Basic levels of maths and english too. They also get extra time in exams.

The fact there is very little funding does not stop a person going private and all sorts of specialists, including some alternative ideas are available, at a cost of course. This thread put us onto eye q, thanks to whoever posted it because we did buy it while on UK visit and I would say its helped a bit, (if anyones using it, stock up in UK much much cheaper there}.

Hope some of that helps.

BobbyDazzler

Thanks for the response

All of the things you've mentioned above are great but I can't help feeling that being allowed to do less 'academic' subjects and being allowed more time to complete exams etc is just skirting round the issue

In a way it's a bit like being unable to drive a car and being allowed to use the bus instead - eventually you'll find that there's no bus route to where you want to go and you'll be caught out (poor analogy I admit!)

My method of solving problems is by getting to the route cause

What our son needs first and foremost is for one of his teachers to admit that there is a problem followed by a testing procedure and diagnosis. Once we accept that there is a problem we can then find out what we need to do to resolve it.

We could soon be faced with the challenge of trying to find a school (in the Brisbane metro area) which 'supports' children with these kinds of conditions and has the necessary staff, links and resources in place to be able to help.

Cheers

BD

ginaf

Hi,

I hope I'm not hijacking the thread but my six year olds school suspect he might have ADHD and although I haven't tried Eye Q, I have been trying to get him to take omega 3 oils with not much luck....

How do you get you children to actually take them? I have tried getting him to take it straight in liquid form, chewy flavoured capsules hiding it in drinks but he always tastes it and refuses to take it???

gina

moneypenny20

We used to have the liquid filled capsule ones. My girls had no problems with them and a drink.

geordie mandy

I was giving my boys these capsules just to try and help their concentration this is what i found, my middle son has gone up a level in both maths and english classes, he is in year 1 at infant school a definite improvement. My eldest there were no change at all in his concentration and still struggles. My youngest however has got worse to the point the teacher said he became more disruptive in nursery. Has any one else had simalr results.
None of my kids have adh or anything similar.
Mandy

helinuk

Perhaps you could ask who your school SENCO is then get them to assess your son in school. If that fails go privately to an ed. psyc. (I can't spell it!)
You need to push the school - go to the top if necessary.
Also contact the British dyslexia association- in Reading- yes it's in the Town Reading! They can help find a local senco for you too.
Your son is creative - right brained- both my children are too. We have been fortunate enough to have had help for their dyslexia, and they are doing well, (after years of worry and hard work) they have also taken Efelex and EYE Q.
Do PM me if you want to talk more about it. I am a qualified special needs (dyslexia)teacher.
Helen

hevs

I get what you are saying an totally understand i really do. However when you have a child in this spectrum there does become a time of acceptance that they may never be overly good at the more achedmic subjects. Now before anyone leaps own my throat and tells me that i am putting these kids down, believe me i'm not.

My son is extremely bright (as are most kids on the spectrum) but CANNOT get things own on paper, or process the information in the "expected" way. It stresses him and tires him and makes his self esteem fall through the floor. He tries his hardest and we will continue to support him in anyway possible at home; but its very heartbreaking for all concerned.

I am fast coming to the conclusion that he will leave school as soon as he is legally allowed (if not before ) as the pressure put on him on a daily basis to just get by is massive. This is not the schools fault, they are great, but it is just the expectation put on him to be at a level where "normal" kids are. Sadly he just isn't and it makes him unhappy.(thats an understatement!)

We will support him in what ever area he chooses to go (within reason) and if that means a trade etc then good on him for making that decision and breaking the circle of unhappiness and unworthyness that he feels with the percieved "faliure" that he isn't like other kids and can't keep up.

This said he is improving massivly and part taking in so many things he wouldn't have dreamed of even a year ago. He has just joined Oz kick (where i helped out coaching and LOVED it) He has an audition for the National choir of Australia, he does gymnastics, goes to cubs and is learning to play guitar! Yes none of it very achedemic, but none of it he finds easy, but hes out there and hes doing it and hes achieving something so important in life; self assurance and self belief.

I think i am right in saying that you would struggle to get a school with the resources to "support" a child in their entirety, howvever there are certainly schools that have their own "specialist" teachers who will help out where they can (this is what we have found)

In the UK Niall had his own SENCO and was reviewed every half term; here, unfortunately, there is no such thing However it was up to us to get referals from Drs to specialists firsts, the school just didn't have the resources and its up to the parents to get there own child tested etc. (well it was 4 years ago anyway)

I agree though diagnosis IS half the battle, then you can certainly see what your options are

Good luck to everyone out there

jad n rich

I agree with you, unfortunately, there is very little support here for these kids. There are a lot of threads about it, most people (posts have come from most states from memory) have found it very difficult to access much help here. Especially as they get to the older grades, funding seems to be a major issue. I really dont know what school to suggest, resources and specialty staff are very thinly spread. Some private schools will 'politely' decline the application of these kids too, so that may not be the answer either. Its quite a battle.

jad n rich

There are now some chewable ones, Haliborange is sold in UK chemists and supermarkets, its not eye q but has the omega oils. The tablets taste like a orange vitamin c tab or orange love heart sort of flavour, most kids should have no problem with them, again buy in UK they are not sold here, I would kill for more of these, we found them brilliant. Think we paid about 6 pound for 90 and they are only one a day.

hevs

Yeah it really hacks me off. They don't want your "less than perfect child" messing up there entry score levels now do they? God forbid!

hevs

The thing is with eye Q is that they contain the EXACT balence of the omega oils to help the brain specifically in the areas that needs it with these kids

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodm...453346,00.html


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The paucity of evidence, Dr Richardson argues, is partly due to a lack of funding for research like hers. She also believes the patchy results may reflect the wrong kind of omega-3 oils being used, 'ones that are rich in DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) instead of EPA (eicosapentaeonic acid), a key building block for the brain. Other experts say the science simply doesn't add up…yet.'

**************************

I attended a seminar with this woman in Oxford about 5 years ago and she was awesome.

If you have time read the whole article. Its certainly food for thought (pardon the pun

draper5

Hi
I am a primary school teacher, with two dyslexic sons and it's no quicker/easier to get help even when you know the system. However, I have just this morning posted off a letter to the Director of Education for our county requesting a statutory assessment for our middle son. Apparently they are more likely to take action when a request comes from a parent than a school. And are legally bound to take action within 6 weeks and come to a decision on statementing (the only way you can guarantee help) within 26 weeks.
The local dyslexia association was very helpful and gave me a draft letter to send. PM me if you'd like a copy.

Becky

helinuk

Hevs thank you for putting us onto this!
It has continued to help our daughter, and our son is at uni now and I can't watch over him any more, but he is coping and has nearly completed his first year. He says that school was harder than uni?! He is doing something he enjoys- computer graphics, games, visualisation (so using the right side of his brain). Our daughter is taking 4 As levels, her passion is theatre and hopes to do stage management or event management- again she's creative -right brained stuff. Both of them have struggled in the English system -
I am only writing this to give you guys some encouragement there is light at the end of the tunnel- I'm beginning to see the results of 10 years of worry, some learning support, land lots of teacher-parent meetings .
I don't know how they/we would have coped in OZ system?!
We paid a price in staying in uk to see them finish their school to this level. We can't now get an oz visa because of our age. who wants to employ people in their early 50s? We'll probably have to wait till retirement now.

hevs

You are an example to us all Helen. Well done to you and yours. All good things come to those who wait, hugs Hxx