Schools
#1
Schools
Does anyone have information on what help is available for a child with Dyslexia in oz schools both public and private, I am looking for detailed information rather than just that a school has a learning support unit. I have been searching the internet and expat forums but when this question is asked there seems to be no answers or the answer is to general and not on the topic, I am sure there are a lot of parents with kids that would like to know. So if there are any teachers or learning support teachers that can give a clear and detailed answer please help as our move to Australia depends on whether we can find the help my son needs to succeed or not.
Thanks
Knsc
Thanks
Knsc
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 924
Re: Schools
We arrived in Sydney in 2007 with two dyslexic boys and I was very disappointed in the public school system. Despite assurances when we came on a reccie and visited both primary and high schools that the schools could deal with all levels of support needs, it turned out that (in our experience) what that meant was that they would ignore everything equally. (In my experience a lot of people here don't understand the concept of equality of access - they think that "equal ops" means treating everyone exactly the same regardless of any needs they may have). We removed our eldest from our local high school following a confrontation with the head of English where she essentially told me that there was no such thing as dyslexia - I obviously just hadn't spent enough time on spelling homework with my son! A special ed teacher also advised me that without securing funding for support before he started, it was highly unlikely that my 8 year old would get any help at our local, small, primary.
Both boys are now in a private school where they are thriving. Part of the strategy for my younger son was putting him back a year (easy to do as most schools here will have an age range of 2 years in any class). He was also put on a "reading recovery" programme, MULTILIT (a Macquarie University programme) with pretty amazing results. The school is very keen on integrated technology in learning which has been particularly appropriate for my boys. I have also found the positive, supportive and nurturing environment has really helped, particularly for my older (high school) boy who has very low self esteem due to earlier experiences of schooling in the UK. The school rewards effort as well as achievement and has created a culture of learning where children want to do their best. At primary level I have found the rather traditional approach to spelling, grammer and punctuation to be good for my younger son who, while still struggling with spelling, has really improved.
Attitudes to dyslexia are very different here to the UK, a lot of people won't use the word. Others assume that all dyslexic people will benefit from the Irlen lenses, or that the only symptom is reversal of letters when writing so if your child doesn't do that they can't be dyslexic. Someone is also bound to suggest you send your child to an OT within the first five minutes of the conversation. Tbh I have found it easier to get my children't needs met in Australian schools only because we can afford to pay for private schooling here which we could never have done with three in the UK (yes - I have one who isn't dyslexic!). I would personally not send a dyslexic child to a NSW public school, but that is just my opinion based on my experience and is not meant as a slur on the many public schools who do a great job for lots of kids. If private is an option you need to contact as many schools as you can and ask what they can offer. Remember, it is the norm here for kids to get the bus to school (some kids travel quite a long way to get to their school of choice) so the choice can be quite wide. Good luck.
Both boys are now in a private school where they are thriving. Part of the strategy for my younger son was putting him back a year (easy to do as most schools here will have an age range of 2 years in any class). He was also put on a "reading recovery" programme, MULTILIT (a Macquarie University programme) with pretty amazing results. The school is very keen on integrated technology in learning which has been particularly appropriate for my boys. I have also found the positive, supportive and nurturing environment has really helped, particularly for my older (high school) boy who has very low self esteem due to earlier experiences of schooling in the UK. The school rewards effort as well as achievement and has created a culture of learning where children want to do their best. At primary level I have found the rather traditional approach to spelling, grammer and punctuation to be good for my younger son who, while still struggling with spelling, has really improved.
Attitudes to dyslexia are very different here to the UK, a lot of people won't use the word. Others assume that all dyslexic people will benefit from the Irlen lenses, or that the only symptom is reversal of letters when writing so if your child doesn't do that they can't be dyslexic. Someone is also bound to suggest you send your child to an OT within the first five minutes of the conversation. Tbh I have found it easier to get my children't needs met in Australian schools only because we can afford to pay for private schooling here which we could never have done with three in the UK (yes - I have one who isn't dyslexic!). I would personally not send a dyslexic child to a NSW public school, but that is just my opinion based on my experience and is not meant as a slur on the many public schools who do a great job for lots of kids. If private is an option you need to contact as many schools as you can and ask what they can offer. Remember, it is the norm here for kids to get the bus to school (some kids travel quite a long way to get to their school of choice) so the choice can be quite wide. Good luck.
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 2,237
Re: Schools
Hi, I'm in Perth and have also experienced a few problems, not with dyslexia, but with other learning issues. My kids are in a state primary school (until they're 12.5-13.5 years old here!). My experience has been that if your child is behind the "benchmark", then there is a chance that he/she might get help. The problem is, how low or high is the benchmark? My kids have only been to school here, so I do not know what the standards are like in the UK. If your kids are bright (I realise that we all think that our little darlings are budding Einsteins), then your kids can actually be worse off if they also have a learning difficulty, as their brightness can mask their learning difficulty, and the teacher can think that they're doing OK. Even if your kid is behind, you might not get the support you need. The teachers and principals rule here. Even letters from specialists can get ignored.
There are dyslexia organisations around Australia, here's the link for the WA one: http://www.dyslexia-speld.com/
There's also something here called The Centre for Inclusive Schooling:
http://www.cis.perthwa.net/
You could try emailing them to see how they could help support your children in a state school. There is a huge demand in Perth for private schools, so it can be quite hard to get a place, even at the most expensive ones. Sometimes you're lucky, it just depends on the timing. Private schools seem to be much cheaper here than in UK.
There is a reason why so many desert the state system, but there are good state primary and high schools around. Some schools and principals are supportive - SPELD or CIS might be able to guide you. However, some schools are not. A bit of homework for you, mum!
There are dyslexia organisations around Australia, here's the link for the WA one: http://www.dyslexia-speld.com/
There's also something here called The Centre for Inclusive Schooling:
http://www.cis.perthwa.net/
You could try emailing them to see how they could help support your children in a state school. There is a huge demand in Perth for private schools, so it can be quite hard to get a place, even at the most expensive ones. Sometimes you're lucky, it just depends on the timing. Private schools seem to be much cheaper here than in UK.
There is a reason why so many desert the state system, but there are good state primary and high schools around. Some schools and principals are supportive - SPELD or CIS might be able to guide you. However, some schools are not. A bit of homework for you, mum!
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane, Qld
Posts: 285
Re: Schools
Interesting topic.
We too will be heading within the next year - we are hoping to head to the Brisbane area. We have a 10 year old with dyslexia- we get support in our school here and also have a tutor come in once a week but I'm still really worried about getting into a school in Australia. So any advice welcome or hints that you can share with us.
Thanks for the links so far I will investigate.
We too will be heading within the next year - we are hoping to head to the Brisbane area. We have a 10 year old with dyslexia- we get support in our school here and also have a tutor come in once a week but I'm still really worried about getting into a school in Australia. So any advice welcome or hints that you can share with us.
Thanks for the links so far I will investigate.