do you have any ideas about learning how to overcome dyslexia for a 5 year old ?

Question

the teachers say he is showing early signs of dyslexia , but he is only 5 and there are not many 5 year olds that can read , are there ? they have picture and colour tests which he has problems with and i have noticed a few things too which is making me slowly accept the possibility , i have read dozens of websites looking for things/activities and special learning help but cant seem to find what things are suitable for a 5 year old so please try not to give me links as i am exhausted with all these websites, i am hoping for someone with experience to tell what kind of things they have done to help with dyslexia

Answer 1

You are fortunate that the school he attends has already picked up on it. As you say he's only just starting to read, but dyslexia is much more than just that although reading is the most obvious symptom. Your son's school may have already spoken to you about "Special Needs Learning" and will monitor his progress to determine how best to help him. If they suggest to you that he requires additional help in order to prevent him falling behind his peers then a process will be started from within the school and the Education Authority to meet his needs.keep in touch with his class teacher, she is your best source of information and if you are at all worried see your school's Special Education Needs Co-ordinator - it may be the head teacher. I don't want to tell you what to use with your son as his teacher will advise you so that it builds on what she is doing in class. he will probably enjoy painting and drawing so share that with him and have fun!!

Answer 2

Just relax, take more time with your child, when your child is old enough, the school should get him tested, my son was tested in year two, when he was between 6-7 years old.

Once proved, the school with the help of the special needs teacher will develop an learning plan, you should be advise of the plan, then both in the classroom and at home, putting the plan into action will help your child.

Your school might do the test earlier, ask, if the test isn't arranged by the school insist on it, contact your local educational department if you don't get any approved test done at the school. They should help you, but until you know his needs, it's best not to try and do too much as you could be doing more harm than good.

Answer 3

Believe me I've been through your anguish, I remember when my now 11 year old was 5 and I knew something was wrong but it was not confirmed by the Dyslexic Institute because she scored 2 points above their deadline score! The UK government grants parents £4,000 for dyslexic children and because of this I think the Dyslexic Institute did not let her qualify because she wasn't that bad. She goes to a private school with small class sizes but is about a year behind. I sent her on a week's course with someone who specialised in dyslexia and she showed a marginal improvement, but you basically have to wait until they are older to get a real understanding of their problems because dyslexia comes in all forms, and a 5 year old can't tell you what he doesn't know. My daughter is very visual and very good at verbal reasoning, she is getting there but her little sister is much brighter. I tried Eye-Q tablets for 2 years but can't really say they made any difference. You just have to plod on. Don't beat yourself up about it you can do no more.

Answer 4

Being deslexic myself i could give you a little help dylexia isn't just about reading there is more to it as mine makes me a slow learner. All you can do is try and find his way of learning he may not work as fast as other people his age but he can get support at school etc. I know this as i do in college and i also have a friend who found out he was dyslexic when in school and he was given extra support. Dont worry it has been caught early in yoour son, as by the time they caught it in me i was 17 years old and in college which put me at a disadvantage in college. This is because because i find it hard to take things in i get extra time in my exams. and i have found my college life has improved.

Now that it has been caught early so he will get help straight away and shouldn't fall behind in school or anything.

They do have several tests but i am not sure what they are for someone his age as i was older when i found out.

Just remember i doesn't make you dyslexic if you struggle with reading as sometimes it can be nothing to do with it.

Goodluck....

Just email me if you need any more help or information....

Answer 5

Hello Lucky charms,
I do understand that you don't want any more website addresses, therefore I'll just tell you from my experience.
Don't despair! Firstly the child is too young to diagnose him yet, and even if he is dyslexic I am sure he is otherwise bright and happy. Don't bring it over to him that anything is wrong with him.
I have not heard of a 'cure' because it has to do with mix up in the brain (what should be on the left side is on the right or so), but I do know very intelligent people who are dyslexic. They don't say they 'suffer' with it, it is just there. Sometimes they mention it as one might say "I can't see very well, or I'm hard of hearing", but usually they just get on with their lives.
I know a university professor who had to have a secretary at a very early age as a student to dictate his work to, and nowadays with spell checking your son will be alright.
In my opinion the most important thing is not to make him feel that there is anything 'wrong' with him.
You make him strong and self secure and he'll be alright.
All the best!
McGonagall

Answer 6

There are tons of things that you can do at home which can help. Fun games that involve co-ordination are reportedly good fun. Games such as close your eyes and touch your nose, touch toes, alien fingers etc. These co-ordination games often improve balance which is thought in some cases to be a contributory factor. For more academic work, little number exercises can be good but don't make it difficult. A lot of dyslexics are very bright and tend to store information in their head as reading is too hard. But they do get frustrated because they can't do what others take for granted and it does have a negative effect on confidence so if your child is good at football or martial arts, its something to work on which they can be good at independently. You could make up your own games which involve balance and co-ordination but as long as its fun and you do it together, if it isn't too successful, at least you can laugh together which is a priceless thing and will never be forgotten.

Answer 7

My daughter is dyslexic and i had to fight to get any special help for her at primary school, the problem was once I got it we moved to Florida and she flourished, cos they have so many more special needs teachers which zone in on certain problems and gave her confidence. We had to move back and surprise surprise all the paper work I gave her secondary school got lost and she was ignored and seen as stupid(yes this still goes on) she ended up in a special school and luckily got on with her tutors and is now in her second year at college where she gets a lot more help and support.. she still get frustrated and takes it out on her family but we have never made an issue of it and she knows that it is not a disability, just an oversight of society. good luck with it all but get second opinions and keep fighting for your son x

Answer 8

the doctor i am working for is trying to get a book done that will help to explain the problems with dyslexia and how to cure them. he just is not getting enough time to get it done. Actually his 5 year old has been able to read for a long time. Be pateint. and seek a doctors advise on your next visit. dont wear yourself out at onlly 5 years of age. help will be on its way

Answer 9

I have a cousin who is 12 years old and dyslexic, his was not caught early on but should have been, the key is to early intervention. My aunt has exhausted herself trying to get help for him, but he is now starting to do better in school. She sent him so sylvan learning center with no avail, she said that she would not recommend that to anyone. There is a discussion board that she goes on and it has helped her tremendously I think it is a board by Schwabb. Good Luck!

Answer 10

first of all i would say, dont panic. if your son does have dyslexia its not as bad as you may think. there are many ways to cope with this. my son reads slowly and writes on the pc. he writes a word the way it sounds to him, eg, peepol for people, then he uses the spell check. it works for him. there are many successful people out there with the condition that get along fine every day