Subject:  Dyslexia and Asperger's? |
Author:
Karen
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Date Posted: 23:56:37 07/05/10 Mon
I am in Melbourne, Australia. I believe my 8 year old son is dyslexic, but to complicate things he also has Asperger's Syndrome. He was diagnosed with Asperger's about two years ago and following this we were able to get funding for an integration aid at school which has been wonderful and addresses his "Aspergian" traits of anxiety, resistance to routine change, school refusal and general hissy fits over the slightest things! Despite this extra one on one attention (and I have to say that our school has been brilliantly supportive) and participation in remedial reading programs, I have finally decided that I need to do something further to help him with what is now his below the expected standard of reading and writing for his age.
About two years ago we were advised to see a Behavioural Optometrist by the school. His diagnosis was that my son showed "mixed brain dominance". This was evident he said, by the way he constantly seems to try to read backwards, mixes his letters up and writes them and numbers back to front. Sounded like Dyslexia to me, but the Optometrist thought not. He prescribed glasses which still seem to make no difference whatsoever.
Earlier this year I took him to see an Occupational Therapist to assist specifically with his reading and writing. She performed some diagnostic testing and told me he was not dyslexic, but gave him "writing" practice to do and various coordination exercises over a period of about 10 visits. Unfortunately his Asperger's does not help him tolerate the intolerable, and trying to get an Aspergian child to perform an activity that they truly hate is nigh on impossible! Anyway, I have seen no positive results from this either.
My son is a chronic speller as well, and having seen the results of his Grade 3 NAPLAN writing test a couple of months back, I was quite shocked at how he still mispells the most basic words, and the "guesses" he makes are mostly nonsensical. Now I am beginning to wonder if he really does have dyslexia, and if I should have him formally tested.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been researching with great interest, the subject of dyslexia in general and the lack of funding support and recognition available in Australia. I think I will bite the bullet and get him tested, but I am wondering if ultimately that would be wasting my time, given the lack of support in schools and education of teachers to deal with the issue. Should I just hire a private tutor and be done with it? If a Behavioural Optometrist and Occupational Therapist don't think he has dyslexia, am I kidding myself and would I be wasting my money in getting him diagnosed? Where is the best place to have him diagnosed? Could it just be that his Asperger's is affecting his ability to read and write simply because he hates doing it? Not sure if anyone else with an Asperger's child has dyslexia or this problem, but all offers of advice gratefully accepted!
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