I already have a 10.5 year old with dyslexia and dyscalculia as well as my 6 year old daughter. My last school report for the 6 year old said she had been put on the special needs list and was being given extra help with literacy and numeracy to focus her thoughts. She is a child that rushes things - is this a sign of a dyslexic child again? She is left handed writes various letters and numbers back to front! I cannot remember what age I should get assessed I think my eldest daughter Amy was about 7 years can anyone remind me? Jessica is prone to not listening or doing things very quick and forgetting what the question is. This year both my daughters will be doing their SATs and its an important year for both of them. How can we focus the 6 year old at home?
I welcome any help!
Re: Getting a 6 year old to focus
Do you think your children are prone to attention deficits? My son is similar and I only recently realized how much his poor attention gets in his way. To put it plainly, I used to think he didn’t get it, I now see he gets it when he is paying attention.
He definitely has a visually based LD but sometimes it is hard to see where the LD starts and the adhd ends. I don’t want to medicate him, yet. I honestly hope I never have too.
I am just crazy enough to believe that we can lick this thing with therapy. He is my boy and for him I don’t want a palliative treatment, I want a cure. I know some think that is naive and irrational but I am as tenacious as he is. I have seen some big improvements after doing interactive metronome, enough for me to believe that there are other answers out there.
I do think it is important to see the attentional issues and address them.
Re: Getting a 6 year old to focus
Yes, you can have your child evaluated at any time by your school district- you just need to request it. However, first sit down with her teacher and discuss her progress and current skill level in all areas- math, reading, motor skills, getting along with peers, behavior, attention span… Writing letters backwards is perfectly normal at this age- she has to learn to go from left to right consistently and that takes time. If the concern is primarily about her impulsivity and attention span, then request that a psychologist evaluate her for those concerns- this should include classroom observations and behavior rating forms for you and her teacher to complete. There are many interventions you can use to help your child focus- but it helps to know your child better, when they struggle the most and why. Your child may need to be reminded to “stop-look-listen”. Your child may need shorter sessions of sit down listening or heavy concentration work- and more activities in which she can move around and do hands- on types of activities. She may need more cues to redirect her (using her name, a touch on her shoulder), a seat in the front, a quiet work space, and regular routines… Good luck.
My son is six and has similar problems. I don’t think their is a specific age you should be waiting for. My son was evaluated last year at age five and found to be dyslexic and have auditory processing issues. I think the earlier yoy determine what your daughter needs the better.
My son is a rusher, he tries to anticipate everything that is going to happen. I think he does this, in part, because he is already anticipating that it will be difficult and he won’t be able to do it. I work a lot on reminding him to slow down and listen, to wait for my directions, and to ask for help when he doesn’t understand.
I wish I had better advice for you but that is what we are using and so far it has been successful. I would suggest requesting an eval now based on what you already know.
K.