Learning difficulties.

Dyslexia is in the news again this morning. We seem to go through periodic out bursts on this subject. Some people deny the condition exists. It's one of those areas where mythology seems to take over...

When my son started school he was quite happy, played with other children from the same school, loved all the sporting activities and was obviously struggling with class work.

I had no idea how much he struggled until at the end of the first year I got his report and a call from the head teacher. They were considering sending him to a special school.

After the first shock I told them there was some mistake. He played chess at home and played it well enough to beat me most times! He was in a local chess club.

The school was startled by this news and invited me in to see for myself. There was obviously a problem. His books looked as though a spider had crawled across the pages.

I took him to see an educational psychologist. After a mornings testing she told me he had a high IQ but suffered a space relationship problem...it was a form of dyslexia.

School kept him . A very intuitive teacher put him in goals for all football matches to force him to coordinate hand and eye movements.

His work got much better once the problem had been recognised and he was given extra time for all his exams.

Academically his disability meant that even with extra time he didn't do well. But he became a wonderful gardener who loved music and poetry and all sport....

These children with reading and writing problem do need some extra time to be able to compete with the others...but unless either the parents or the teachers of the child recognise that there is a problem they will never be on a level playing field...

I was proud of my son.

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