The assessment report for your child should give clear recommendations on useful help and recommendations. The report should also note any supports which your child may be entitled to depending on their level of difficulty.
Your child may need to access some or all of the following:
- Help at home from parents and other family members.
- Help in school from the class teacher, special education teacher, or Guidance Counsellor.
- Help outside school, e.g. the specialist tuition available through DAI’s network of nationwide Dyslexia Workshops, or a one-to-one tutor.
- Depending of the severity of dyslexia, a child may qualify for certain accommodations such as:
- Exemption from Irish, or an exemption from language entry requirements at third level.
- Reasonable Accommodations in Exams.
The Supports in School Section will give you more information on school-based supports and accommodations.
Parents often need to actively pursue schools in order to get assessment report recommendations implemented. It is a good idea to have a meeting with the school to go through the child’s report and discuss how the recommendations can be implemented. Often, it is advisable to put your request in writing to the school principal, e.g. in relation to applying for an exemption from Irish.
If you are unhappy with the response from the school, you may appeal to the board of management of the school, and/or to the school inspector. If that fails, contact the Office of the Ombudsman for Children at 1800 202040 or 01 865 6800.
