Elite Tuition in Ashby now has a Dyslexia and Access Arrangements Assessor to help children with any issues they have connected to the condition.

This is in addition to the regular teaching services offered by the Market Street-based organisation.

Elite has wanted to provide Dyslexia advice for some time, and feels it is needed with long waiting lists for assessments at the moment.

This also co-incides with Dyslexia Awareness Week - which began on Monday - and World Dyslexia Awareness Day today (October 8).

Packington-based Lisa Gammon Is now available for informal assessments at Elite Tuition.

She explained to Ashby Nub News how that works: "We'll fill in a questionnaire to see if there is a real difficulty there, then I'll talk about the process of assessment.

"If they want to book one, it can take place at Elite, or I can come to the house depending on what the circumstances are. It can take two or three hours - and this is with the child only.

"I'm a qualified dyslexia specialist, and I offer diagnostic assessment, which initially means getting lots of background information and medical history.

"The report will then be 30-odd pages long, and it'll detail the child's underlying ability - and that may or may not lead to a diagnosis of dyslexia, depending on what the results show.

Elite Tuition in Market Street, Ashby.

"From there, if there is a diagnosis or dyslexia, there will be a lot of recommendations for the parents, the school and the child themselves.

"This can then be used to support exam arrangements, if they then go on to university, it's possible to apply for a disabled student allowance."

Lisa has been a teacher for over 20 years - with a background in Biology.

She moved into special needs teaching 17 years ago and is a SENDCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).

Lisa added: "The surroundings at Elite help me to help children with needs that haven't yet been identified.

"I want to get that as early as possible.

"But this is Dyslexia Week, as publicised by the British Dyslexia Association.

"This is aimed at adults as well as children, and make people think about whether things are put in place at work to support adults who might have Dyslexia, as well as all the misconceptions out there.

"People think it's just a problem with reading, and it's not the case. It's about getting people to ask questions and support others."

Preschool signs of dyslexia

●     Mispronouncing words, like saying beddy tear instead of teddy bear

●     Struggling to name familiar objects and using general words like thing and stuff instead

●    Having a hard time learning nursery rhymes or song lyrics that rhyme

●    Having trouble remembering sequences, like singing the letters of the alphabet

●    Telling stories that are hard to follow or having trouble talking about an event in a logical order

●    Having difficulty remembering and following directions with multiple steps

Year 1 signs of dyslexia

●    Having trouble learning letter names and remembering the sounds they make

●     Struggling to read familiar words (like cat), especially if there aren't pictures

●     Substituting words when reading aloud, like saying house when the story says home

●    Having trouble separating the individual sounds in words and blending sounds to make a word

●    Having trouble remembering how words are spelt and applying spelling rules in writing

Lisa Gammon is from Packingtin and working with Elite Tuition in Ashby

Year 4-6 signs of dyslexia

●     Confusing or skipping small words like for and of when reading aloud

●    Having trouble sounding out new words

●    Having trouble quickly recognizing common words (also called sight words)

●    Struggling to explain what happened in a story or answer questions about key details

●    Frequently making the same kinds of mistakes, like reversing letters

●    Having poor spelling, like spelling the same word correctly and incorrectly in the same exercise

●    Avoiding reading whenever possible or getting frustrated or upset when reading

Tween, teen, and adult signs of dyslexia

●    Reading slowly or leaving out small words and parts of longer words when reading aloud

●    Struggling to remember common abbreviations, including ones on social media

●     Often searching for words or using substitutes like gate instead of fence

●    Often not "getting" the joke or having trouble understanding idioms and puns

●    Taking a very long time to complete reading assignments

●    Having an easier time answering questions about a page of text if it's read aloud

Myth #1: Reading and writing letters backwards is the main sign of dyslexia.

Fact: Some kids with dyslexia write letters backwards and some don't. So, letter reversal isn't necessarily a sign that your child has dyslexia.

In fact, young children commonly reverse letters. It's not unusual to see them confuse b and d or write p instead of q. If your child is still doing so by the end of year 2, however, it may signal the need for further investigation.

Myth #2: Dyslexia doesn't show up until Key Stage 2.

Fact: Signs of dyslexia can show up in preschool, or even earlier. That's because dyslexia can affect language skills that are essential skills for reading. Some signs that a preschooler may be at risk for dyslexia include difficulty rhyming and being a "late talker." However for a diagnostic assessment to be carried out, a child needs to be at least aged 8.

Myth #3: Kids with dyslexia just need to try harder to read.

Fact: Research shows that the brain functions differently in kids with dyslexia. It also shows that reading can actually change the brain over time. But effort has nothing to do with it. It's the type of instruction that makes a difference, not how hard kids try. With good instruction and practice, kids with dyslexia can make lasting gains in reading.

There are a number of reading programs designed for struggling readers. Many use what's called a multisensory approach. This type of instruction uses sight, sound, and touch as pathways to learning.

Myth #4: Dyslexia goes away once kids learn to read.

Fact: Intervention makes a big difference in helping kids with dyslexia learn to read. But being able to read doesn't mean they're "cured." Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that can affect more than just basic reading skills.

On top of making it hard to decode, dyslexia can make it difficult to read fluently. It can impact how well kids comprehend what they've read. Kids with dyslexia may also continue to struggle with spelling and writing even once they've learned to read.

Myth #5: Dyslexia is a vision problem.

Fact: Vision problems don't cause dyslexia. Kids with dyslexia are no more likely to have eye and vision problems than other kids.

It's true that some may have problems with visual perception, or visual processing. That means the brain has trouble recognizing details in images and processing what the eyes are seeing. Those challenges can make reading difficult. But they're not a part of dyslexia.

Myth #6: Dyslexia only happens in the English language.

Fact: Dyslexia exists all over the world and in all languages. But it often takes longer to pick up on reading issues in kids who are multilingual than in their peers. That may be due to teachers and parents thinking these kids are struggling because they're learning a new language.

However, if kids have trouble reading in their first language and their second language, it's a good indication that they need to be evaluated.

Myth #7: Dyslexia is caused by not reading enough at home.

Fact: Reading at home and being exposed to reading is important for all kids. But dyslexia doesn't happen because of a lack of exposure. It's a neurological condition. People who don't know your family may wrongly assume you're not doing enough reading with your child. You may need to explain that dyslexia is caused by differences in how the brain functions.