you are not dyslexic!

It DOES seem like there are a very large amount of people with dyslexia. I'm not dyslexic and have fairly good English skills, but a friend of mine 'apparantly' has it. She was not only in top set English and Maths back when we were in high school, but is now studying English Languages at university. And yet she still complains when she gets less than a 2-1, that 'it's not fair because she has dyslexia, and the lexturers should make more allowances and be less biased.' Note that nothing was said when she got her 1sts or her free laptop... I realise this is an extreme case, and that a lot of people really do need and use the extra time, but it's definitely happening more and more...

Someone who's dyslexic can still get very good grades

sounds like you're just jealous of your "friend".

Oh I am! I don't have much of a reason to be, since I got pretty good grades myself, but what i'm a little narked off at is that she barely studied at all. Didn't turn up to lessons, almost never handed homework in and during revision cramming time, was always out partying until three in the morning. I know some people are naturally clever and barely need to revise and that's kudos to them, but claiming dylexia and complaining day in and day out about it on top of that? Somewhat taking the piss...

It DOES seem like there are a very large amount of people with dyslexia. I'm not dyslexic and have fairly good English skills, but a friend of mine 'apparantly' has it. She was not only in top set English and Maths back when we were in high school, but is now studying English Languages at university. And yet she still complains when she gets less than a 2-1, that 'it's not fair because she has dyslexia, and the lexturers should make more allowances and be less biased.' Note that nothing was said when she got her 1sts or her free laptop... I realise this is an extreme case, and that a lot of people really do need and use the extra time, but it's definitely happening more and more...

Oh well it's their call I guess. I used to have a friend who never turned up to lessons but still got better grades than me, it annoyed me to no end because her concentration and revision techniques were so much better than mine (I'm dyslexic). All I can say is just focus on your grades, if they are good then there's no reason to be jealous really. Just subtly refuse if she ever asks to borrow your notes lol. Some people just have the ability to get good grades doing the minimal amount of work.

Right, this does not make sense whatsoever. If some people who truly have dyslexia need far longer to do something than others who do not have dyslexia because of a processing issue, why then are you, MrHappy_J supporting the fact that this girl may have dyslexia even when it seems from her friend that she doesn't use her time to go to class, do homework or even study, but rather go and party. I can't really imagine that it can be easy for a person with dyslexia to cram and get good marks. I have a friend who busts her butt to even get a pass and she works really hard. Furthermore, I have a sister in law at University and in her first year when her computer was so infected with viruses because of all the crap she downloaded from limewire she all of a sudden developed dyslexia and was given a laptop by the university. I have heard her talk to her mother about asking the University for another computer because the one the university gave her is now running slowly. She's a nursing student. Through primary school and grammar school she was able to get really good marks. She also claims to have food intolerances and then when she comes home to visit she eats the things she says she's intolerant to in order to 'build up a tolerance for it'. I have heard her say (after she heard from her mother about a woman she knows getting support from the govt for her pets because of a disability or condition) that maybe she could get support for her pets (rodents) for their food etc... She's also constantly blaming things which have nothing to do with dyslexia on her dyslexia. What's even more sickening is that I'm sure there are students who truly need the help and support, and I strongly believe that my sister in law is taking away from those people in need.

There is no doubt in my mind that there are people who have dyslexia. I have a cousin and a friend who actually have it. But considering that my SIL seems to be so benefit minded, I am starting to believe that there are cunning and manipulative people who, instead of using their time to study, decide to work the system. It's disgusting, dishonest, and poor reflection on today's current society. Furthermore, considering she is training to be a nurse and claiming to have dyslexia, I would be very concerned about that, when nurses are in charge of things like administering medications and such. Would hospitals seriously have someone walking behind her every step of the way to make sure she doesn't under or over dose a patient? Not that they would need to because she doesn't have dyslexia, but what sort of a liability is it for hospitals who employ nurses who have dyslexia? Where is the risk assessment in all of this?

Plenty of fakers, without question

Dyscalcula or Dyscalculus are basically where you can't understand maths/numbers I believe, something along those lines anyway, my sister has it!

also for another dyspraxic person! we should make a TSR society or we could have a TSR Learning Difficulties Soc, would be a good idea I think for people to talk to other people with similar issues

How does one go about being tested for dyscalcula - it doesn't really matter that much because I finished with maths a couple of years ago, but it'd be interesting to see if that's the reason why I am so atrocious at maths. It wasn't for lack of trying - I really did try - but I ended up having to copy off my friends all the time in class so that I wasn't sent down into lower sets because I really couldn't keep up, so in the end I got frustrated and stopped trying - and some of the other signs of it (difficulty differentiating between left and right, difficulty with maps, unable to grasp even simple mathematical concepts etc) are really ringing true for me.

How does one go about being tested for dyscalcula - it doesn't really matter that much because I finished with maths a couple of years ago, but it'd be interesting to see if that's the reason why I am so atrocious at maths. It wasn't for lack of trying - I really did try - but I ended up having to copy off my friends all the time in class so that I wasn't sent down into lower sets because I really couldn't keep up, so in the end I got frustrated and stopped trying - and some of the other signs of it (difficulty differentiating between left and right, difficulty with maps, unable to grasp even simple mathematical concepts etc) are really ringing true for me.

But what are dyslexic people supposed to do in the real world, when they won't be given extra time to check for spelling errors ect? I think it is good that they get extra support in school ect, but will they get extra support when they get a job ect? If not, then they are kind of left on their own, because sure they have proven if they were not dyslexic, this is the grade they are capable of achieving, but what next in the real world? I'm genuinely curious, are you given extra support or something? If not, it seems like a crappy system.

Are you in education at the moment?

I think the whole idea of giving people extra time is unfair anyway. How do they justify giving people extra time? So they can reach their full potential. What about if I need another half an hour to get the maximum mark I could on the paper even when I don't have any conditions? Exams are supposed to test your ability so you can discriminate between people dependent on their grades, if you manipulate the time and help given to some of the candidates then you destroy the results and the test scores are no longer an accurate relative reflection of someone's ability.

I recently heard that at one of the top independent schools in the UK they get almost every pupil tested for dyslexia or other that may gain him/her extra time in exams. I heard that out of my friends year (approx 150) about forty get extra time - this is a school which has a formidable entrance exam and gets top results. I go to my local comp and in my year of 220 there are about 20 boys with extra time..

I simply do not believe that so many people at this high achieving school have these disorders.

It is a trend that I have noticed when discussing this story with other people - it now seems that more and more people are being deemed as dyslexic or dyspraxic or adhd etc etc

So, do you think they are faking it? Or the tests are too lenient? Or there just are more dyslexic people nowadays? How can you explain my story - it makes me so angry!

There's a huge difference. Some people with Dyslexia have problems processing information. Giving you extra time when you have no condition is giving you an unfair advantage.

There's a huge difference. Some people with Dyslexia have problems processing information. Giving you extra time when you have no condition is giving you an unfair advantage.

This is right. Two people may have exactly the same ability for a subject but one has dyslexia and may take longer to process the task or question. So you could write exactly the same essay and get the same mark on the same subject but the one with dyslexia would still be processing the title or question while you are scribbling away.