I feel like my children are expected to underachieve - there's no funding to help them do otherwise. (File photo)

We have known for a while that our 9-year-old daughter is dyslexic. I first figured out something was wrong when after a year at school her reading plateaued. She was a bright and capable child who loved books, loved reading and loved making up creative stories. Yet she couldn’t read.

She started hating school and hating reading to us after school. She was getting headaches almost daily and no-one knew why.

I went to our GP and she was referred to a paediatrician who diagnosed a 'specific learning disorder'. However, his diagnosis meant very little in the way of support. To have an official diagnosis you need to go through a registered assessor. These are not cheap (ranging in price from $500-$900). Before she starts high school, we know we will need to go down this path so she is able to receive the appropriate support for exams and assessments.

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Last week we got confirmation that our 7-year-old son is also dyslexic. What are the chances?



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Our son has never done very well academically. It is incredibly difficult for an intelligent child to perform poorly in school. He has suffered high anxiety, periodically vomits at school and is sent home. He has had sore stomachs for years with no medical answer. It is heartbreaking to hear your child tell you how stupid they are.

We applied for government funding to have our son assessed, but this was declined as a child needs to be at least two years below in all academic areas. How can a child who has only been at school two years be more than two years below?

Maths is the one subject he excels in. When you are young maths is almost entirely oral, but as soon as it becomes written he will lose confidence in the one subject he loves. So, we bit the bullet and drained our savings account to have him officially diagnosed.

The problem is, now what?

The school needs to step up and work alongside us to get the best results for our children - but with what funding?

There is no funding available for our children. It feels like my children are unimportant and are just going to be expected to underachieve.

I know they are intelligent children, their IQ tests prove that. They have educated parents and come from a family that wants the absolute best for them. They have a love of learning, love being read to and enjoy school (for the most part). They are hard workers and want to do well. But they are not.

We could pay for tutors at $30-$100 a session. However, when I pick my 7-year-old up from school he is so drained he often can’t walk to the car. My 9-year-old loves dancing and netball - should I pull her out of the activities she loves so I can afford her tutoring costs? Should I work less than my current three days a week so I can support their learning more? Should we change schools? Should I home school?

There is no easy solution.

I am scared that my children will never value how truly bright and capable they are. I am scared for their mental health as they get older. New Zealand has a massive youth suicide rate and I do not want my children to become another statistic. I am scared that nothing will be done to support children and families like mine.

I know we are not the only family in this position, I know we are lucky that we could afford (just) the formal assessments for our son and will do it again soon for our daughter. Many families in this position will slip further through the cracks.

New Zealand’s education system needs a huge shake up. We need to go back to basics. We need to support all children regardless of their learning needs. There needs to be funding available so these children don’t get left behind.