Dyslexia and Student Learning

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Dyslexia and Student Learning

• James Caveney
• ODP Course Director
• University of Wales Bangor
• PROPRIUS Conference 2005

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Won t achieve!
Thick!
Idiot!
Dyslexia?
Stupid!
Daft!
Should do better!
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What is Dyslexia?

• It is a learning disability that interferes with
  the acquisition and processing of language due to
  the brains inability to translate written images
  from the eyes into meaningful language.
• A language-based impairment that prevents a
  person from reading, writing, spelling and
  comprehending as expected.

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Figures

• Dyslexia is the most common disability in
  children.
• At least 10 to 15 of school age children have
  some degree of dyslexia.
• Approximately 4 being more severely affected
• approx. 375.000 pupils
• It occurs in children with otherwise normal
  intellectual capacity, who have not learned to
  read despite adequate exposure.
• British Dyslexia
  Association (2005)

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Diagnosis

• Diagnosis of dyslexia in adults is more difficult
  than in children as adults develop coping
  strategies that mask difficulties.
• (Reid and Kirk 2001)
• Adult dyslexics may be employed in jobs that
  under use their capacity or subject them to
  potential stress or strain.
• (Ott 1997)
• Many dyslexics remain hidden because they do
  not tell anyone at work about their dyslexia for
  fear of unfair treatment, ridicule or
  discrimination.
• (Fitzgibbon and OConnor 2002)

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Difficulties

• Many individuals may not be aware that they have
  difficulties!
• Hidden dyslexics are disempowered because they
  cannot claim their entitlement to support!

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Support

• Educational support for nursing and midwifery
  students with dyslexia varies widely in the UK.
• Employers must comply with the Disability
  Discriminatory Act (1995).
• Higher Education is subject to the Special
  Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA)
  (2001).
• Dyslexia is a formal category of disability,
• although most dyslexics may well dispute this!

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SENDA (2001)

• What does the act mean in practice?
• It will be unlawful for responsible bodies to
  treat a disabled person less favourably than a
  non-disabled person for a reason that relates to
  the persons disability.

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SENDA (2001)

• If a disabled person is at a substantial
  disadvantage,
• responsible bodies are required to take
  reasonable steps to
• prevent this disadvantage.
• This might include
• Changes to policies and practice
• Changes to course requirements or work placements
• Changes to physical features of a building
• Provision of support workers or interpreters
• Delivery of courses in alternative ways
• Provision of materials in other formats

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Support

• Dyslexic students may demonstrate a range
• of difficulties that may include problems with
• Lectures
• Writing
• Reading
• Timed Tests / Exams
• Practicals

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Support

• Lectures
• Listening and writing simultaneously
• Notetaking at speed
• Copying from powerpoint and OHP presentations

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Support

• Writing
• Handwriting, spelling, grammar
• Written expression of ideas
• Planning and organisation
• Sequencing ideas
• Linking points explicitly
• Discriminating symbols b/d or /x

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Support

• Reading
• Reading at speed and skimming
• Scanning for information
• Comprehension, following slow reading speed and
  memory difficulties
• Accuracy at speed
• Decoding unfamiliar words

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Support

• Timed Tests/Exams
• Managing Time
• Misreading questions
• Interpreting questions correctly
• Writing problems may be exacerbated
• Proofreading effectively

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Support

• Practicals
• Reading instructions quickly
• Writing up results at speed
• Organisation of self and work
• Completing tasks in allocated time

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Remember

• Work presented may not reflect
• the students ability or the time and
• effort put in!!!

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Conclusion
Caring
Hardworking
Conscientious
DYSLEXIA
Registered O.D.P.
Intelligent
Capable
Dedicated
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References

• Fitzgibbon, G. and OConnor, B. (2002) Adult
• Dyslexia. A guide for the workplace. John
• Wiley and Sons. Chichester.
• Ott, P. (1997) How to Detect and Manage Dyslexia.
  A
• Reference and Resource Manual. Heinemann.
• Oxford.
• Reid, G. and Kirk, J. (2001) Dyslexia in Adults
  Education
• and Employment. John Wiley and Sons. Chichester.