Engaging Employers in the Inclusion of Students and Employees with Dyslexia: Issues for Higher Education and the Workplace Sheena Bell Senior Lecturer.

Engaging Employers in the Inclusion of Students and Employees with Dyslexia:

Issues for Higher Education and the Workplace

Sheena BellSenior Lecturer in Education (SEN)

October 2008

Part 1: Adult dyslexia: setting the scene

• What is dyslexia in relation to adults and how does it affect students in Higher Education as they move into work?

Dyslexia in adults?• A brain difference: biological in nature and

usually genetic in origin.

• 10-15% of population on spectrum

• Most adults with dyslexia can read and write although underlying difficulties persist.

• Unseen disability

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which is neurobiological in origin and persists across the lifespan. It is characterized by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed and the automatic development of skills that are unexpected in relation to an individual’s other cognitive abilities. These processing difficulties can undermine the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills, as well as musical notation, and have an effect on verbal communication, organisation and adaptation to change. Their impact can be mitigated by correct teaching, strategy development and the use of information technology.

British Dyslexia Association Website 2007

Frith’s causal model

Phonological processing

• Most common core difficulty

• Where this develops slowly or with difficulty - high risk of dyslexia

• Impedes association of sounds and letter patterns (Phonics)

• Adults often compensate with extensive sight vocabulary

The acquisition of literacy• The most complex thing your brain will ever need

to learn.The origins of literacy

Language: 2 million yearsSpeech: 150,000 yearsWriting: 4,000 years

“Reading is a completely unnatural and artificial process in the brain and takes many years to acquire properly”

“No two brains share exactly the same reading hardware” (Milne 2005)

Strengths

• Creativity• Holistic thinking• Interpersonal skills• Visualisation• A different approach to a task• 3D perception

Recognising strengths: putting dyslexia employees at a disadvantage can mean their talents and skills are not exploited.

“I do a lot of problem solving here…It saves big money and it has always got my name on it. But people don’t go, ‘You remember that really nice email we got from Dave?’!” Callum

Possible difficulties

• Short term memory• Sequencing• Speed of processing• Organisational skills e.g. time

management• Automaticity of literacy skills

School – the importance of diagnosis.

“I was never taught I was a dyslexic so made very little progress.” Callum

“ It wasn’t recognised as a problem.” Gill

“You went to this E Block and of course everyone took the mickey out of you if you went there.” Adrian

SPrimary School:

support in acquisition of literacy

Development of teaching

support of people with

dyslexia

Secondary school: access to whole curriculum

Higher education: organisation and study

skills

Employment

Support

Metacognition

Part 2 Dyslexia in the workplace

Outcomes of non-recognition:• Many well compensated adults will not

need adjustments: they have developed strategies

• Others will find stress levels rise as they are move from education into work

• Can cause loss of self esteem, stress, mental illness…

• Employers lose productivity = profits

Dyslexia affects

performance

Promotion accordance

with true potential

DIFFICULTIES AND STRESSES AT

WORK LINKED TO DYSLEXIA

Low paid manual job

Job SeekingCareer

opportunities limited by

qualifications and self-esteem

© Bell 2007

The affect of dyslexia on a career path: Snakes and Ladders

Workplace training: engagement and success

• Negative school experiences and lack of self esteem can discourage adults with dyslexia from taking up training opportunities.

• However, because of professional competence it can be easier to succeed in work related accreditation, especially if dyslexia is taken into account..

“Most of these food courses because they are sort of relevant to my work and I am familiar with it all like you know, it is a walk in the park” Callum

Barriers to Higher education “It is a business management course and it goes on, it is

about a years worth of course and you get some sort of degree with what I don’t know, and I have just thought to myself ‘is it worth the bother?’ I thought, because you have to do a lot of written assignments. I will be honest I thought to myself, “What am I really going to get bar a whole lot of stress and a whole lot of strain?” So I just said “Thanks, but no thanks”. So I thought ‘What I will gain was the stress I will put myself under’ and I was thinking “While I am trying to write a bloomin’ great dissertation I will probably be neglecting my own job, and won’t be doing that so well.” So that is the only course I have ever said no to and I think they expected it.

… I don’t want to be a burden to anybody like having to have all this extra help and I will be honest I am not entirely sure what I would get out of it.”

Workshop 1 activity

• In pairs or groups. Discuss ways in which adults with dyslexia in workplace settings could be encouraged to participate in professional development in HE institutions.

• On the sheet provided, consider a way of surmounting each barrier.

Self esteem in relation to work

Effect on behaviour“ I applied for a team leader’s job,

maintenance team leader, but when I sat the test I felt no, I ain’t got it. I put myself down”

“I still put myself down a lot. I still think I am thick and when I have interviews I think the people look at me and think “He is as thick as two short planks” Adrian

Transitions: what happens for people with dyslexia

Access to training

– motivation and

competence

Workplace

training

Access to work

Choice of career?

Disclosure to

employer? When? (Higher

education)

Student support

Disclosure at point

of entry becoming

more common.

Choice of course

or institution

Secondary

school

Communication

between schools,

parents and child

Primary

school

Individual

education plans

Ongoing

assessment

Metacognition:

Recognition of own

strengths and

weaknesses in order

to capitalise on

them. Extra support may be needed at transition points

How can adults with dyslexia be supported?

• Understanding – metacognition. Recognition of own strengths and weaknesses

“It is all to do with understanding, because I always think ‘You are not thick” Gail

Support strategies…

• Practical support exists and is available through the DSA and Access to Work

• Learn to touch type

• Simple adjustments: Change font and background

• Look at Iansyst website/catalogue for up to date IT solutions

Workshop 2 activity

• Look at the lists of workplace tasks and possible aids. For each task find a solution that could help an employee with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is covered by legislation

• The Disability Act (1995-2005) covers dyslexia

• People with disabilities have the right to ask for reasonable adjustments at work

• Workplaces must now be proactive in providing opportunities and eliminating discrimination

“Never even looked into it. Can you tell me?”

Creating a supportive culture…

Employers can help• Open culture

• Encourage screening and assessment

• Negotiate deadlines

• Giving time for tasks needing literacy processing

• Consider simplifying paperwork

Reaching potential

“When I meet people with dyslexia the saddest thing is they have been people that have been crammed in. They are crammed in themselves, like clammed up because I can tell they have been beaten, they have been bashed over, psychologically.” Gavin

Knocking down the wall – better for everyone…