LTSN-GEES Special Education Needs Conference 19th October, 2001 Dyslexia in the Context of Higher Education Judith Waterfield University of Plymouth.

LTSN-GEES

Special Education Needs Conference

19th October, 2001

Dyslexia in the Context of Higher Education

Judith WaterfieldUniversity of Plymouth

Dyslexia

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Key Features of Dyslexia in the Context of Higher Education

What is meant by dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a difficulty related to the

understanding and usage of symbolic

written language

Dyslexic people have problems with short

term memory, sequencing and ordering

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Differences Experienced by Dyslexic People Poor short term or working memory

Blank out thinking process or speaking in the middle of sentences

Can’t follow directions

Try to avoid writing in front of other people

(e.g. writing cheques, notes, information)

Remembering and making sense of what

people say – often ask for things to be

repeated because they hear words but

cannot make the link to meaning

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Need far more time to learn in the first place in order to achieve routine tasks with minimum attention to sub-skills

May have weakness in visual, motor or auditory skills – or processing difficulties in all these areas

Experience lack of confidence, self worth

Often non-assertive or over-assertive

Miscue what people say.

Often do not connect visual and verbal cues

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May need to complete tasks in small stages – too much information processing causes blocks

Maintaining concentration – become stressed, exhausted

Feel frustrations which are worsened by the “life story” of their experiences – i.e. you may experience the anger from others repeated action and response towards the dyslexic

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Often say the wrong word, or confuse words

Finding words in dictionaries to look up

spelling and meaning – also memorising the

alphabet – an alphabet arc is a useful aid

Miss small words when reading or listening

to conversation – therefore often do the

opposite of what is expected or required

Forget instructions

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In the study process it can invade: Memory

Retaining information long enough to record

Following instructions in practical sessions

Forgetting information learnt (especially under stress and time constraint)

Forgetting time, place, day for appointments

Word retrieval in group/individual oral presentation

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In the study process it can invade:

Reading:Word recognition, retrieval

Difficulty with scanning

Need to re-read over and over to make sense of & retain

Misreading words and facts

Missing lines, losing place, re-read the same line

Problems in finding facts, extracting relevant sections

Rate of reading

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In the study process it can invade: Written Assignments:

Poor syntax

Unable to see corrections

Poor links in ideas, planning and structure

Word retrieval

Remembering and using specialist words

Write less than their knowledge and understanding

Immature expression

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In the study process it can invade: Spelling:

May restrain writing of creative thoughts

Simple word use as a defence

May affect how the tutor perceives the student and evaluates work

Basic spelling rules forgotten or not applied

Reversals, substitution, foreshortening, addition to words

Dictionary problems

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In the study process it can invade:

Handwriting:

Letter slopes in different ways

Slow, hampered by spelling and retention as well as motor difficulties

May print to cover up

Tire easily

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In the study process it can invade:

Vocabulary:

Take longer to acquire subject words and use in context

High verbal skills and ideas which belie the quality of written work

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Meares Irlen Syndrome

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Dyspraxia Similarities to dyslexia and may co-exist in

the same individual

Challenges:

high levels of distractibility

preference for single task activities

Judging heights and distances

Co-ordination, balance and self-positioning

(therefore labelled ‘clumsy’)

Practical work

Handwriting

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Dyspraxia Similarities to dyslexia and may co-exist in

the same individual

Challenges:

high levels of distractibility

preference for single task activities

Judging heights and distances

Co-ordination, balance and self-positioning

(therefore labelled ‘clumsy’)

Practical work

Handwriting

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Precept Eight

Programme specifications should

include no unnecessary barriers to

access by disabled people

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Precept 10

The delivery of programmes should

take into account the needs of

disabled people or, where

appropriate, be adapted to

accommodate their individual

requirements.

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Precept 11

Institutions should ensure that,

wherever possible, disabled

students have access to academic

and vocational placements including

field trips and study abroad.

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Precept 13

Assessment and examination

policies, practices and procedures

should provide disabled students

with the same opportunity as their

peers to demonstrate the

achievement of learning outcomes.

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5.13

A student declares her disability on her

application form. Once she is enrolled on a

course she receives none of the support or

adaptations that she needs. The tutor claims

she does not know that the student is

disabled. However, because the student has

disclosed her disability the institution cannot

claim it does not know about it. The failure to

offer support and adaptations is therefore

likely to be unlawful.

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Issues for students with dyslexia embarking on traditional field work activities:

taking accurate notes in non-classroom environments

multi-sensory tasking – listening, observing, recording and reading

speed of handwriting and legibility

organisation of time

orientation, reading maps

slow reading speed for accurate comprehension

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Issues for students with dyslexia embarking on traditional field work activities:

visual perceptual difficulties with poorly photocopied material, particularly black print on white background

remembering field trip arrangements

group work

recording data and making mathematical calculations.

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Strengths of Dyslexic Students: West (’97) outlines the following aspects

of dyslexia which when utilised in the learning process can benefit the student and their peers in group work or shared presentations:

Good powers of visualisation Creative thinking skills Visuo-spatial skills A holistic rather than analytical approach Good practical and problem solving skills

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Visual and spatial modes of thought

seem well suited to dealing with certain

complex problems and are often closely

associated with major creative

achievements in the sciences as well as

the arts

In the Mind’s Eye -Visual Thinkers, Gifted People with Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity, By Thomas G. West

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After some four hundred to five hundred

years of growth in a highly verbally oriented

system of education and knowledge, we

may be seeing the beginning of a new

phase in which, in reverse fashion, certain

kinds of complex information will be

increasingly handled visually rather than

verbally.

In the Mind’s Eye -Visual Thinkers, Gifted People with Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity By Thomas G. West