Dyslexia & Learning Difficulties
- A Guide to Dyslexia Support
- How does Dyslexia affect students?
- How can teaching staff help?
- Case Study
- Further help
How Does Dyslexia Affect Students?
Dyslexia is extremely varied in the difficulties it can produce: no single set of characteristics can define it. Some students, for example, find it difficult to comprehend or access written text. In their studies, these students rely on readers to record the text in spoken form. For other students, the problem may be producing written language. They may be unable to meet course requirements without the aid of a computer that has a speech synthesis facility.
The condition also varies in its extent and severity: Many students may only have minor areas of difficulty. The following areas of difficulty in dyslexia are the most common, but note that not all students who undergo a diagnostic assessment will have problems in all areas. Some, indeed, will have considerable problems in only a small number of them. The areas are:·
- reading: students with dyslexia may read more slowly than others. They may have to read each word independently or reread a passage several times, experiencing difficulty in identifying the main points. As a result, they generally need more reading time than nondyslexic students. Some dyslexic students have particular difficulty in reading aloud.
- writing: dyslexic students may have difficulties in expressing themselves in writing and can struggle with aspects such as sentence structure and punctuation. Their problems may increase when producing longer pieces of work: difficulties arising with the logical progression of ideas and arguments. Dyslexic students may be unable to identify errors when reviewing their own work: this is particularly true of spelling errors.
- listening and perception: dyslexic students can find it difficult to perceive the sequences necessary forlearning series and rules in, for example, grammar and algebra. They can also have pronunciation problems with longer words and find it difficult to learn new vocabularly, such as the jargon of a specialist subject. There may also be difficulties in listening and writing at the same time, as in a lecture situation.
- spelling: spelling difficulties are common in dyslexia. Students may be able to check spellings in a dictionary yet still find it difficult to memorise the correct spelling of a word. Dyslexic students often are unable to learn from having their spelling corrected by others.
- handwriting: students with dyslexia often prefer to print rather than to link letters in their handwriting. This can slow them down. It also means that their handwritten work can often appear messy.
Difficulty in any of these areas will have an impact on the student's ability to study in a number of ways and there may be resulting problems in activities such as:
- taking lecture notes,
- reading out loud in tutorials,
- writing in pressure situations such as exams,
- written assignments, both writing them and carrying out the necessary reading,
- delivering speeches or presentations,
- participating in group sessions.
How Can Teaching Staff Help?
Teaching staff often express concern about special arrangements for dyslexic students. In fact, students must always meet the standard for the degree they are sitting, whether or not they are dyslexic.
Many dyslexic students have developed their own coping strategies by the time they reach university. However, university staff can still offer valuable help and support in the following areas:
- lectures,
- assignments,
- tutorials, labs and practicals,
- examinations and class tests,
- placements.
Lectures
Where dyslexic students have difficulty in taking notes during lectures, you may wish to consider allowing them to audiotape the sessions. Where possible, it may be helpful if you provide the student with lecture notes, handouts and overhead projection slides electronically or on paper. Sometimes it helps to have printed material in large print or on coloured paper. Students will be happy to discuss their particular needs with you. A class note-taker may be another alternative, funding for this support would be available through Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). When introducing new terminology in a lecture, it can help dyslexic students to ensure that it is presented in both written and spoken form.
Assignments
Coursework assignments can be a daunting prospect for a student with dyslexia and it may help you to obtain advice about meeting your students' needs. You will be able to obtain help from Special Needs. Two points to bear in mind are:
- if students with dyslexia submit work that has spelling or grammatical errors, it is not helpful to correct these on the text. Refer the student to Special Needs for specialist help.
- it may be helpful to recognise that dyslexic students can take longer to deliver assignments, and to make appropriate arrangements.
Every attempt should be made to help the students, but it is important to bear in mind that dyslexic students must still reach the same standard of work as other students if they are to pass the assignment, examination or class test.
Tutorials and Practicals
Tutorials often involve students reading aloud from texts, an activity that can be difficult for dyslexic students and which may cause embarrassment. Take care to avoid putting dyslexic students in this situation.
Examinations and Class Tests
Exam procedures gives full details of the procedures for examination arrangements for students with special needs.
Placements
If you find yourself responsible for arranging placements for students with dyslexia, it is important to begin discussions with the student and the placement supervisor as early as possible. The demands made on a student by a placement can be very different from those in the academic world. For example, in the workplace, the student may have to digest written information quickly and also produce high-quality written reports instantly.
Case Study
Jenny graduated last year. Diagnosed as dyslexic even before she went to university, she had come to terms with the condition and had little feeling of self-consciousness about it. 'It was part of me, even if it was something unusual or different. I thought being an individual was a good thing.'
The effect of Jenny's dyslexia is to limit the short-term memory that most people use when reading text. 'I can't look at as many words as everyone else, so I tend to read more slowly, holding the book quite close to my eyes.'
Jenny sometimes feels as if she's reading ahead of herself, trying to derive the meaning rather then extract it directly. 'I try to turn the words into pictures to make them more meaningful. When I remember something, I remember what the words were saying to me, not the words themselves.' 'Dyslexic students are individuals,' says Jenny, 'So you can't assume that any two have the same problems or are affected in the same way.' Jenny has noticed that some other dyslexic students are reluctant to attend special classes or study skills sessions. 'They're wary of being labelled, and I can understand that. Personally, I found the classes useful: they introduced me to some alternative ways of studying and attending that have really helped me.'
Asked if there was anything that lecturers could do to enhance the learning experience of dyslexic students, Jenny said, 'Think about what our needs are. If there is a lot of information to give, supply handouts to accompany the lecture. Keep OHP slides clear and simple. Provide opportunities to stop and recap. Stuff that would help non-dyslexic students as well!'
Dyslexia Facts gives further details that may be of interest.
Further Help
Some useful contacts are listed below.
Study Skills for Students with Dyslexia
http://www.dyslexstudyskills.group.shef.ac.uk/
http://www.dyslexia-college.com/
Dyslexia Scotland
10 Stirling Business Centre
Wellgreen
Stirling
FK8 2DZ
Tel: 0844 800 8484
Hours: Monday - Friday from 10.00 am until 4.00pm
Email: info@dyslexiascotland.org.uk
Glasgow Centre (Dyslexia Action Scotland)
Napiershall Street Centre
39 Napiershall Street
Glasgow
G20 6EZ
Tel: 0141 334 4549
Fax: 0141 339 8879
Email: glasgow@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
