Dyslexia Support at University of St Mark & St John. Heather Sunderland

What is Dyslexia? Brunswick (2012:15) ‘Dyslexia …is a neurological deficit, a miswiring of something somewhere in the brain’. Townend and Turner (2000:1) ‘Dyslexia is characterised by a deficit of phonological (speech) processing, but it’s behavioural manifestations are varied’.

If a student is dyslexic and in receipt of DSA, then they may be entitled to access specialist tuition.

Students can receive advice and guidance from a specialist support tutor on a variety of study skills including:

Deciphering the question Understanding the assignment Time management Creating an action plan Help with spelling, grammar and punctuation Sentence structure

Help finding resources including electronic journals and books Referencing issues Reading tutor feedback to help students improve on their next assignment Confidence!

The Dyslexia Tutor can also: Work with students on agreeing an assignment topic that meets their individual learning approaches. Give clear guidance on the breakdown and timescale of the stages of the task. For assignments involving a practical element they can make clear the balance of time to be spent between practical work and reading and writing

What do Academics see? When looking at a student’s written work, academics can often identify ‘Dyslexic’ traits and can recommend students come for a Dyslexia Screen.

Dyslexia Checklist Students may experience: Difficulty with expressing their thoughts in writing Missing out words when something is written down Reading either not being shown or quotes not fitting in with the paragraph topic

When asked students will often mention Phone numbers being difficult to remember Reversing letters and numbers Being clumsy Finding it difficult to listen and take notes at the same time Previously having extra help with reading and writing

Warning! Not all students experience the same difficulties For example, not all students with Dyslexia have difficulty reading ESOL students often present similar difficulties but may not be dyslexic Tutors are not always right!

Dyslexia Spatial/ Temporal Memory Difficulties Motor Control ReadingSpellingListeningWriting

Co-morbidity of SPLD’s DyslexiaDyspraxia ADHD

About the Dyslexia Screen The screening, which lasts about an hour, will comprise of an informal interview to discuss the student’s learning experiences and involves a number of short assessments that are designed to highlight their academic strengths and weaknesses.

What happens next? If dyslexia or any other Specific Learning Difficulty is suspected an appointment will be made for the student to see the Disability Advisor who will: Register the student with the Disability Department Make an appointment for the student to see an Educational Psychologist for a formal diagnosis

How did it feel after your Dyslexia Assessment? er_embedded&v=vE-nMTUm1Jc# er_embedded&v=vE-nMTUm1Jc# er_embedded&v=vE-nMTUm1Jc# er_embedded&v=vE-nMTUm1Jc#

Discussion Any further questions?