Introduction to Dyslexia

Lindsay Peer, Gavin Reid

• Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781138146945
• eBook ISBN: 9781135372903
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This work provides the class teacher with a straightforward introduction to dyslexia. The authors highlight methods of identification of dyslexia within the classroom context and provide examples of how dyslexia can be dealt with by the class teacher.

Chapter 1

Purpose of the Book

This book is the first in a series that brings together the results of research and effective practice and makes recommendations for policy at both local and national level. We, the authors, hold a firm belief that, given the appropriate environment, with early intervention and effective support, head teachers, classroom teachers, parents and young people with dyslexia will all benefit. The implementation of the activities, methods and policy suggestions outlined in this series should lead to a positive outcome for all involved in the assessment, support and planning of provision in the area of dyslexia. As a consequence of the activities already carried out, stimulated by previous publications, and through the endeavour to achieve dyslexia-friendly schools, the following developments have been noted:

•  head teachers have reported the raising of standards – both academically and socially;

•  teachers have reported improvement in behaviour and attitude;

•  parents have reported improved motivation and self-esteem in their children, as well as better communication between themselves and their children’s schools; and

•  alearners with dyslexia have reported a reduction of stress and a gradual, but steady, feeling of personal growth, acceptance and achievement.

The authors of this book have both been teachers and teacher trainers, as well as being deeply involved in management of change in relation to special needs education. The strategies recommended have been tried and tested and have been shown to work.

About the book

In this book, we will describe what dyslexia is, and how it is manifested in the classroom. We will also highlight how it can affect the home environment as well as the social and emotional development of the young person with dyslexia. While awareness has been raised substantially over the years, there is still some misconception about the underlying causes of dyslexia and the influence of these in relation to policy and practice.

Dyslexia is a lifelong challenge for the individual concerned, but while there is a need to acknowledge that dyslexia will not disappear, skills and strategies can be taught that will help overcome difficulties and develop strengths. It has been widely noted that many people with dyslexia have considerable skills in areas such as problem-solving, creativity, art and design, as well as skills with computers. It is important that materials and support are age- and interest-appropriate, as although learners with dyslexia may be behind their peers in reading and/or writing skills, at various stages in both primary and secondary school they may be ahead in terms of understanding and may have to display this understanding orally or visually for it to be acknowledged.

It is now well understood that the learning needs of dyslexic people change at various ages and stages of their lives. From the stage of initial identification, through the assessment and provision processes, a range of practitioners will be involved – all requiring different levels of awareness, training and development. This book will therefore discuss the types of assessment strategies and tests available to teachers, which includes the need for effective classroom observation. Assessment is not conducted in isolation but needs to be linked to curriculum development and task outcomes.

The need for an evaluation of effective teaching and learning will also be discussed in this book and, indeed, throughout the series. It is too easy to make the misguided assumption that as long as the learner with dyslexia is in the class, he/she is learning. This may not be the case, especially in a large class. This is indeed one of the reasons for the Dyslexia-Friendly Schools campaign, the issuing of Awareness Packs (BDA 1999) to schools and the general enhancement of the awareness of dyslexia in all classrooms and schools, primary and secondary, throughout the country.

Dyslexia-friendly schools

Undoubtedly, the introduction of this concept, with its unique way of working is an innovation that has made a great deal of difference to the lives of many people. The principle of working towards the facilitation of all people to reach their educational potential – regardless of challenge or disability – is fundamental to the principle of ‘dyslexia-friendliness’. It is fully recognised that it is only when a head teacher and senior management team lead the way for such changes in attitude that teachers feel empowered, parents feel confident and children become successful.

People with dyslexia have a great deal to offer society. Their creativity, skills and talents which so often lie dormant within a framework of frustration may not be helped by a traditional educational environment. A dyslexia-friendly environment and appropriate support will open doors for those who hitherto may have experienced failure. Primarily, there needs to be a change of attitude within the learning environment – an attitude that is shared by all members of staff and echoed by school peers.

Features of dyslexia-friendly schools

In order to make sure that dyslexia-friendly schools become a reality, clear written guidelines need to be produced for teachers which ensure that the needs of dyslexic learners are an integral part of the whole-school policy. This should enable them to develop strengths at the same time as addressing their weaknesses. Furthermore, school management should ideally ‘buy into’ the concept and ensure that all staff are working within the philosophy of a dyslexia-friendly school.

Schools need to adopt an open and flexible approach, encouraging communication between all parties. This would include external agencies where appropriate, in addition to staff and pupils themselves. High, yet realistic, expectations of all learners must be demanded. Policies and alternative methodologies will encourage the self-esteem of children who find learning through traditional methodologies frustrating. There also needs to be recognition of the needs of those dyslexic learners entering the education system with a background of more than one language. Schools should encourage specialist teachers and speech and language therapists working in an advisory capacity to make regular visits to schools to evaluate, support and advise on how to improve provision. Whole-school approaches ensure that policies are translated into action. Comprehensive and appropriate training for different levels of staff needs to be provided together with an agreement that all staff are responsible for the progress of each individual learner. Schools should be encouraged to monitor and evaluate their work and the system as a whole. Teaching of study skills, learning styles and thinking skills would be ideally suited to all children in such a school. By doing so, standards across the board have been seen to rise. Parents should be helped to be positive in their support both of individual children and the school. This will often happen when they feel that their children are receiving support and understanding and progress is clearly being made. Particular note and consideration should also be made of the needs of those from cultures where priorities may not be with the learning of English as a primary language.

Individual target-setting should be aimed at the level where learners are, rather than at where they should be according to age. Furthermore, recognition of and support geared to intellectual potential rather than level of difficulties should be the focus. Multi-sensory teaching methodologies to enhance learning capabilities are of great value to learners with dyslexia. For those with more severe needs, the introduction of programmes to enhance development of those areas underlying dyslexic weaknesses – e.g. speed of processing, memory, language, organisation – will be invaluable. All staff, regardless of subject specialism, should share the responsibility for each individual.

Ethnic minority learners

Identifying the literacy and communication needs of multilingual children in a culture-fair manner will not only help to ensure the preservation of different cultures but will also help to identify the cognitive abilities and communication skills of multilingual children.

It is necessary that culture-fair principles and practices are considered in the identification and assessment processes, in classroom practices and provision, the curriculum, in the training of teachers, support assistants and psychologists, in the selection and allocation of resources, in policy and in liaison with parents and the wider community. The need to maximise the potential of dyslexic learners whose first language may not be English is of paramount importance and this must be the priority in the development and implementation of identification and assessment procedures.

Young people who are bi-/multilingual and dyslexic have a learning profile which is significantly different to that of their peers. Educators are often aware that these students are very different from others who experience difficulty, as they are often bright and ‘able’, orally or visually. The difference between their abilities and the low level of written work they produce can, but not always, be glaringly obvious.

Culture-free testing needs to be used as well as specially developed reading materials. Without the awareness of different learning and socialising habits of the particular culture from which the child comes, many unfortunate assumptions may be made about the child’s assumed lack of ability. Tests given orally are prone to bias and therefore have to be considered with great care and knowledge on the part of the tester.

It is not a viable proposition to trust the use of translation for administration of tests for children whose native language is not the language in which the tests were designed. There may be problems of cultural and linguistic bias, differing syntax and structure, which would make them unreliable, hence any results can be invalid. Materials developed for assessment and teaching need to acknowledge the diversity of communities and of individuals within these communities.

Avenues for effective communication necessitate openness to ensure the effective triangular working partnerships of parents, schools and the individual children concerned. There are still communities in which dyslexia is misunderstood and for whom awareness and understanding need to be raised. Until such times, success is likely to be limited. This greater understanding needs to be accepted and acted upon by policy-makers nationally and locally in individual schools.

The McPherson Report (1999) suggested that every institution should examine their policies and the outcomes of these policies in order to ensure that no section of any community is placed at a disadvantage. This should include the dyslexic community in its entirety. Information needs to be dispersed throughout the communities in relation to dyslexia, and avenues need to be opened for parents of dyslexic children as well as dyslexic adults in order to allay fears and encourage communication. Like the parents of monolingual dyslexic children, parents from bi- and multilingual communities need to be trained in self-advocacy and to participate in groups designed to influence policy and practice.

Challenging behaviour and dyslexia

Frustration leads, very often, to antisocial or even deviant behaviour. There is no doubt that the strain placed on children to ‘do better’ when they are already trying to do their best is unreasonable. Often the child’s problems are attributed to emotional issues, sometimes with a background of difficulties at home. It is the responsibility of educators to look for the root causes of the stress; after all, even the most effective form of counselling will not help the child whose underlying difficulties have not been identified and addressed. We know of many anecdotes about children displaying significant behavioural problems related to frustration, who seem to improve dramatically when the situation, that is inappropriate, is replaced by a more suitable structured environment. One such case was Steven, a bilingual dyslexic boy, aged 13, who had experienced major problems, both academic and social, at school. He was labelled hyperactive. His behaviour was so poor that he was eventually sent to a special school where, within five months, there were no signs of ‘hyperactivity’. On discussion with his class teacher, a year later, she was amazed to hear that there had ever been any behavioural problems. However, the parents were deeply saddened that this had been the only solution for their son whom they wished to have raised at home and not just visit at a boarding school at weekends.

Hyperactivity

On an everyday basis we see children who may be extremely difficult in some classes, yet not in others. We may not consider them to be hyperactive, but as educators we do need to be introspective and consider underlying difficulties. Teachers often ask whether it might be the subject matter, the mode of teaching, the learning environment or possibly a personality clash with specific staff that is causing the trouble. Many of these children are simply ‘reacting’ to the situation in which they find themselves.

Genuine hyperactivity may well start before the child enters school; everyone is aware of it. Sleepless nights and unacceptable behaviour are often part of the report that parents give. For this there are a variety of treatments, which are often a combination of educational and medical interventions. However, there are also children who seem to develop similar behavioural patterns to those who are genuinely hyperactive, but the symptoms only start when things begin to go wrong in the school environment. Interventions in these circumstances are totally different. When placed in a ‘dyslexia-friendly’ environment, be it either specialist school or mainstream school, with appropriate provision and an empathetic staff, who are knowledgeable and understanding, the ‘hyperactivity’ often disappears. That is because it was not hyperactivity. As parents and teachers in secondary schools in particular know (the time when hormones hit with a vengeance), questions need to be asked and background information obtained which relate to the child’s behaviour and performance in primary school and, in some cases, preschool. Worryingly, there are many children with dyslexia who are admitted to schools for children who are suffering from emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). These may well be inappropriate placements.

Bullying

There are groups of children with dyslexia who experience weaknesses in the areas of fine and/or gross motor skills. In the past these children were described as ‘clumsy’. Children who have overlapping features of dyslexia and dyspraxia appear to be the ones who are most easily bullied. Such children describe themselves as unwanted in the playground, in the sports hall and in practical workshops within the curriculum. They talk of teachers making unpleasant jibes and children picking up on those comments in the playground. Some are in physical fear of other children.

Teachers need to be working with this group to develop the muscle control, body language and self-esteem that they are lacking. All staff working in a dyslexia-friendly school will be aware of these issues and will look out for them. This needs to be recognised and addressed by changes in national policy and local practice.

Parental stress – a positive outcome

Initially, there is a need to appreciate why it is that parents are often stressed and appear angry with schools. Many parents are themselves dyslexic and for them this is a repetition of the struggles they themselves experienced in school. Often misguided and ill-informed ‘help’, such as comments like ‘Don’t worry, he’ll grow out of it/ he’ll mature’, are most unhelpful, as people do not ‘grow out’ of dyslexia but have to learn to cope with it and use their skills to overcome their difficulties. It is for this reason that subject and career choice is of immense importance and, ideally, careers advisers should have knowledge of dyslexia. This would help them guide the young person with dyslexia into the most appropriate course of study or employment.

Biggar and Barr (1996) showed how when tensions between home and school are evident, the resulting frustration and feelings of failure are often echoed in the child. Homework and disorganisation can also cause tensions at home. Furthermore, as dyslexia tends to be a hereditary difficulty, the chances are that there are others at home who experience similar frustrations and, indeed, may not be able to help the child with homework.

Reassuring parents

Once parents are reassured that the school understands their child and is making appropriate provision for them, tensions reduce radically. Parents hope to see the classroom teacher recognising ability while help is being given for the weaknesses. This will only happen once the strengths and weaknesses have been defined and a solid programme of support is in place. When regular communication follows and there is strong evidence of improvement, life is better for all concerned. It also helps if parents are put in touch with local dyslexia support groups where they can learn more about dyslexia, how to work with the school and how to support the child at home. Action-based support and communication are essential ingredients to a fruitful and positive relationship.

Chapter 2

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a label, but one than can carry significant weight in terms of resources, examination support, teaching approaches, assessment needs, curriculum differentiation and management, and parental involvement. For those reasons it is important that the class teacher has more than just an awareness of dyslexia, and has instead a sound understanding of the nature of the dyslexic profile underpinning this label, the characteristics of dyslexia and how children and young people with dyslexia can best be supported in all areas of the curriculum.

Characteristic...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the authors
• Preface
• 1 Purpose of the Book
• 2 What is Dyslexia?
• 3 Identification and Assessment
• 4 Teaching and Learning
• 5 Accessing the Curriculum: Learning Styles and Thinking Skills
• 6 Staff Development
• 7 Resources
• References and Further Reading
• Index