DYSLEXIA ADULTS
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Dyslexia: for students at college.by Sylvia Moody.
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Do
you find reading arduous and have difficulty in remembering what you have just
read? If you answered 'Yes' to some or all of these questions, then it could be that you are experiencing dyslexic difficulties (also termed 'specific learning difficulties'). The term 'dyslexia' has changed its meaning over the years: originally, it was used to mean difficulty with reading; then it was extended to cover difficulty with all the three Rs; more recently, it has come to denote a whole range of difficulties which are typically associated with weaknesses in short-term memory, sequencing skills and hand-eye co-ordination. (Difficulties in these last two areas are commonly termed 'dyspraxia'.) A dyslexic person, therefore, may have difficulty not just with reading and writing, but also with remembering instructions, procedures, appointments; he may find it hard to take notes efficiently from books or lectures and to deal with charts, tables, dictionaries and maps; he may operate generally in a state of muddle, typically failing to hand in course assignments on time and to schedule revision properly. (More males than females present with dyslexic difficulties and so, for convenience, the masculine pronoun is used throughout this article.) When asked how they feel about their difficulties, dyslexic people use such words as: angry, frustrated, embarrassed, humiliated - and these reactions act, like anxiety, to compound the original difficulties. Many dyslexic people struggle on, feeling disconsolate about, but resigned to, their problems; others become depressed, even desperate, and give up hope of achieving any academic or professional success. In fact there is no need for despair. There are effective ways of managing dyslexic difficulties, and, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition among college authorities that dyslexic/dyspraxic students should be given appropriate help and granted appropriate concessions in both course work and examinations. 1. A systematic tuition programme to improve literacy and study skills, e.g., reading for comprehension, planning and organising written work, note-taking, spelling, syntax and punctuation. 2. Strategies to compensate for poor memory, motor, perceptual and organisational skills, e.g., the use of mnemonics, work timetables, flow charts. 3. Training in relaxation techniques. If a student wishes to apply for concessions (e.g., extra time in examinations, the use of a word processor), he will be required to seek a cognitive assessment from either a chartered psychologist or a suitably qualified teacher. Such an assessment can be arranged privately through one of the main dyslexia organisations; a referral through the N.H.S. is also possible, but it should be noted that very few N.H.S. psychologists specialise in assessing specific learning difficulties/development dyslexia in adults. (A part-time student who has a job can also make arrangements for an assessment through the Disability Employment Advisor at his local job centre.)
RECOMMENDED TUITION PROGRAMME FOR STUDENTS. READING: Understanding and remembering written material; summarising; highlighting; improved speed and fluency; multi-sensory memory strategies and learning techniques; visual and aural word and letter perception and tracking. GENERAL WRITING SKILLS: Training in clear, correct and coherent writing; spelling rules; word-building and word division; grammar and punctuation; sentence construction and writing flow; paragraphing; proof-reading. ESSAY WRITING: Planning and writing essays, including brainstorming for ideas; organisation and planning of contents; basic essay structure; ordering and linking of sections; essay writing for exams. STUDY SKILLS: Training in effective study and revision; organisation and presentation of material for easy learning; preparing revision schedules; motivation and reward; note taking; summarising and highlighting. ATTENTION, CONCENTRATION and MEMORY: Exercises to focus and sustain attention and concentration; memory techniques. WORK ORGANISATION: Work schedules and timetables; setting and achieving goals and sub-goals; meeting dead-lines; efficient work methods; planning and organising tasks and projects; keeping in control of work-load. Dr. S. Moody |
All these difficulties will become more apparent
in situations such as interviews or examinations where the dyslexic person is
under pressure to present himself, or to give evidence of his knowledge or ability,
in a short space of time. The anxiety he feels about such situations can exacerbate
his difficulties so much that he may fail to do justice to himself, or may even
appear totally incompetent. 
Management of dyslexic/dyspraxic difficulties should
have three components: 
Dyslexic students in higher education can also claim
a Disabled Students Allowance - a lump sum which the student can use to pay for
equipment or services which may be of help to him. He may wish, for example, to
buy a tape recorder, to photocopy reference texts, or to engage the services of
an audio-typist. The Allowance is claimed from the L.E.A. along with the normal
grant. 
