www..dyslexiaaction.org.uk

An Introduction to Dyslexia for Parents

Anne Main, Principal of Egham Teaching Centre

24th March 2011

Overview of webinar

The role of parents.

What is dyslexia?

Signs and symptoms.

Where to go for help and support.

Provision.

How you can help at home.

The role of parents/carers SEN Code of Practice (2001)

‘Parents hold key information and have a critical role to play in their children’s education.

They have unique strengths, knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs and the best ways of supporting them…

The role of parents (cont’d) It is therefore essential that all professionals

(schools, LEAs and other agencies) actively seek to work with parents and value the contribution they make.

The work of professionals can be more effective when parents are involved and account is taken of their wishes, feelings and perspectives on their children’s development.

The role of parents (cont’d)

This is particularly so when the child has special educational needs.

All parents of children with special educational needs should be treated as partners.’

Paragraph 2:2, page 16

SEN Code of Practice (CofP) 2001

Role of parents - summary:

Treated as partners Contribution valued Participation encouraged

Empowered to play a full & active role

Mutual trust and collaboration

Rights endorsed and strengthened Involvement in decision-making Early identification of children with SEN

The Role of Parents

‘Parents have a key role in supporting children with dyslexia. This role can be more influential than that played by the school. Although the school has a major responsibility for meeting the needs of children with dyslexia, the emotional strength needed to cope with dyslexia and the motivation to succeed can often come from home.’

Reid G. (2006) Dyslexia: A Complete Guide for Parents.

Rose Report July 2009

Key findings for parents:

All parents need to have improved information about the provision for and progress made by their children through a partnership approach and parents working together with their child’s school.

The Rose Report also notes that support in the home is one of the key indicators of Educational Success

So what is dyslexia?

training.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Try the following quiz…

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What does What does ‘‘DyslexiaDyslexia’’ mean?mean?

Dyslexia = difficulty Dyslexia = difficulty with wordswith words

‘‘DysDys’’ means means ‘‘difficultydifficulty’’

‘‘lexislexis’’ means means languagelanguage

Dyslexia – Definition…

From the ‘Rose Review’ 2010

NOTE: This is the most current definition of dyslexia - it is good because all the dyslexia organizations came together to agree upon this.

Dyslexia- Definition… Dyslexia is a learning difference that primarily

affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.

Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.

Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.

It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points.

Co–occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers for dyslexia

A good indication of the severity and persistence of severe dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well founded intervention.

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Attention, ConcentrationPlanning and regulating

Spatial AwarenessMotor-skills and

co-ordination

Interpretation in contextSocial significance

Words, sounds, Memory and sequencing

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Attention, ConcentrationPlanning and regulating

Interpretation in contextSocial significance

Words, sounds, Memory and sequencing

Attention Deficit Disorder

Dyslexia

Dyspraxia

Spatial AwarenessMotor-skills and co-ordination

Autistic SpectrumDisorders

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A A cluster cluster of difficultiesof difficultiesPhonological skillsPhonological skills

Language ProcessingLanguage Processing

MemoryMemory

SequencingSequencing

Motor SkillsMotor Skills

OrganisationOrganisation

LiteracyLiteracy

NumeracyNumeracy

SelfSelf--esteemesteem

BehaviourBehaviour

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Facts and FiguresFacts and Figures

1 in 10 people are dyslexic to some degree

Recent research would indicate that about the same number of males and females are affected

80% of dyslexics have a history of dyslexia in their family

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Facts and FiguresFacts and Figures

Dyslexia is classified as a disability – legal implications

It can’t be cured but strategies can be taught

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Developing Automaticity in Dyslexic Learners

Normal learning would

take

Dyslexic learning would take

4 goes 8 goes

9 goes 27 goes

100 goes 1000 goes

The longer the task, the worse the deficit.

Therefore plenty of practice in small bursts.

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Right hemisphereLeft hemisphere

Brain Functions

Concepts

Colour

Music

Shapes and Patterns

Art

Creativity

Visualisation

Holistic thinking

Symbols

Speech & language

Sequencing

Sound processing

Abstract thinking

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PROCESSINGANALYSING

SYNTHESISINGSEQUENCING

CHECKING

HEARING

SEEING

TOUCHING

TASTING

SMELLINGMAKING NOTES

DRAWING

TALKING and DOING

DOING

DISCARD

SHOW UNDERSTANDING

TAKE IN INFORMATION

ESSAY WRITING

WRITING

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Phonological processingWeakness in phonological processing skills can

cause difficulties with:

Blending sounds together to make words (reading)

Difficulty segmenting sounds in words e.g. vis i bil i ty (spelling)

Mispronouncing words (par cark for car park)

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Speed of Information ProcessingSpeed of Information Processing

The speed at which someone is able to think through and respond to simple, routine information e.g. transcribing lists of numbers. This is not the same as general ability.

Slow speed of information processing can make it difficult: To make a rapid decision Do routine work quickly Respond quickly to a question

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Auditory Short Term MemoryAuditory Short Term Memory

The ability to remember and repeat a sequence of verbal information e.g. telephone numbers and verbal directions.

Problems with auditory short term memory can lead to:

Difficulty with remembering verbal instructions/information

Problems with note taking Problems with concentration, especially in a busy,

noisy environment Poor comprehension of text

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Visual Short Term MemoryVisual Short Term MemoryProblems with visual short term memory can lead to:

Poor spelling Poor basic reading – word recognitionGetting lost on new routes and in new buildings

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Working memoryWorking memory

short term(working) memory

long term memory

sensory input

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Working MemoryWorking Memory

The ability to remember new information while thinking about it e.g. mental arithmetic.

Copying from whiteboards or books Making notes / taking dictation Remembering facts and formulae Poor sense of direction Remembering instructions / messages

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Long Term Memory/RetrievalLong Term Memory/RetrievalDifficulties with storage and retrieval in long-term memory cause problems with:

Word finding “What is it called….?”

Convoluted explanations

Problem with labelling; right/left

Using “Ums”, “ahs” to play for time – repeating the question

Moving information from short to long term memory needs many repetitions – a ‘quick forgetter’.

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SequencingSequencingProblems with sequencing lead to difficulties with:

Words and sentences order of the!

Following a sequence of instructions in the correct order

Using the alphabet and tables e.g. telephone directory

Time, days, months and dates

Organising the correct information in the correct place e.g. files

Copying down numbers in the correct order

PERSONAL ORGANISATION

OLDER CHILD

BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

MEETING DEADLINES

YOUNG CHILD

LAYOUT OF WORK

MESSY HANDWRITING

POOR CONCEPT OF TIME/DAYS OF

THE WEEK

WORKSPACE

MAKING NOTES

STORING INFORMATION

FORGETFUL

POOR ORGANISATION OF TIME and STUDY

UNTIDY

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Auditory DiscriminationAuditory DiscriminationProblems with auditory discrimination can cause

difficulties with:

Mishearing words

Difficulty identifying the sounds in words e.g»Remember / rember» th / f

Difficulty segmenting sounds in words e.g. vis i bil i ty

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Visual/Spatial Visual/Spatial Discrimination/PerceptionDiscrimination/PerceptionA poor memory/recall for visual/spatial detail leads to:

Confusion of letter and number shapes e.g. b/d, 2/5

Mistakes when copying

Difficulty remembering the visual pattern when spelling e.g. dependent/dependant

Losing place when reading text

Misreading of words e.g. duck/duke

Poor sense of direction

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Examples of what some people see.

The skills of literacy

Skills generationThe final stage - but needs to start early.

Begin to combine basic skills together to access more complex skills

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SpellingSpelling

clear articulationclear articulation

legible cursive scriptlegible cursive script

good visual brain imagerygood visual brain imagery

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Problems with written workProblems with written work poor standard of written work compared to oral poor standard of written work compared to oral

abilityability

poor handwriting with badly formed letterspoor handwriting with badly formed letters

good handwriting but production of work very good handwriting but production of work very slowslow

badly set out with lots of crossing outbadly set out with lots of crossing out

words spelled differently in one piece of workwords spelled differently in one piece of work

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WritingWritingExplore alternative formsExplore alternative forms

dictaphonesdictaphones & PDA& PDA’’ss

word processorsword processors

speech recognition softwarespeech recognition software

text to speech softwaretext to speech software

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WritingWriting

Provide a framework for gathering and Provide a framework for gathering and recording different kinds of informationrecording different kinds of information

Highlighting and note takingHighlighting and note taking

Learning of work related vocabulary and Learning of work related vocabulary and personal dictionariespersonal dictionaries

Planning of written workPlanning of written work-- use mind mapsuse mind maps

Why are dyslexic children reluctant readers?

Reading skillsReading requires simultaneous processingof:

• symbols• sounds• accurate blending• vocabulary knowledge• memory for sight vocabulary• grammar• sentence meaning

For the dyslexic student, this can be an overload of information.

Overload!

Reading Problems hesitant and laboured reading, especially

out loud

omitting or adding extra words

reading at a reasonable rate, but with low level of comprehension

failure to recognise familiar words

missing a line or reading the same line twice

Reading Problems

losing the place, using a finger or marker to follow the text

difficulty in pinpointing the main idea in a passage

difficulty in the use of dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias.

Home Support Programme

What it contains: StopwatchDVD

ManualNo Name Alphabet

Lower case alphabetVowel Pack

MOTY and DOTW cardsShort Word Endings

What it helps with: 15 exercises for ReadingEX 1-14 Reading

EX15 Sequencing

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Maths and dyslexia

difficulty remembering tables and formulae

problems with sequencing

confusing signs such as + and x

thinking at a higher level in mathematics, but needing a calculator to work out basic computations

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Maths and dyslexia

misreading questions which include words

confusing directions – left and right

finding mental arithmetic at speed very difficult

What it feels like to be Dyslexic

You might think:- he’s not listening

he’s lazy

he’s not concentrating

he’s careless

he’s not checking his work

he doesn’t look carefully

he’s being awkward/impossible on purpose

The things dyslexic children might say of themselves…

'I don't get it.''I can't read.'

'I can't remember where I'm supposed to be.''I do try.'

'I'm worse than……..''My teacher taught a dyslexic boy before and

she says I'm not one.''I don't want to be on the special needs table'

'I'm rubbish at everything!''It's all my fault.'

Emotional reactions Confusion and bewilderment

Embarrassment, shame, guilt

Lack of confidence, low self-esteem

Frustration and anger

Anxiety, fear and panic

Despondency, depression and despair

Relief, determination and hope

Quote from 9 year old girl

“This is vury dificut for me. I luv my mum and famlee. But I luv my dog most. He

never jujes me ever. He axepts me. I wood luv to tak him to skool becos the sumwun

wood lik me.”

Worried about your child’s progress?

Possible actions to be taken:Contact: Local Parent Partnership

Class teacher / Headteacher

SENCo

Governors (Chair/SEN)

Local Education Authority

Dyslexia Action Centres

Actions to be taken:

Attend parent evenings and local centres or support groups/discuss concerns

Ask the school for:

a meeting by appointment

a copy of the SEN Policy

an assessment

SEN Code of Practice (CofP) 2001Graduated response on a register of SEN:

School Action

School Action Plus

Statement of Special Educational Needs

Individual Education Plan

3-4 SMART targetsSpecific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timebound

Rose Review 2009

‘Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and

Literacy Difficulties’http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/jimroseanddyslexia/

Key Findings and Implications of the Report

Three levels of Assessment

Monitor progressAdapt teaching in the classroomWave 1 – Quality First Teaching

Alert parents to concerns

Skills AssessmentWave 2 interventions

Consider Wave 2 and 3 interventionsIf difficulties confirmed then child is at ‘School Action’

Parents informed

Comprehensive assessmentWave 3 interventions

Monitor impact of specialist interventionsSchool Action Plus or Statement of SENParents advised of status and actions

Tips for Parents It is most important to maintain or build

confidence and self esteem

Be encouraging and find things that the child is good at, such as sports, clubs, to build his identity.

Praise for effort – Remember how hard it can be to achieve success in literacy skills

Provide support for homework (but don’t write your child’s work or do the maths homework!)

Work on building confidence in your child’s strengths

Help your child to be organised - where possible the security of a sensible routine

Encourage hobbies, interests and out of school activities

Try to find ways of enjoying books together. Promote independence and self confidence in as many ways as you can think of. Where possible involve your child in finding practical solutions to problems

Tackle hard tasks in small steps then you can both relish the success of each step.

Be consistent but not unrealistic

Try to find time to listen

•Give guidance on how to tackle tasks systematically Dyslexic children often need to be taught things that other children pick up without specific adult help. For example:

how to tidy a drawer

put things away

look for something they have lost

pack their schoolbag

knot a tie or do up shoelaces (Velcro is a boon)

Find a regular time and create routine

Minimise distractions

Agree a sensible time limit. Set a timer.

Short bursts more effective than one very long session

Read instructions and long passages when needed

Collect any necessary equipment

Support rather than teach

Gradually help your child to improve their listening skills and remember more instructions

Humour and laughter help even in the most difficult situations

‘Phone a friend!

Reading tips

Keep sessions short, light and happy

Start with short sessions and build up gradually

Be prepared to stop reading if a book is boringand change to another

Try and read regularly to and with your child and for as long as possible

Gradually explore a wide range of books and authors

Don’t make a child read everything when still struggling to learn to read

Even teenagers who can read need a helping “voice” when overloaded with homework

Re-read favourite stories

Use story tapes/CDs as well as books

Find ways to keep the place on the page

Agree on a small reward if a session has been particularly tricky.

Reading Rulers The ruler is a text highlighter about 150mm in length. It

will fit easily into a pocket or pencil case, or can be kept in the pages of a book as a bookmark

It is made of a combination of opaque and transparent plastic that both underlines the text and highlights it.

These are available through Dyslexia Action Shop Ltd

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Speaking and Listening Tips Close your eyes and describe what you both hear

Play taped stories

Guess the contents of a container

Give lists of instructions in game format

Choose the odd one out : sit/pit/fan/fit

Encourage conversation with your child

Use adjectives and encourage use for toys

Play with rhythm and rhyme

Don’t Forget!

This is meant to help your child.

Make it fun!

Common Dyslexic Strengths Articulate

Sense of humour

Curiosity

Interest

Creative/ Inventive

Practical

Intelligent

Frequent interest in science/ computing

Some useful Websites:www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

www.thedyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk

www.iamdyslexic.com

www.psykidz.co.uk

Useful books:Muter and Likierman (2008) Dyslexia: A parents’ guide to

dyslexia, dyspraxia and other learning difficulties. Vermillion:UK

Rose J (Sir) (2009) Identifying and teaching children and young people with dyslexia and literacy difficulties. DfE

Reid G (2006) A Complete Guide for Parents

SEN Code of Practice DfES Download

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Where to go next?Where to go next?Speak to the school.Speak to the school.

Contact us:Contact us:

Dyslexia Action Egham Centre or local centreDyslexia Action Egham Centre or local centre

Phone: 01784 222325Phone: 01784 222325

E mail: E mail: amain@dyslexiaaction.org.ukamain@dyslexiaaction.org.uk

dyslexiaaction.org.ukdyslexiaaction.org.uk

Thank you for listening.Thank you for listening.

Do you have any questions?Do you have any questions?

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